Letter: Portzen will serve ‘with whole district’ in mind, heart

To the Editor-

I am writing to express my support of Barb Portzen for the upcoming school board election.

I am currently in my 10th year as an educator in the Stevens Point school district and I also have two children who are in first grade and third grade at Plover-Whiting. It is definitely safe to say that I am extremely invested in this district and want nothing but the best for all involved.

It’s no secret that the past two years have been a roller coaster of emotions and finger-pointing. Despite that, Barb Portzen has continued to serve on the School Board with an open mind and with the best interests of this whole district at heart. As a former teacher in this district, she “gets” it. In addition, her children and grandchildren have gone through our schools. Between her variety of roles, she has seen more angles of what it takes to educate our children than almost anyone else I know.

Barb is unapologetically in support of our teachers. She understands that, without high-quality teachers, our students would be receiving a sub-par education. I don’t know about you, but as a tax-paying member of this community, as well as a parent, the sheer volume of our teachers leaving this district is alarming.

This isn’t about masks, critical race theory (which isn’t even taught in our schools), or anything else that has been present in controversy lately. This is about our students. They deserve the absolute best education and support there is to offer, and Barb is a woman who tirelessly advocates for that.

I have become a regular watcher of school board meetings and Barb is the kind of member who asks the questions that need to be asked, even when others don’t think to ask them. She evaluates all sides of any topic and votes based on the best interest of all stakeholders.

Her experience makes her an expert in education. She understands a lot of the “behind the scenes” logistics of what it takes to keep a classroom, a school, and even a district running smoothly. She acknowledges when the hard decisions need to be made, even if she knows it will make her unpopular.

There are some candidates running who claim to support teachers and pledge to do what it takes to keep high-quality educators working in this district. Those same candidates, however, lack the awareness of what it TRULY means to be a teacher. It’s easy to “talk the talk” per se by using words and promises that spark emotions in all parents. However, to “walk the walk” is a completely different task that requires knowledge, empathy, and the ability to make decisions that are in the best interest of ALL, not just a select few.

That being said, Barb Portzen HAS walked the walk. She’s even run the marathon. And I am confident she will continue to do so as well.

As you go to the polls in February and again in April, I urge you to vote for Barb. Vote for the best interest of our schools by electing candidates who understand the whole picture, not ones who will paint a new one of their own.

Chelsea Peeters
Stevens Point

Send your open letters to [email protected]