To the editor:
Leanne Harple has my vote in the upcoming primary election for Vermont House of Representatives.
As a Hazen teacher, I have gotten to know Leanne well over the last few years, and believe she would make an excellent representative for our district.
Leanne is a strong advocate for the people she represents. As president of the Orleans Southwest Educator’s Association last year, Leanne heard the concerns of teachers and support staff across the school district, and worked with principals and our superintendent to amicably resolve these issues. I was impressed with how she struck a balance, representing educators’ voices while maintaining positive relationships with administrators.
In this role of OSWEA president, Leanne was a strong, clear communicator – she regularly shared email updates with the Association, keeping educators informed on her work, our administrators’ decisions, and how all of it impacted us.
As advisor to Hazen’s student council, Leanne acts as an advocate for student voices, and for democratic practices, in our school. She creates a positive environment for students to learn about local government in a hands-on setting. She advocates strongly for the student government, bringing their perspectives to conversations where they cannot be present, such as in faculty meetings. I am sure these skills will translate well to representing the voters of our district in the state house.
A quality that I think is especially important in the role of House Representative is the ability to work collaboratively with others. I have seen Leanne demonstrate this ability on countless occasions. She is opinionated, but knows how to listen to others, and recognize when a colleague has more expertise than she does on a given issue. This collaborative mindset is part of what makes her a great teacher, and I have no doubt it would also make her a strong representative.
That being said, she does have a great deal of expertise on many of the issues our communities face – and she is always eager to learn more.
My only near-hesitation in voting for Leanne is that I would be sorry to lose her as a colleague for half of the year, and I know her students would feel the same. Nonetheless, it would be worth the adjustment to have her in the state house. I hope you will join me in choosing Leanne Harple in the upcoming Democratic primary on August 13.
Mavis MacNeil
Greensboro
