We Should All Work Together

Nicholas Johnson

Iowa City Press-Citizen, "Letters," August 2, 1999, p. 7A


Thank you for your July 22 editorial, "Plugge steps into key issues."

There is no limite to what we can accomplish as a community when we all work together – in this instance on behalf of our children and schools.

A new superintendent is a new beginning and a great opportunity.

Lane Plugge doesn't need a "honeymoon" period as such. He's ready to start work. But he does need our understanding that problems long in brewing cannot be solved immediately by anyone.

I look forward to making the most of this new opportunity. Your editorial support can – and on July 22 has – helped us all do that.

Nicholas Johnson
Iowa City School Board


Note: Although they participated actively at every board session during the superintendent recruitment process, board members Matt Goodlaxson and Nicholas Johnson were unable to attend the board meeting at which the formal announcement, and vote, regarding the selection of Lane Plugge occurred on July 20, 1999. Independently, each wrote a letter to the editor of the Iowa City Press-Citizen regarding Superintendent Plugge. As it happened, both were published by the paper on the same day, August 2, 1999 – the first day of a two-day series of multiple articles by the Press-Citizen's Shuva Rahim focusing on Lane Plugge's prior assignment as superintendent in Grand Island, Nebraska.

For the record, in this context, Matt Goodlaxson's letter follows:


Supportive of Lane Plugge

I am concerned that a recent story in the Press-Citizen may have raised questions regarding my absence at the July 20 Iowa City School Board meeting, where Dr. Lane Plugge was officially named our next superintendent.

I wish to emphasize I was simply unable to attend the open meeting where the public vote was taken, since I was honoring a longstanding commitment to attend an Iowa Commission of Persons with Disabilities meeting.

I am supportive of Dr. Plugge's appointment, and look forward to his leadership of our district.

Matt Goodlaxson
Iowa City School Board