NOTICE: Vote Brewer, Turner-Badgero for the Dowagiac School Board
Posted at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 15, 2022
It’s the season of political ads, most of them negative, and most focused on national and regional campaigns. It is wise, however, to consider local campaigns that can have the most lasting impact on our children’s future – school board races.
In Dowagiac, there are three seats available and six candidates. I support Brent Brewer and Kristyn Turner-Badgero.
I have lived in Dowagiac most of my life and have been a volunteer with Justus Gage for about 10 years. I graduated from DUHS in a class of over 200, when the population of Dowagiac was around 7,000. That year’s class was around 100, with the city’s population around 5,600.
Life is changing and we need to prepare our students for a future where nothing is certain except change. Students cannot succeed in tomorrow’s global economy with an education that prepares them for the world of 1980. I am a firm believer in post-secondary education, whether it is a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree. graduate studies, a 2-year diploma, a certification or a recognized apprenticeship . I want this for all of our students.
Unfortunately, in 2018-2019, DUHS ranked in the bottom 50% in the state on a variety of metrics. I had a conversation recently with Mr. Brewer, whose dream is for Dowagiac to become a top school destination. With the city’s continued population loss, this may be the primary way to increase enrollment. But with lagging stats, it will be a tough sell.
For some reason, the dowagiac schools did not succeed. I believe some leadership changes may be needed. Brent has experience in several different positions at Southwestern Michigan College; Kristyn has a strong background in Dowagiac and business experience in her current role at Honor Credit Union.
Both would serve Dowagiac schools well and I support them.
Diane Barrett Curtis
Dowagiac
