Chandra Miller for Merrimack NH School Board

04/14/2021

Thank you all again for supporting me through the past several weeks. While I didn't win, I met a lot of great very knowledgeable individuals that I hope to continue working with to advocate for the youth or Merrimack!

Congratulations to Lori, Jenna and Cinda and great work to all the candidates and residents that brought up and discussed the good, bad and in-between in terms of the current progress of the district. Let's continue to work hard to make this District all that it can be!

04/14/2021

While we await the results (an unprecedented 4813 voters took part in today's voting, causing them to need to print ballots and count by hand) I just want to say thank you to all that have supported me over the past several weeks! It is truly humbling to have seen the support I have received!

04/13/2021

There is still time left, if you haven't voted, please let your voice be heard! Polls close at 7pm!

04/12/2021

Over the past few weeks there has been various outlets (pages, websites, news articles etc.) created to help share the individual viewpoints of the candidates for the School Board.

Please see the comment section of this post to see my answers to some of the questions asked through other forums.

04/08/2021

Please share with others in Merrimack and don't forget to vote before or on April 13th!

One of seven candidates seeking two 3-year school board seats to be decided on April 13 explains why she is running.

03/27/2021

What do I stand for?
The baseline of this is pretty basic (and probably pretty similar to any candidate for the school board and most parents in general), to help ensure the students of Merrimack are provided with an excellent education that allows them to reach their full potential after grade school.

But what are the current matters that I would focus on?

As a Pediatric provider, I understand many children NEED school for much more than academics. It is used to help reach various developmental needs and milestones to include social, emotional, motor etc. The longer they remain out of school, the harder it will be for them to catch up since the brain continues to develop and mature. Data has been available since before the students started last fall to support that schools should be open fully. Additionally, further data has come out to help limit the number of people and length of time out of school each time there is suspected or known COVID.

Past the focus of COVID:
I want to work towards ensuring the decisions for curriculums used within the district are based on evidence based research followed by professional development to implement these appropriately. Did you know that the National Reading Panel determined that the "Science of Reading" method that uses a systematic approach to teach the basics of "bottom-up" with phonics and foundational skills was scientifically proven as the best method compared to the "Whole Language" (Fountas and Pinnell) method that teaches top down and encourages the 3-cueing method (guessing based on context clues). Some school districts and even states have even stopped approving any curriculums that use cueing strategies. Which curriculum do you think (or know) is being used in Merrimack Elementary School?

I want to encourage that teachers to be heard. We have AMAZING and dedicated teachers in Merrimack, but they need to be given the opportunity to be heard. To share their experiences to include the pros and cons of the teaching methods they are using and to attend work shops to ensure there is continued learning to both expand current knowledge and learn new resources. Learning doesn't end once the degree is in hand!

To allow the members of the community to be heard! The members of the community come from a broad spectrum of backgrounds providing a plethora of knowledge. Surveys were taken among parents, even surveys that gave 75%-25% results left the school board leaning towards the side of the 25% choice. Additionally, In person meetings make it a bit easier to allow for public input, but while the school board had switched to virtual meetings, they did not accept or hear input on concerns until the end of the meeting and AFTER all voting had been done for items on the agenda.

I will push for the implementation of consistent measurable data of the students in our district. Unfortunately, at this time there isn't much for meaningful assessment data on the students. The lack of data coupled with the regular change of standardized testing formats (as of Dec. 2019 there had been 4 different assessments used in the prior 10 years) makes it hard to identify patterns of success and struggles. In order to assess our achievements, we need consistency.

While there are countless topics to be discussed, theses are SOME of my priorities at this time.

03/26/2021

Who is curious about what is included and expected in the role of a School Board Member in NH?

As a member of the school board, "all board decisions and actions of individual board members should be prioritized by what is best for students and what enhances student achievement."

The School Board is supposed to work as a leadership team WITH the superintendent for the district. There is no individual authority to act on behalf of the school district. All members should discuss respectfully and then a vote will occur for any decisions, and only majority vote will put that plan to action.

This can be found in more detail on the New Hampshire School Boards Association website.
https://nhsba.org/school-board-governance-accountability/role-of-a-school-board-member/

Even for those new board members who have studied the role of the board and attended numerous board meetings before they ran for election, the reality of school board service can be very different from what they imagined.  Like any challenging leadership position, school board service is a learning...

03/24/2021

Hello everyone!

I am happy to say my yard signs have arrived! If you would like to help get the word out in regards to my running and support, putting out a yard sign would definitely be helpful and very much appreciated!

What better way to enjoy the great spring weather we are having by scoping out a great spot for a yard sign by the street? 😉. Seriously though, I hope you are enjoying this gorgeous weather and please let me know if I can deliver a yard sign to you!

But until then I will enjoy the breeze in a virtually run conference this week (if I didn't feel for the remote learning before, I certainly do now with the distractions of home).

Thank you all for your support, Chandra

03/15/2021

Hello,

My name is Chandra Miller and I have chosen to run for the Merrimack School Board (3-year term). I have lived in Merrimack for 8 years, both in the Reeds Ferry and Thorntons Ferry areas of town and have 3 children currently in the Merrimack School System. Currently, a 2nd and a 3rd grader at Thorntons Ferry Elementary and a 6th grader at JMUES.

Aside from being a parent of several children in the school system, I also have significant experience working in schools, with children and in leadership roles. These positions started back in high school when I was able to do my High School Internship in the local elementary school and have continued through various positions that include substitute teacher, paraeducator, school nurse, lead camp nurse, and now a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Medical Director at two separate residential schools for children with neurological, emotional, behavioral, learning and/or developmental challenges.

I am running for the school board because I want to be able to use my experience to help advocate for the children, families and residents of the Town of Merrimack. In the current environment, while we continue to navigate through the pandemic, I feel my experience of developing and overseeing the COVID Management Teams of residential schools as well as being regularly aware of statewide updates and updated research will help facilitate my ability to speak for the children and advocate for their educational needs while maintaining an environment that is safe. As a provider, I understand that the school setting is so much more than academics, and for some, the emotional and developmental growth they obtain from being IN school and around non-household adults and children is something that is hard to achieve anywhere else. I believe that students and families that wish/need to be physically in school to grow (academically, developmentally, behaviorally etc.) as well as those that require a remote learning environment for the student/family’s safety should each be provided the opportunity to choose.

As we get past the pandemic, which we will, I will use my expertise and experience in leadership, management, and my knowledge about the development of children to research and make educated decisions keeping the students of Merrimack and their education as the 1st priority. Furthermore, I will advocate for a process in which the wants and needs stated by the people of Merrimack and those that serve the district are heard and spoken for. I strongly believe that being elected to hold the title of a School Board Member, is an honor provided to allow one to serve the people of Merrimack and as such one should strongly consider, and advocate thoughts provided by the people of Merrimack.

If you have any questions or would like to talk further, please do not hesitate to reach out to me!

Please consider voting me for School Board on April 13th. If chosen, I would be honored to serve the families and children of this town to work towards ensuring the students of Merrimack NH receive the education they deserve!

Thank you for taking the time to visit my site!
Chandra Miller, 12 Dunbarton Dr