Kalamazoo Public School District

Community members and other stakeholders have existing opportunities to speak at KPS board meetings; however, this is necessary, but not sufficient. There are opportunities to amplify the district listening sessions and various other engagement approaches that were deployed in the ‘23-’24 school year. In addition to organized district and board events, I plan to continue community listening sessions that I am initiating as part of my campaign; I view this as a critical way to gather input from community members, especially from students and parents. Board broadly, there may be other communication opportunities to make district more accessible to community stakeholders, especially given the chance to build upon the recently redesigned KPS website.

I would encourage collaborative task forces or committees composed of all stakeholders to
be engaged in the decision making process.

I have been very supportive of efforts by our superintendent and school board to get input from the community about our strategic plan. This year, we had over 40 sessions where staff, parents, community members and students could give input on the district’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats. We are committed to continuing these sessions throughout the year. I also believe strongly that we consider our stakeholders opinions whether they come from emails, board meetings or other communications.

I would engage school, district partners by consistently communicating information directly for them to feel included. I would offer opportunities for involvement and assist while providing complete transparency of actions. Then establishing district champions to move conversations beyond talking and listening sessions to action engagement through direct work with the community. These champions would also be charged with participating at their local schools and PTO boards to expand to direct involvement with other community partners and district employees to improve.

As the chair of the community engagement committee for the upcoming school year, I will add to the community meetings that were held last fall and support the continuation of community input sessions much like the SWOT meetings that took place this Spring. Being more intentional about attending community events to be a bridge between community and the board.

Based on my observations of the past curricular cycle and after informal discussions with teachers and parents, I would strive to make sure that when teachers are piloting new curricula in their classrooms, their observations are given much greater weight than they are currently. Several teachers felt that their input was outright ignored, and that can't happen if we are to show our educators proper respect for their expertise and the feedback students offer to them. When it comes to budgeting and district policy, too much of the work is being done with no official record of the discussions. Committee reports are not published prior to board meetings, so there is no way to know what discussions are in the works. Committee of the Whole meetings over dinner, while listed as open to the public, are difficult to join in the meeting space, and no minutes are ever kept and published. The process has to be more transparent to the community stakeholders for them to have an opportunity to provide input.

Having a presence in the community is pivotal. If elected as a trustee, I plan on improving the lack of transparency through the KPS community engagement committee. Having school walkthroughs to ensure we can hold ourselves accountable. Being present in the events in our community rather it be cultural or civic engagement. Being inclusive means more than just leaving out your email. Networking and collaborating with other resources and professionals is crucial in the decision making process. Having additional insight is considerable when planning for a positive and well-thought solution.

To involve parents, caregivers, community members, and students in decision-making, I would establish open lines of communication through surveys, focus groups, and regular meetings. I’d also promote district transparency and actively seek feedback on important issues such as curriculum, budgeting, and district policies. By creating collaborative working groups that include diverse perspectives, I’d ensure that the community’s input is reflected in the decisions that shape our schools.