By Sally Ehrhardt, Guest Column

They knocked on doors, dialed endless telephone numbers, raised money, went to meeting after meeting, designed logos, cards, posters and lawn signs. They called each other, they e-mailed information, they input data.

The members of TEAM (Together Education Achieves More) who have met every Monday night since early September have really put their heart and soul into this levy referendum campaign. I want to thank each and every one of them for their efforts, time, talent and caring for all the children in our community. If I thanked each one of them by name I would go over my word count, but you know who you are.

I also know that there are a few thousand community members who voted &8220;yes, yes,&8221; and I thank them for taking the time to learn the facts. School finances are complicated and only made more so by the fact that we are not receiving the financing we need from the state, as was the case in the good ol&8217; days.

There have been a lot of misunderstandings, exaggerations and not quite truths introduced to the community. I hope those people who misspoke are interested enough to participate in the process, there are plenty of opportunities within the district to find your niche.

I also invite any community member to stop by a school and visit a classroom or two. See for yourself how much education has changed since &8220;back in our day.&8221;

When I attend meetings that involve administration and/or staff, I am always impressed with the amount of education knowledge, the amount of concern for the welfare of students and the passion for their jobs.

No matter what the newspaper letters might say, they know how important and worthwhile every day in their classroom is. We are blessed with a staff that really cares about our kids and their learning. Every child deserves that opportunity and our district continues to try to meet that demand every day.

I have been a volunteer at our schools for quite a few years now. I always enjoy going and I usually get more out of it than I put in. Working to help educate kids is probably the most worthwhile thing I have ever done. Plus, I have quite a few hilarious stories that I have gleaned over the years!

Therefore, it tickles my heart to see how long the TEAM e-mail list is, and how many people show up and how many actually volunteer to knock on doors, dial telephones and organize and organize.

What a gift those people are to this community, because those positive people that work for the common good are the same ones who show up for lots of other volunteer opportunities and do it all again. Thank you for being the kind of people who show up.

Thank you for being the kind of people who say &8220;I can help with that.&8221;

No matter which way the results turned out Tuesday, TEAM can be proud that you gave it your best.

Thank you for that.

Sally Ehrhardt is a member of the Albert Lea school board.