Patrick M. Cohn, Jr.Patrick M. Cohn, Jr. says it's all about kids and quality education, so he is running for school board in Silver District's Position 1. A Grant County native growing up in the mining district, he will always be an Indian at heart, but he and his family live in Silver; he will serve where he is. He is active in community and its organizations, and wants the best for our schools. This past summer he was a coach-pitch coach for Silver City Little League.

His earlier ambition was to become a special education and history teacher. He attended WNMU and graduated from there with a degree in Business Administration, instead. He has graduate work from Western State School of Banking, Las Cruces, in Banking Administration. He is presently the Assistant Vice President at First New Mexico Bank in Silver City.

His respect for education continues; he states that a good, solid education is the basis for success; he continues to learn every day. Sports are great, but academics are the key.

At present, he is interested in helping the District pull together behind the new administrator. He thinks there is too much stress in the system and he would like to see more personal security and higher morale for those who are teaching and serving the students. Considering the low position of New Mexico schools generally, he wants to see quality academics and fewer mandates that take from the school's ability to teach what kids need.

He also sees the need to restore the reserves in the district and help fix the financial bind it appears to be in. He has seen regulations in banking and knows that schools have them, too, but commented that banking seems to have a voice; education seems less successful at making its needs known.

As we have local officials going to Santa Fe, he would ask their support to give the schools a voice in stating the challenges and meeting these needs with local solutions. He would like to see more support for the schools, with people who are happier at their work. That help can and should also come from the home.

He said he and his wife spend a lot of time working with their children, whose classes range from grade school to high school. As parents, they oversee the homework, talk with the kids, go with them to the library, invest personal time at home and at school events. Home influence is needed to help them make the grades. Home has a big part to play. Interested, supporting parents make a lot of difference.

He knows his children, all children, need a good educational base to have effective careers. Each has different skills and interests, and good schools are needed to help them reach their goals. There is so much at stake for every child. As a school board member, he wants the community in his district to talk with him about the concerns and needs they see, and urges them to contact him during the term he hopes to serve. His email is pmcjr7@hotmail.com.

He insists the school board should supply support for the process and make schools and teachers able to do their jobs. He says he wants to be a part of building the strong team that brings out the best in our children.