LETTER: School Committee Member David Ragsdale Endorses Stephen Turner For School Committee

Dear fellow Wilmington residents,

I am writing to encourage you to cast one of your votes for School Committee on April 26 for Stephen Turner. I believe that anyone who looks at the work Stephen has done on the committee over the past three years will recognize that he deserves a second term.

I don’t know anyone on the committee who works harder than Stephen. He volunteers to serve on seemingly every subcommittee and working group. He always goes the extra mile. Stephen is the kind of committee member who not only has read every word in the packet for each meeting, but usually has done further research on whatever topic we are discussing. A school district is a complex organization and there’s always a learning curve for new committee members. When he was first elected, Stephen threw himself into the work, learned the details of the Wilmington Public Schools at a breakneck pace, and has not let up for three years.

Stephen’s questions and comments at meetings are incisive and insightful. He asks questions to which Wilmington residents should want to hear the answers. He is respectful to all committee members, especially when disagreeing. In everything he does and says, he keeps the children and families of Wilmington at the forefront.

I’ve known Stephen since our kids were in kindergarten together at the Boutwell (those kids are now seniors at Wilmington High School — a seemingly impossible thing!) and I can attest to his intelligence, his moral compass, and his remarkable work ethic and dedication when he puts his mind to something. That something, for the past three years, has been the Wilmington School Committee and the rest of us have been the beneficiaries of Stephen’s energy, his wisdom, and his desire to see all the students in our schools thrive.

I encourage you to join me in supporting Stephen Turner for School Committee in the town election on April 26.

Sincerely,

David Ragsdale

Member, Wilmington School Committee