Get to know who's on your ballot: Q&A with Petoskey school board candidates
PETOSKEY — As Nov. 8 approaches, the Petoskey News-Review is writing candidate profiles for all contested local and state elections.
Five candidates are running to fill the three available seats on the Public Schools of Petoskey school board. Jennifer Attie, Elizabeth Flynn, Melanie Meengs, Jessica Nolff and Kathleen Reed are the candidates.
Nolff and Reed are the only incumbents running to keep their seats.
Attie is a family nurse practitioner, and she has worked in Neonatal Intensive Care Units, emergency medicine, family practice, nursing education and public health. Now she works in a local pediatric medical office. She has served as a board member on multiple local organizations.
“My husband Kal and I have two boys who were born here and currently attend Petoskey Middle School. We enjoy the natural resources this community has to offer as well as the opportunities for our children to learn and play,” she said in an email. “Throughout my nursing career, I have seen firsthand how health is shaped by social factors. Access to health care, education, housing, healthy food and jobs with sustainable wages are crucial to people’s physical and mental wellbeing. I have a vision to connect people within our community and schools to help make all of us healthier.”
Flynn is a real estate agent and has lived in Northern Michigan her entire life, graduating from Charlevoix and moving to Petoskey in 1989. She has served with the Sales Advisory Council for RE/MAX of Michigan; with the Antrim-Charlevoix-Kalkaska Association of REALTORS Board of Directors, serving as president for a year; as an alternate with the Emmet County Board of Realtors M.L.S. committee; a softball coach; and with the PTO at Central Elementary School.
“As a parent, stakeholder, and local business owner, I'm invested in our school district for the long term,” Flynn said in an email. “My past board experience, school familiarity, and community engagement will help me better serve the district. I am a passionate advocate for our students, teachers, parents, and community, and I'm ready to volunteer my time in a larger capacity to make a difference.”
Meengs is a graduate from the James Madison College at Michigan State University with background in state government and fundraising. After moving to Petoskey 18 years ago, Meengs has worked as the fundraising chair for the Central Elementary PTO; was president of the Montessori Children’s House; a board member for the Hammerhead Swim Club; committee chair for a Boy Scout troop; a founding member of the Parents Middle School Alliance; and is now a member of the High School Parent Alliance.
“I have collaborated with school administrators, parents and teachers to discuss ways to improve communication and promote success stories for the last eight years,” she said in an email. “I have recently joined the High School Parent Alliance and am looking forward to continuing our collaborative efforts in that building.”
Nolff is a business-owner and graduate in visual communications from Kendall College of Art and Design. If elected, this will be her second term on the school board.
“These past few years, we have faced unprecedented situations that have given me the insight to apply to the next four years,” she said in an email.
Reed has served on the Public Schools of Petoskey Board of Education for nearly 12 years, having served as its president from January 2015 to December 2018. She received her law degree from the University of Michigan in 1989, the same year she began practicing law with Dykema Gossett PLLC. She has served as co-chairperson of the Child Abuse Council of Charlevoix and Emmet counties for over 12 years; Head Start Backpack Project chairperson for the Christ Child Society of Northern Michigan since 2004; founding board member of Petoskey lacrosse; served on the board of the Petoskey Children’s Co-op Nursery School; worked as a cub scout leader; and volunteered with Petoskey schools at all levels.
“My personal focus on children and education, my history of service in the schools and the community, my experience on the school board, and my professional experiences as a nurse and as an attorney have all prepared me to serve the community successfully on the school board. Decades of hands-on experience volunteering in the Petoskey schools give me a useful perspective on student and staff needs, and how our schools function. For me, service on the school board represents an opportunity to have a positive impact on both child wellbeing and education in our community,” Reed said in an email.
All candidates were sent the same questions and given the same deadline to respond, along with a reminder email.
The News-Review reserved the right to edit responses for length, clarity and adherence to Associated Press style guidelines.
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Q: What concerns face the Public Schools of Petoskey and what can be done to make the district better?
ATTIE: I think Petoskey, like many communities throughout our country, is facing a pivotal time. Recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is a complex process. Our school district in particular needs time and grace to recover and adjust from a difficult couple of years. I commend the Petoskey Board of Education for making it possible to start the school year with a new leadership team in place, so a new vision that involves all stakeholders, especially those on the front lines of education, can begin.
