Northville Public Schools

As a school board trustee, there are many ways I engage the community of parents, caregivers, community members and students around all the issues that impact public education in our community. For our Facility & Review Committee, stakeholders from all areas of the community were included, including students, staff, parents, and community members before seeking a capital improvement bond in order to be aligned with all stakeholders in our community. Under my leadership, I continue to insist on bringing student voice to the Board of Education through annual visits to each school in the district in which students present to the board. For parents and staff and community members, they are embedded in the processes related to curriculum especially, through the District Curriculum Council, along with more informal opportunities through PTA meetings, meetings with building leaders and staff, and as a BOE trustee, I do my best to be available to phone calls, meetings, and maintain a strong social media presence so that I am in contact with and approachable to community members. Surveys can be useful ways to gather input from stakeholders, although not always given how context and data can be manipulated, as well as the possibility of low response rate that can also skew data. In our community, we have also used restorative circles within community settings to bring awareness around problems within the community and seek solutions.