Letter: Pick Poinier and Crush

At the Monitor’s candidate forum last week, each school board candidate claimed to support full-day kindergarten. But who is willing to vote to bring full-day programming to Concord schools?

While two incumbents explained why they voted no on full-day kindergarten earlier this year, Liza Poinier of District B (Wards 5, 6 and 7) emphasized: “(Full-day) kindergarten should not be negotiable. We need to get it done.”

While both candidates running to represent District C (Wards 8, 9 and 10) acknowledged the benefits of full-day kindergarten for children and the economy, only Chuck Crush committed to vote for it.

He clearly stated: “I will vote yes on full-day kindergarten, first and foremost.”

It’s critical to us all that New Hampshire remains a strong, vibrant state. The first step to securing our future workforce and economy is preparing tomorrow’s leaders by investing in high-quality early education, such as full-day kindergarten.

The advantages of full-day kindergarten are clear: students demonstrate stronger academic gains, improved retention rates and are less likely to abuse drugs, which is crucial for our state’s fight against the opioid epidemic. The question is who will step up and invest in kids.

I urge you to vote for school board candidates Liza Poinier (District B) and Chuck Crush (District C) on Nov. 7. They both have been endorsed by Save the Children Action Network because they are committed to prioritize early education and build upon the current momentum to make full-day kindergarten a reality for all Concord kids.

JOSEPH REGO

Concord