Thanks to school board members
January is School Board Recognition Month. This is a time to recognize the individuals who approach their volunteer work like it is a full-time job and with extraordinary dedication to public schools. They are citizens whose decisions affect our children and build our community.
School boards are charged with making decisions that can sometimes be quite difficult, or require sifting through a great deal of information. They contribute hundreds of hours each year leading Mt. Pleasant Public Schools. Collectively, school board members across the state spend more than 7,500 hours on professional development to keep well-informed of the latest trends in educational leadership, are deeply involved in community activities and spend many hours at extracurricular events.
Through their dedication, collaboration with other school district staff, their governance and advocacy, they are building the future of education in Michigan. In a year full of challenges for public education not seen in recent history, our school board members persevered through the adversity of 2020 to provide the best possible education for our students. Celebrating School Board Recognition Month is one of the very small ways to express appreciation for all they do.
This month, we encourage all members of the community to thank a board member. Take this opportunity to show our year-round appreciation for these servant leaders and begin to better understand how local trustees work together to prepare today’s students to be tomorrow’s leaders.
The men and women serving Mt. Pleasant Public Schools and their years of service are:
• Amy Bond, President – 2 years
• Tim Odykirk, Vice-president – 12.5 years
• Courtney Stegman, Secretary – 2 years
• Sheila Murphy, Treasurer – 8 years
• Wiline Pangle, Trustee, 6 months
• Dana Calkins, Trustee, new Board Member
• Jessica Jernigan, Trustee, new Board Member
For more information about the Mt. Pleasant Public Schools’ School Board, visit our website at: https://mtpleasantschools.net/.
Jennifer Verleger
Superintendent Mt. Pleasant Public Schools