'It's all about the kids': BOE candidate Kim Miller runs for second term
Miller said there are three things she wants to focus on in a second term: decreasing bullying and improving safety, increasing parental involvement and driving academic improvement.
Although a big topic of discussion for voters this election season is the Proposition 2 bond measure, Miller said her focus is on the kids.
"We've spent all of this time on the buildings, that we forget that the students are in those buildings and they are the ones who matter more than the buildings," Miller said. "I understand all of that, and the voters are going to decide, but when it comes to the success of our students, that supersedes everything."
When it comes to decreasing bullying, Miller suggests, "enforcing clear and consistent anti-bullying policies, increasing adult supervision in high-risk areas (hallways, lunchrooms and playgrounds) and implementing mentorship programs that pair older students with younger ones.
"Most of the time the board is supposed to be like an oversight to come alongside. We're not supposed to get in the weeds with the staff but to help encourage like those policies, to help get some clear and consistent policies that everyone can understand and implement," Miller said. "We get a lot of complaints, whether emails or phone calls from parents complaining. You know, 'My kid was bullied in the bathroom,' 'My child was bullied on the bus.'"
When it comes to increasing parental involvement, Miller said she attended a few sessions offered by the Family Leadership Institute, which suggests ways families and school administrations can work together.
"Sometimes we use family forums. It's opening the doors, 'Hey, we have, we have dinner and information for you, come on.' It encourages better relationships," Miller said. "You know, again, it's not oversight of staff. It's not getting in the way of the teaching, but it's it's allowing them privilege to be participant and investor in their children in schools."
Miller is also in support of the district's Comprehensive School Improvement Plan, or CSIP, which allows teachers to see where they can improve in classrooms and how to foster student improvement.
"It's what's happening in the classroom, how successful they are in providing information and how well the students are taking that in and applying it," Miller said. "So I think that's why and it's comparable. These also show how we rate along with other districts similar in size."
You can learn more about each candidate running for the St. Joseph School Board every Tuesday through the end of March.
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