My 9 year old pulled Bill Kearney’s mailer attacking Jessica Pyska from our mailbox on Wednesday.

Jessica Pyska is my son’s garden teacher. The mailer smacked of desperation. It has no basis in fact and Jessica has already answered your meritless attack on more than one occasion. It assures the loss of the majority of votes from parents who have children at Cobb Elementary. I hope the rest of District 5 is watching too.

My family has lived in this community for 40 years and I was raised here. We understand that small communities like ours value our teachers, credentialed or not. Jessica Pyska IS a teacher. Did you know Cobb Elementary School Garden is one of the BEST education demonstration gardens in ALL of California because of Jessica?

Jessica has TAUGHT our children about not only gardening and the natural world around us, but how to be community, how to have respect for themselves and their neighbors, how to cook and, on occasion, she is a warm hug for anyone that needs one. My son has come home for the last four years and ALWAYS has something to tell me that "Miss Pyska" has taught him.

A teacher is someone who takes the time to educate others. A teacher is someone who puts time into our youth. What Bill Kearney has written shows how desperate he is. What bothered me the most is his how he attacked her for no reason. Maybe Bill Kearney should let Ms. Pyska teach him something about community, activism and tact.

Ms. Pyska has not once attacked Bill Kearney’s character and has run a respectful race. Maybe she is too busy continually taking care of every aspect of our community. Our kids don't need a supervisor who can't even acknowledge someone who puts time and energy into something she feels passionate about.

Do you know, Bill Kearney, that Jessica’s mother, Karen Jennings, started the Cobb School Garden? Did you know she wasn't credentialed but was one of the BEST teachers Cobb has ever had? Did you know that when she died tragically from cancer in Jessica's arms that Jessica stepped up to take the position? Maybe Mr. Kearney needs to do a little research before he lashes out.

As a community, we value Jessica and her position as our garden teacher. We have no respect for someone who makes desperate attacks on the respected members of our community.

Angie Winchester lives in Kelseyville, California.