I believe in the public school system, as long as it can deliver. The difference here is family. These kids understood the odds and beat them: 15 percent higher test scores than the public schools; 100 percent of those who applied to college were accepted. Every one of them worked together as a family. Durango,they may not be your kids, but they are Durango’s kids. Be proud. Support your kids, all of them. They are getting out of the strip mall now and building a beautiful facility in Twin Buttes.

If you truly believe in education, look beyond what you think you know. This is a proven model, and don’t just have an opinion about the direction that our country is going, have an impact. Help to make this new school facility happen. Dig deep. Volunteer. Learn, like we insist our kids do. While my son now is moving forward, it is my personal mission to make education a priority here in Durango. I am a tad biased, but I truly believe in our future, and we should hold all educators – public, private or charter – accountable. It is only then that we, as Americans, have the right to praise or complain about the government, the market or our livelihood. It all starts with our kids.

Hollie Dowd

Durango