A proud Bulldog parent

Wow! Julio Delgado didn’t pull any punches did he? I will always support a citizen’s right to criticize their tax-funded institutions but feel that Julio’s recent rant of an editorial (Whitefish Pilot, Sept. 18) was inflammatory and unfair.  

While it seems his main issues lie with the handling of Coach Duff, he goes on to try to convince us all the sky is falling and the state of education here in Whitefish is in the gutter. I beg to differ.

My wife — a 15-year public education professional in Columbia Falls — and I have two children in middle school here in Whitefish and are keen observers of our schools, their policies, and their employees. We are very impressed with the state of affairs in the Bulldog nation.  

We know the school board to be hard working, caring individuals that want to do the best job they can for all of Whitefish and its students. Our superintendent Kate Orozco is an impressive leader, a true professional, and brings a wide range of experience and forward-thinking to her position. In our opinion, she is a breath of fresh air for our district.  

Our sons have always had hard working, energetic, and dedicated teachers that have done all they could to help our children succeed. Our interactions with administration have been positive and give us confidence that our school’s leaders care deeply about the decisions they make and how they affect the students.

We are thrilled (and relieved) that our community came together to support the upgrading of our aging high school. Taj Mahal? Hardly. Our new high school will be a modern, welcoming structure that is designed for a 21st Century education. All at a price tag that is well below “Taj Mahal” rates.

And finally, I firmly believe that having an inclusive school that honors and respects differences of culture, religion, dress, opinion, and — gasp! — hair style DOES prepare our children for the future workforce. A workforce that will be dynamic, multicultural, and that will look and think differently than most of us in our little corner of paradise.

So here’s to the Bulldog nation!

— Matt Ford