Dear Editor,
I wholeheartedly endorse Pollyanna Bladyka for a seat on the Springfield School Board. I worked with Pollyanna for five years at Riverside Middle School. Pollyanna worked with some of the most difficult to reach kids at Riverside. She was probably one of the best examples I have ever seen of tough love. She had standards and articulated them to the students, and for the most part they understood. They also understood that she cared for them. This is a quality Pollyanna brings to all of her endeavors: clear and honest communication with an underpinning of understanding and respect.
Pollyanna Bladyka has worked in the Springfield school system for some 25-plus years. She has worked with a number of superintendents, principals, and school board members. She knows which ones worked best to advance student education and to promote a positive work culture, and which ones did not. She understands the complexities schools face, not only in Covid times, but also the myriad of problems that beset communities in the best of times. This experience, this inside information, and her passion for education and for the children in our community helped Pollyanna in her decision to run for a seat on the School Board.
Please vote for Pollyanna Bladyka. Pollyanna will communicate clearly and honestly; she will be a strong advocate for all our children and for our schools. She knows the dynamics of our community.
Remember that she entered the race late and is running as a write-in. When you vote, write in her name: Pollyanna Bladyka. And please know that I also wholeheartedly endorse Troy Palmer.
I know that this sounds totally weird at the end of my first endorsement, but I figured since he is an incumbent people probably already know how thoughtful and considerate he is when he chairs the school board meetings. He allows everyone to have a voice and he listens. His positions on issues clearly indicate he is in tune with the community.
So, to wrap this up: put a check next to Troy Palmer’s name and write-in Pollyanna Bladyka’s name for school board seats. It is a win-win for Springfield.
Thank you,
Char Osterlund
Springfield, Vt.