To the Editor:

For State Senate I am looking for the person that best supports our public schools. Of course there are other important issues but, having two boys in our schools, there is nothing more important to me.

Andy Sanborn says he supports public education but the facts don’t support it. First, Senator Sanborn is in favor of voucher programs that take money from our public schools to give to private companies and religious organizations with less ability to monitor and ensure that children in their programs are actually learning. Second, Mr. Sanborn voted to slash funding for UNH and the Community College systems in the last budget. Lastly, because of his willingness to cut state appropriations for pension support to the towns he has downshifted significant costs that both force property tax raises and cut funds to local education for new investments in textbooks, building repairs, and other important priorities.

Personally, I’ll never forget sitting in the SAU building with Andy Sanborn during our struggle to retain local control and defend our right to offer IB to our students. After hearing students, parents, administrators, and teachers talk of the importance, value, and success of IB program, all he could think to do was to call in to question our patriotism with a condescending comment about how he’d not heard any of us say how much we loved America. He later signed in and testified in support of the IB-banning bill at the Senate Education Committee hearing.

Lee Nyquist believes we must preserve and promote public education, boost science and math standards, keep tuition frozen at UNH and keep our community and technical colleges strong. He has lived in our district for over 20 years and is the father of 5.

I plan to vote for Lee Nyquist because, like me, he has a major investment in our schools, he sends his kids there. I trust that Lee will have our children’s backs each and every time he votes on education issues.

Beth Soederberg

Bedford