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-- Passionate about education!
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I
am passionate about education!
I’m Mark Treaster, the Democratic candidate for State
Representative from the 101st District. I would
like to thank the public educational systems of Reno County
for sponsoring this forum and I thank you for your attendance.
I am passionate about public education. To understand
how the owner of a small carpet cleaning and restoration
business developed a passion for public education, you need
to know some family and personal history.
There had been no college graduates in my family
before my generation. My mother Carol repeatedly preached
to my siblings and me how valuable a college education would
be to our futures. How right she was! My father and grandparents
reinforced this value. I am happy to report that my brother
Steve, sister Cyndi, and I all received not only a bachelor’s
degree but postgraduate degrees as well. Unfortunately my
mother Carol’s untimely death prevented her from seeing
any of these achievements. However, I know she is proud
of us, as is my father Darrell and my other mother Shirley.
My wife Mary and I have passed this passion
for education onto our children. Our two sons attended Pretty
Prairie public schools from kindergarten through their high
school graduation. What a great education they received!
Our oldest son Matthew recently graduated from Colorado
School of Mines with a degree in engineering physics. He
plans on doing graduate work at a later time. Our youngest
son, Andrew is a student at Kansas State majoring in economics
and political science. His current plans are to attend law
school.
I attended Buhler Schools for 7 years, graduating
from Buhler High School. I also attended Hutchinson Community
College. I earned two degrees from Emporia State University,
a Bachelor of Science in Education with a teaching endorsement
in social studies, and a master’s degree in teaching students
with learning disabilities. I was an educator of middle
school students for 12 years. I know from personal experience
how tough the classroom can be, but also how enjoyable and
rewarding it can be. For eight years I taught social studies,
geography, history, and government. I emphasized how great
our country is, that we were the first modern democracy,
and that we can change government through the election process.
I also stressed the importance of voting to my students.
For four years I worked with students with learning disabilities.
I taught my 7th and 8th graders basic
reading, writing, math, and study skills. This was an extremely
rewarding experience. I learned a great deal about at-risk
students. I learned that they can learn but at a different
pace, with different methods, and a lower student to teacher
ratio.
My wife Mary is principal at South Hutchinson Elementary
School. For the past 13 years since I left the teaching
field, I have kept in touch with public education through
her.
I would again like to thank the Reno County school
districts for sponsoring this forum on education. In the
101st District, there is a clear-cut choice of
which candidate to support if you truly care about public
education. Next year will be a critical year as the legislature
grapples with the school finance formula and school funding.
The 101st District needs my thoughtful leadership
in looking at both sides of an issue and then making the
tough decisions. I will provide effective representation
for my district, Reno County, and the state of Kansas.
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