Whatever our politics, most of us want the same thing from our schools: kids who can read well, write clearly and do math with confidence. That is why I am voting Yes on 5B.

I taught in classrooms for more than a decade before moving to the private sector. I watched the basics slip. Too many students don’t read for fun, don’t know their math facts and are used to content in three-to-five-second chunks. Turning that around takes great teachers, and in a valley this expensive, we have to pay enough to keep them.

I also learned something that surprised me. Student support is one of the biggest levers for academic results. You can’t teach fractions to a child who was hurt at home last night. You can’t teach an essay to a teenager who is thinking about ending their life. When those kids get help, they come back to class ready to learn, and the rest of the room can learn too.

Some neighbors worry that “mental health” is code for something political. In my classroom, it meant a counselor sitting with a kid in crisis, calling a parent and getting that student back in their seat. That isn’t a culture war. It’s the foundation that makes reading, writing and math possible.

5B pays for both: competitive pay to keep strong teachers, and support so students are ready to learn from them. Ask the district for results and hold them to it. But first, give our teachers and students what they need to deliver.

Please vote Yes on 5B.

Samuel Bennett
EagleVail