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Vail Daily letter: ‘Yes’ on 3A, 3B

I am writing this letter in support of measures 3A and 3B on the November ballot. I am aware of some articles that are asking for a “no” vote and citing inaccurate and incorrect information. My first response was to get angry, but after thinking about it, I realized my time would be better spent helping educate the community.

Let’s start with who I am. I am a school board member of Eagle County Schools, and I am not currently a school employee, nor do I receive compensation from the school district. I am also a former school teacher, and retired from the profession in 2014.

As a member of this community, I’m concerned about a recent and misleading attempt to publish some of our local teachers’ wages in a public forum. I feel it is harmful to put only some of the teachers’ wages in the paper. If I were still a local teacher, I would hate to find out I didn’t make enough to even be included in this incomplete list; why include only the higher paid employees in the district? The list left off the teachers that make less than $44,800 a year, and that is a lot of teachers. Could it be an attempt to mislead voters? That is called only painting half the picture.



This list also included the wages of the school district administration, combining the salaries of teachers with higher paid administration staff (who will not receive funds from 3A, the mill levy override).

I need to keep this letter positive and not talk about hurtful, harmful, incorrect and misleading articles in a local forum.

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Again, I am no longer teaching for Eagle County School District, but I am proud to have been a teacher for 31 years and I hope I contributed to society by doing so.

I am voting for 3A and 3B because I support smaller class sizes and better pay for teachers. This is simple. The better we get at teaching our children, the stronger our society becomes. If our children can grow up and contribute something of value, then we as a community can be proud and better off because of it.

I’m not concerned that my tax dollars will be misspent. There are thoughtful checks and balances built into both 3A and 3B. The fact is that the school district is going to have an oversight committee to see that the funds from 3A will go to hiring more teachers and increasing current teachers’ wages.

As a contributing community member and an Eagle County voter, I am in favor of 3A and 3B because I support the children and teachers in our school district.

Kevin Kottenstette

Eagle County Board of Education member


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