(Chelsea Update would like to thank Julie Helber for the information in this story.)
The Chelsea School District is joining 538 local and 56 intermediate school districts across Michigan to celebrate January as School Board Recognition Month.
“Our school board members spend countless hours of unpaid time working to provide the best possible education for our students,” said Superintendent Julie D. Helber. “They also serve as the corporate board of directors for one of our community’s largest employers. Celebrating School Board Recognition Month is one way to say ‘thanks’ for all they do.”
School board members represent their fellow citizens’ views and priorities in the complex enterprise of maintaining and running the community’s public schools, Helber said.
They also reinforce the principle of local control over public education, which is an important, highly valued aspect of education in Michigan.
“Too often the efforts of school board members go unrecognized,” Helber said.
The school board’s main goal is to support student achievement Helber added.
To achieve that goal, the board focuses on the following needs:
- Creating a vision for what parents and citizens want their school district to become and how to make student achievement the top priority.
- Setting standards for what students must learn and be able to do.
- Assessing whether schools achieve their goals and whether students are learning.
- Accounting for the outcomes of decisions and by tracking progress and reporting results.
- Aligning the use of the district’s human and financial resources.
- Creating a safe and orderly climate where students can learn and teachers can teach.
- Collaborating to solve common problems and to support common successes.
Focusing on continuous improvement by questioning, examining, revising, refining and revisiting issues related to student achievement.
This month representatives from our school buildings and the administrative staff will recognize our School Board Members at their two regularly scheduled meetings on Jan. 14 and 28 at 6:30 p.m.
“Even though we are making a special effort during January to show appreciation for our school board members, we recognize their contributions reflect a year-round effort on their part,” Helber said.
“They are dedicated individuals who are committed to improving student achievement and to fighting for the best for all of our students.”
The men and women serving the Chelsea School District are:
Shawn Quilter
Kristin van Reesema
Tammy Lehman
Laura Bush
Dana Durst
Keri Poulter
Jason Eyster