One of the biggest priorities for our district, as well as one of my biggest concerns as a parent, is school safety and the social/emotional wellbeing of our students. Providing a learning environment that is safe and meets the needs of all learners is essential to creating a connected school community so that everyone who enters its doors is prepared to learn. The school district is making progress through school wellness programs, the Northmen Den, early learning education opportunities through the Little Northmen program, hiring a full time resource officer, and expanding school safety opportunities. Constantly engaging in conversations and creating awareness of the need to expand support services is necessary in order to further progress and enhance the overall health of the district. At this moment, educational funding is historic and I hope our state can sustain this funding. I am excited to see the district hiring more special education teachers and I would work to sustain this model indefinitely. In addition, teachers and support staff need to be adequately compensated for the dedication they bring to their work that goes well beyond the regular school day.
And finally, recruiting and retaining new teachers to our community should be a revolving agenda item. I want to create a community that invites families to come to Petoskey not only to play, but live, work and learn too. Several measurements, such as test scores, graduation rates and post graduation enrollment are often utilized to tell an objective story about a school district’s success and guide district improvement goals. Though there is always opportunity for improvement here, especially after the last couple years, I think these measures will improve as long as the staff of the Petoskey public schools have input into setting schoolwide goals and a voice into how best to accomplish them. In addition, the more support that is available to families and children, the better chance children will arrive ready to learn, graduate and navigate opportunities within our community and beyond.
FLYNN: There are many, but I'll focus on two for now. School safety and mental health are top concerns. At the school board meetings, parents, community members, students, and staff have voiced their concerns, sincerely asking for updated security cameras, more cameras, door locks, better safety drills for preparation, a full-time safety liaison officer, school nurses, and counselors (not guidance/career counselors), and parent volunteers in the buildings. Examining the budget, partnerships, and grant opportunities to make these requests a focus is a step in the right direction.
MEENGS: There are several topics of interest that I would like to see addressed in the near future by this school administration. First, student growth should be of utmost importance. We have a responsibility to make sure that each student is understanding the curriculum and that they are continuing to learn every day. This holds true for every student, whether they are in the 30th percentile or the 90th percentile.
Going hand-in-hand with student growth is examining our curriculum to be certain we are providing the best academic programs to our students. I’m very interested in offering four years of a foreign language and additional Advanced Placement classes at the high school. I’d also like to revisit the enrichment programs at all grade levels that have been eliminated in recent years.
There are also many opportunities to collaborate with the Char-Em ISD that I believe are under-utilized. It wasn’t until I attended the Char-Em ISD student awards dinner last spring that I understood how amazing this program is. Every high school student in Petoskey has the opportunity to participate in the Career Tech programs supported by Char-Em, including those at other schools. For example, students interested in video production may apply to participate in that program at Boyne City High School. While students may have an opportunity to learn about these classes at school, parents need to be more aware of these opportunities too. There are also Char-Em occupational and speech therapists available to help students of all ages. We must collaborate more with the resources in our community for the benefit of our students.
Many steps have been taken recently to address behavioral and safety concerns within our district. The district is moving forward with a very important safety assessment and has been successful in increasing public safety presence on the secondary school campus. However, it is important to me that we also engage students and their families in creating a safe learning environment. The Full Value Agreement has been very successfully implemented at the Petoskey Middle School and, if elected, I will strongly advocate for the continued embodiment of the FVA throughout the district to work as a team, speak up and be safe in all buildings.
NOLFF: Improving our college readiness scores and expanding early childhood education are a high priority. I'd love to see all students have a supported, post-graduation plan. Whether it's college, a skilled trade, or entrepreneurship, we can provide a variety of learning opportunities to inspire our students beyond their school years. Like most schools, staffing is an ongoing concern for our district. We have filled all of our teaching positions, but finding classroom and health care aides, as well as janitorial staff is a hardship.
REED: Promoting the safety of students and staff must be a consistent, top priority for the district. Another primary concern is addressing the post-pandemic needs of students and staff, including assessing and addressing learning gaps and the increased social-emotional needs of students, as well as providing staff with the resources they need to address student needs. Directly related to this concern is the challenge of allocating our financial resources to address post-pandemic needs. School districts across the state have experienced an influx of pandemic-related funds from the state and federal governments. The challenge lies in using those funds appropriately to meet student and staff needs without creating unsustainable budget liabilities that burden the district long after pandemic funding has been used up.
Q: Many school districts are facing questions regarding reading materials and what should be available to students and at what grade level. What are your thoughts on book challenges?
