To the Editor: I am impressed with candidate for Hastings School Board Carrie (Banaszewski) Tate. I have read or heard her say: All our kids deserve and need to be nurtured and taught to become the best they each can be; All students should be treated with respect and fairness; Students should not know the political leanings of their teachers … they should be encouraged to reason and develop their own opinions; Parents should be involved in their children’s education and know what books and ideas their children are being exposed to, and Hastings public schools will lose students to private or other district schools if it fails to focus on core subjects, limits top achievers’ course options, or promotes political agendas. Carrie also knows the need for teaching students to respect their teachers, other authorities and their fellow students.

Carrie is bright, accomplished and dedicated to her family’s and Hastings’ children. She is a good listener and measured in her delightfully direct speech, as exhibited in her participation in the recent Hastings Chamber of Commerce’s Education Forum. As an officer in her church and as an international logistics professional and being married to a fire department captain, she knows a great deal about working in a team, addressing complicated issues and service. I think she would be a great addition to our school board and bring perspectives that should be welcomed. Please join me in voting for Carrie Banaszewski Tate, a welcomed voice in Hastings public education policies and direction.

Paul Hansen, Hastings