By Joan Vanden Berg, Iowa City
I am voting for Jayne Finch for school board, and I encourage you to do the same.
I have found Jayne to be a consistent advocate for our most vulnerable students. On several occasions, I have approached her about concerns raised by community members. She not only listened but took the initiative to meet directly with immigrant parents to hear their perspectives firsthand. She is an excellent listener who clearly communicates what she can and cannot do, and she consistently follows through on action steps in a timely manner.
I also appreciate Jayne’s call for transparency. She has advocated for district administration to provide the board with an unfiltered accounting of what is happening in our schools. At the school board candidates’ debate, Jayne eloquently stated that the district needs to acknowledge problems before it can solve them.
Jayne is deeply engaged in our community. She mentors through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and has a genuine interest in our richly diverse population. I frequently see her at community events — Houses into Homes, the Sudanese Association, Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County, and the African Festival of Arts and Culture.
Finally, Jayne is realistic about current budget constraints. She is willing to make tough decisions using data to determine what will have the greatest impact for students and voice concerns when she does not see a good return on our investment.
It is a challenging time to be a leader in public education. Jayne has the skills and commitment to meet these challenges.
