Dr. Dawson supports public education & need to make it affordable

To The Daily Sun,

We all know that a good education is essential for the future of New Hampshire's kids as well as for the vitality and the economic future of the state itself. Unfortunately our students graduate from the state's college system with the highest average debt in the country. This means that many of our young people cannot afford the education they need and deserve. More of them are having to go out of state for their learning and for their career. We are losing our younger generation and New Hampshire is left poorer.

One of Laconia's candidates for state representative has seen how vital education is to making our state strong. Tom Dawson has a lifelong record that shows when it comes to our students and schools he walks the walk and doesn't just talk the talk.

Tom Dawson's mother was a lifelong teacher and his father was a teacher and then a school principal. His sister was also a teacher and a principal. Tom knows the value of education from his own life. He worked hard and achieved a doctorate in education from Oklahoma State University. He created a college curriculum in Fire Technology in Delaware and designed and set up the Fire Protection Program at Lakes Region Community College. He taught at LRCC, retiring as a professor. And Tom was elected and served for nine years on the Laconia School Board as well as serving as a substitute teacher in grades 1 through 12 in central New Hampshire public schools.

He also knows budgets and the need to be a steward of taxpayer money. Tom acted as the chief financial officer for the Houston Fire Department and built and oversaw a budget of over $130 million.

Dr. Dawson supports public education and the need to make it top quality, available, and affordable. He knows that for our children it is the first step that can help them build a better life for themselves and their families. He has seen things close-up from the 1st grade to graduate school. He will advocate and work for state support of education at all levels. And he has shown in his career that he is able to do diligent research and then work with others of all viewpoints to come up with real solutions.

Better education benefits all New Hampshire residents: Children, parents, workers, business owners, taxpayers, and retirees. We need representatives in Concord who understand the importance of education and have the background and experience that prove it. That is why I urge Laconia voters to mark their ballots for Thomas William Dawson for state representative.

Ed Allard

Laconia