Letter: Vote Davidson because of commitment, expertise and independence

This letter is for anyone interested in seeing students in Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) get the best opportunities possible.

Dr. Annie Davidson is a candidate for LTUSD School Board Trustee Area 1. Whether you are able to vote in Trustee Area 1 or not, I encourage you to consider Annie’s obvious commitment to our community along with her academic and professional resume that make her an ideal board member for success of our children. Yes, I call her Annie, because that’s what she prefers to be called and that’s how I’ve known her as my amazing partner and wife of many years - she’ll actually blush on occasion when called Dr. Davidson, but that modesty can’t disguise her incredible passion, expertise, and experience for public education. As someone with ties to this community throughout 42 years, I need to explain how fortunate we are to have Annie as an option to help lead our schools.

When it’s time to vote, remember what sets Annie apart:

1. Commitment. Annie’s continued activity in our community and schools is unrivaled by other candidates.
2. Expertise. Annie knows her way around any level of school and stands ready to apply her professional and academic expertise for the betterment of LTUSD.
3. Independence. Annie has no ties to LTUSD, current or historical, and brings a fresh eye to the exciting future for our local schools.

First and foremost, Annie and I have two young children in the school system. LTUSD, with its encouraging improvements in recent years and exciting potential now and forward, is the main reason that we came to the area when our oldest daughter was ready to start Kindergarten. Annie is absolutely committed as a parent to helping create the best educational experience possible for all children – not just our own. She has led enrichment classes in drama and music, volunteers in classrooms regularly, tutored troubled teenagers, and continues to support Tahoe Parents Nursery School.

Annie comes from a family of educators and that devotion to students is apparent in her educational and professional choices. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in science from Cornell University, she chose to further study education and teach in high-poverty schools in Burlington, Vermont. Why is this important to LTUSD? Over 50% of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch according to family income.

Annie is not only experienced with diverse economic strata in education, she cares - it was Annie’s classroom experience that made her determined to have an impact on a larger scale and obtain her doctorate in education leadership and policy. From there she went to work at McGraw-Hill Education where she achieved a reputation among educational researchers nationally for her interests in equity for student assessment. Annie is a recognized expert in student assessment – that expertise will be incredibly valuable to the LTUSD system in terms of data interpretation and decision making. Annie continues to do some consulting work with research organizations nationally and keeps abreast of current topics in education.

Vote for Annie, either when you see ballots hit your mailbox later this month, or in November on the general ballot.

Sincerely,
Matt Lucksinger