MEET MELISSA
I am 43 years old and have lived in the Farmington School District for 11 years. I have a total of 6 children, 2 of which we are in the process of adopting (currently fostering). My children are 19, 13, 12, 9, 4 and 1. I have experience with all grades and levels within the Farmington district, as well as various schools. I pulled my 4 oldest kids out of school to homeschool when the schools were implementing the hybrid model.
After being exposed to the many facets of our school district, I bring a unique level of experience as well as perspective to the role of a school board member. 2 of my children were on active IEP's when I made the decision to homeschool and our 4 year old foster child is also on an IEP and currently attending preschool within the district.
I have volunteered as an assistant coach for rec and travel girls basketball for a total of 3 years combined. I served as V.P. on the FHS Sideline Cheer Booster Club, and completed a year of volunteering as team manager for my son's hockey team. My oldest daughter was a Farmington Ambassador Candidate for 4 years which also included heavy involvement with the Ambassador program.
My family and I attend Bethel's Rock church in Farmington and are based in Christian values. I am also an advocate to support our Constitution.
The reason I decided to run for a seat on the Farmington School Board is because I feel we have a few things we could work on as a district. I am passionate about making sure our children receive the best education possible as well as the best experience possible within our schools. This means academic achievement for our students, and safety of all students, staff, and family.
I would like to see less bullying and assaults happening within our schools. I believe we need to review and communicate the policies of accountability and consequences to ensure safety to all students and staff. We may also need to provide training, where appropriate. Explore options to provide additional assistance to support enforcement.
There needs to be an emphasis on teaching the fundamental core subjects and curriculum that isn't biased to race, gender, or learning style. In an effort to improve student's overall grade scores and graduation rates, we need to identify the causes of these lower rates and provide solutions. This will enable our students to be prepared for a fast moving global market.
My commitment is to look at how the school is operating with its budget today and where it needs to spend its money for student improvements for the future.