ATTIE: I trust school librarians to use their training and knowledge to select age-appropriate books that enhance student instruction and encourage students to spend time reading. Research demonstrates that the time students spend reading correlates to literacy rates and standardized test scores. It would be great to see students increase in both areas, not just for the benefit of the school district but for their overall health and wellbeing. I like to see school libraries provide opportunities for building factual as well as empathetic knowledge from a variety of perspectives. The more students read, the more they achieve. In addition, books provide a great opportunity for children and families to connect as they discuss and share what they are reading.
FLYNN: We have had book challenges since I was in school in the 70s and 80s. I disagree with banning books, but books should be shelved based on age appropriateness and reading level. Parents, however, should have the right to decide if they feel their child is developmentally ready to read specific literature and should be able to grant permission or deny access to a book.
MEENGS: I understand it is the responsibility of the school board to approve the curriculum for our students, including textbooks. I also understand it is our responsibility to ensure the library in each building is adequately stockpiled with books that will appeal to all students. To be clear, I am not in favor of banning books. The American Library Association has a lengthy process for establishing age-appropriate books at schools and I have to trust that our library staff is following that criteria. If there are books in the classroom that parents feel are inappropriate for their child, they should speak to the teacher regarding their concerns. As much as I would encourage a parent to monitor and discuss how much screen time a student has, I would encourage (at a minimum) the same conversation regarding the student’s reading material. Knowledge is freedom, and that freedom is the very foundation of our society.
NOLFF: We have dedicated librarians and a very knowledgeable curriculum director. They do not arbitrarily pick the books that are available to our students. I trust their research and judgement and support their decisions.
REED: It is important for parents to be informed about the educational materials in use at our schools. The role of the school board is to ensure the district uses a process to select educational materials based on the input of educational professionals and content area experts, so that the educational materials selected are appropriate for the students and meet their learning needs. It is also the school board’s responsibility to establish a process through which parents who have questions or concerns about educational materials can express those concerns to school officials for consideration and action, when appropriate.
More:Consultant: 90% of Public Schools of Petoskey staff interviewed find culture 'broken'
Q: Following last year's consultant report regarding the district's culture and hiring of a new superintendent, how do you intend to address personnel issues and public concerns in the future?
ATTIE: I would lean on the skills I use in my nursing profession; communication, empathy, and advocacy. Listening to concerns from staff, students, families and community stakeholders is the first step to understanding complex issues and considering solutions. I would act truthfully, transparently and professionally in my conversations and actions while recognizing the importance of maintaining confidentiality when necessary. I would also advocate for enhancing community knowledge in regards to the governing principles of a school board. Education regarding the roles of a school board would help create an informed public as well as build connections to create the best environment for our staff and learners.
FLYNN: Three words come to mind when I reflect on the report: transparency, listening and accountability. I intend to be an active listener, educate myself on the issues, ask questions, and hold myself and others on the board, including Dr. Leslie, accountable. When there are personnel issues or public concerns, I will ensure the board follows up and takes action according to the school's policies. It is essential not to be reactionary, secretive, dismissive, or uninformed. This happened last year, and we need to learn from this to move forward and gain the trust of all we serve.
I promise to work as a team with my fellow board members and be the conduit between the stakeholders, administration, teachers, students, parents, and the community.
MEENGS: The school board must set clear policies for staff and administration to follow and communication regarding these policies is key. I will do my best to communicate clearly as a trustee with all stakeholders and be accessible to members of the community to answer questions and listen to concerns. Perhaps offering a town hall meeting each semester where parents and students have a chance to ask questions that would allow for dialogue with the board could be pursued. As a public school system, we must do our best to meet the needs of every student in our district. However, we know each student is unique and I am hopeful we will review new suggestions and challenges with an open mind. We must all work together toward creating the safest and best learning environment, setting a standard for other districts to follow.
NOLFF: I have spent the summer in meetings with many dedicated teachers and administrators working on improvement plans, based on issues from the culture study. With new top administrators and priorities in place, I feel optimistic that we are moving in the right direction. We all have the common goal of providing the best education and resources for our students and are working together to do this.
REED: While the consultant’s report on district culture revealed many challenges facing the district, I am optimistic about the district’s future. In the face of a difficult end to the 2021-2022 school year, our dedicated and professional staff come together with the new administration and the board to meet those difficulties head on — and made impressive progress. I believe this progress was due in no small part to the renewed focus of the staff, administration and board on the foundation of culture at the Petoskey schools, the Full Value Agreement — Work as a Team, Speak Up, Be Safe. Based on our progress so far, I am confident that under the Full Value Agreement our district will continue to address the issues cited in the consultant’s report as well as issues raised by public in the future.
— Contact education reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com or on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Q&A: Petoskey school board candidates competing in Nov. 8 election
