Kaiser, Lisa - Ferndale Public Schools

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Brief Intro of Candidate

I have been in public education for 18 years. I served as a high school classroom teacher for 15 years and now work as a consultant for Wayne RESA. I studied secondary education at Western Michigan University and hold a Masters of Special Education from the University of Michigan Dearborn.

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How would you engage and include parents, caregivers, community members and students in decision-making in your district around things like curriculum, budgeting and district policy?

Parents, caregivers, and community members all deserve a seat at the table when decisions are being made for their community's children and schools. I would seek input from all of these stakeholders when major decisions are being made for Ferndale schools.

What are your thoughts on school discipline and the way it is exercised in your school district? What are your thoughts on restorative practices?

In every school district across the country, including Ferndale Public Schools, discipline has a disproportionately negative impact on students of color and students with IEPs. We have decades of data showing that current school discipline practices and procedures do not have an impact on behavior and can, in fact, harm a school staff's ability to develop positive relationships with students. I am a restorative practice trainer and believe in this philosophy's ability to positively impact school culture and climate and help staff and students build positive relationships and community within all schools.

What are your thoughts on how to improve student mental health

Students need to feel seen, heard, and celebrated in all of their identities in schools so that they know school is a safe space for them to be their full selves. Students need to see their interests, families, and identities celebrated as part of a school culture so they can understand the value of their presence in the school community. Each child should have several adults in the building with whom they feel safe and have a positive relationship. I believe if we can support schools in creating these conditions for students and families, it will have a positive impact on student mental health.

What are your thoughts on ways to improve Black student achievement in your district and in Michigan schools overall?

Public education has historically been a place that denies Black students and their families access to experiences that recognize the cultural wealth and value that they bring to the community and to society as a whole. In order to improve Black student achievement, we must improve access to curricula in which Black students can see themselves and their histories and their heroes as the focus, the way we have done for generations with curricula that focuses on Euro-centric stories and achievements. We must improve relationships with Black families in schools, so many of whom experienced trauma at the hands of the public school system. Teachers and administrators must examine their own implicit biases and understand how seemingly invisible messages were socialized into them and have an impact on their interactions with and expectations of Black students and families. There is a long history of racial discrimination in all systems of this country, and the education system is no exception. I believe curricula, self-reflection, and improved relationships are all avenues through which public schools across the state and across the nation can do a better job of serving Black students and families.

What are your thoughts on how to ensure that all students and their families, regardless of race, gender identity, sexuality, disability, religion, income status, etc., feel safe and included in your district?

Students and their families know best what they need in order to feel safe and included. As mentioned previously, all stakeholders, especially students and their families, deserve a seat at the table where decisions are being made about their educational experiences. Schools must seek input from students and their families, not just about things they'd like to see in place in schools, but about some of the negative things they've experienced in school so that decision makers have an authentic sense of what needs improvement. With this input, schools and students and families can work together to co-create a school community in which everyone feels safe and included.

What are your thoughts on how to recruit and retain staff, particularly staff of color, in your district with regard to pay, benefits, and working conditions?

Teaching is the hardest job in the world. Given the teacher shortage we are experiencing nationwide, competitive pay, benefits, and working conditions are essential to recruit the most qualified teachers. This can be very challenging in smaller districts with smaller budgets, as is the case with Ferndale Public Schools. A positive relationship with the teacher's union, through which additional benefits that are valuable to teachers without being overly costly to the district can be negotiated into the teacher contract can help draw and retain educators of many backgrounds. Recruiting and retaining staff of color has been a challenge for many districts throughout the state for many years. I believe this is connected to some of my previous answers. Districts will often hire staff of color but do not seek input from or build relationship with them in any meaningful way. Having a climate and culture where all staff, not just students and their families, feel safe and included is essential for retaining staff, especially staff of color. Having a contract that allows for working conditions that honor the skill, expertise, and incredible value of teachers is essential for retaining all staff.