What Does it Mean to Have Great Schools?
Whether it’s providing challenging academics, developing talent in the music and arts, building technical skills, driving competition in athletics, or something else, there are endless ways BAS shapes our children for long-term success. This is the primary reason it is so critical for a community to ensure excellence in its public school district.
When my husband and I were searching for a place to settle in Michigan 13 years ago, we had a toddler, and even though it would be several years until he entered kindergarten, school quality was a top factor that drove our decision to buy in Brighton. I recall the day we found a house I loved in a neighboring town, and the few minutes of web searching needed to determine that even though the house was amazing, the district was nowhere near the quality we would get in Brighton. That was it - all I needed to know as young mother.
Undoubtedly, many other families choose Brighton because of our schools. This is why it’s imperative that we, as a community, ensure our schools have the physical materials and structures needed to prepare our children for their future. And, it’s why we need to continue to think critically about this preparation. In other words, we need to continually innovate and refine the ways our children are taught to prepare for their adult lives. In an ever-changing world driven by technological advances like AI, this is more important now than ever.
So, what does it mean to have great schools? It means everything. For families of young children, it means settling in Brighton because one day, you want your children to attend and benefit from a world-class education in a welcoming and tight-knit community. For families of school-age children, it means the reassurance of knowing they feel connected to their schools and are being appropriately challenged to achieve their potential and cultivate their unique talents. For families of adult children or those without children, it is knowing that the school system is adding to the quality of your community - through civic engagement, driving the community forward, and making Brighton a vibrant place to live.
As a school board member, I will advocate for policies and fiscal decisions with this endpoint in mind: great schools. I will work with teachers and administrators to understand the daily experiences of the adults who run our schools. I will engage with students at every level to keep a pulse on the daily lives of our students. My lens will be shaped by the daily happenings of what makes Brighton Area Schools great, and what needs to change to make them even greater.
