LETTER: Romano best for superintendent

Melissa Romano is running for superintendent of public instruction.

Melissa is a committed, dedicated, hard-working math and science teacher. Melissa is a recipient of the 2012 National Science Foundation’s “Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.”

Melissa’s hard work and expertise have earned her respect and admiration for her dedication to teaching and to our schools. Melissa Romano cares deeply about all Montana’s children, and she will make an exceptional superintendent of public instruction.

Elsie Arntzen is Melissa’s opponent. However, Arntzen has shown herself to NOT care about the best interests of Montana’s children. Her voting record in the Legislature shows she voted against funding to allow 19-year-olds to finish working towards their high school diploma. She voted AGAINST appropriating funds for teacher retirement. (This is VOTING AGAINST the teaching profession!) Arntzen voted FOR exempting religious organizations from all campaign finance reporting requirements. (Our Founding Fathers were clear that ALL religious matters and one’s faith were to have NO influence upon and were to be SEPARATE from ALL matters concerning our governance. Arntzen’s vote to exempt religious organizations from all campaign finance reporting is ethically wrong and, indeed, unconstitutional.)

Clearly Arntzen does NOT have our children’s welfare at heart, and is NOT qualified for the office of superintendent of public instruction. Melissa Romano IS QUALIFIED to be elected superintendent of public instruction. I urge you to vote for Melissa Romano to become our superintendent of public instruction, for ALL Montana’s children. —Christina Granrud, Kalispell