Chandra Miller, Merrimack School Board Candidate

Chandra Miller

Age (as of Election Day)

34

Position Sought

School Board (3-year term)

Party Affiliation

N/A

Family

I live with my husband and our 3 school aged sons. Two attend Thortons Ferry School as 2nd and 3rd graders and one attends James Mastricola Upper Elementary School as a 6th grader. Over the 8 years of having students in the School District (starting with the MEEPs program) we have live in both the Reeds Ferry and Thortons Ferry portions of town.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelor and Master Of Science in Nursing from MGH Institute of Health Professions;
Bachelor in Science: Major- Exercise Physiology, Minor- Nutrition;
Asthma Educator

Occupation

RN- 5 years; Pediatric Nurse Practitioner- 3 years; Medical Director- 2 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Campaign website

www.fb.com/VoteForChandra

Why are you seeking elective office?

I have chosen to run 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. I have always enjoyed helping and working with children, as one can see with my history and experience. I want to use this passion to help the students of the Merrimack School District excel in whatever they feel passionate about and ensure the District is setting them up for success. When we invest (time, interest, education, experience… not just money) directly into the growth of the children in our communities, it helps the growth of the entire community.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

At this time, the current single most pressing issue is the continued management of the current pandemic. If elected, I would push to alter current protocols to match the current data and guidelines that have been presented by NH DHHS and the CDC. Additionally, I would advocate that as long as the pandemic continues, that both remote and in-school options be provided to ensure all students are able to attend school in an environment that they and their family feel is safe. As we continue through and past this pandemic, my focus will also be on ensuring programing and protocols are driven by data and scientific evidence.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

A critical difference is that I can provide a unique background in pediatric needs due to my education in the Pediatric Primary Care. I strongly feel that students do not attend school strictly to improve their academic skills, but also to learn appropriate social interactions, develop fine and gross motor skills, work through the various emotional struggles, and develop non-family peer/adult relationships. This background allows me to speak to all developmental needs for children and youth to include emotional, physical and academic when assessing new programming.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

In my opinion, the current school board has failed to hold the administration accountable in providing clear data in terms of the schools progress, has not allowed for open communication with the community, and has not ensured that the decisions made are data driven. As a result, the students of the district have not been provided with an education or school environment that allows them to reach their full potential.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I believe the current Administration has not efficiently utilized their time since the start of the pandemic. Instead of planning for the future with a “how do we” approach, they have focused on current negatives and the “what if” approach. An example of this was just before Thanksgiving when the Administration presented to the School Board the potential upcoming concerns for staffing. The Administration did not provide data of what percentage of staff were considering travel over the holidays, but instead stated that there was a potential that they may travel, which would create a staff shortage due to quarantine regulations. At this time, the Administration proposed that the School District would make a last minute schedule adjustment for the following week, followed by a quick transition to full remote. The School Board accepted this and voted to implement this plan based on the assumptions and “what if” scenarios, instead of challenging the School Administration to consider other alternatives. This resulted in a quick and unorganized transition for students, families, and staff which further affected the quality of the education being provided. An alternative would have been for the School Board to request the Administration use the time coming up to the holidays to develop a well thought out plan and remote model that the students, families and staff could plan for JUST IN CASE the shortage of staff actually occurred. Though this alternative plan would still need to have been utilized quickly, the transition and planning to switch remote learning would have had the opportunity to have been more organized. Furthermore, it would allowed the students to remain in their current learning model if the staffing shortage did not occur.
Additionally, as more data and knowledge regarding COVID-19 became available, the Merrimack School District failed to adapt their protocols to match. Several times, and still to this point, they chose to not follow the recommendations provided by NH DHHS and the CDC and instead follow ones based on their own concerns and ideals. This has resulted in a decrease in the level of education due to students and staff being unnecessarily kept from attending school.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

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 assisting 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.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

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. These jobs have provided me with several different perspectives of working within a school system and also with significant experience to build upon leadership qualities. I feel one of the most important of these is the knowledge of the importance of teamwork and collaboration.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The best advice ever shared with me was that family must come first! In the various aspects of my life I try to live by and share this advice to others as well.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Over the 8 years that my children have been attending school in this district, we have come up against many struggles that can absolutely be improved, from inconsistencies with grading practices to a reading curriculum that does not teach the scientifically proven method with a focus on phonics, to this past year involving COVID that brought to light how poorly the Administration and current School Board have listened to the wants/needs of the community. I felt that I could continue to sit back and express frustrations to friends and family or I can step up and devote my experience and knowledge currently of the COVID pandemic but most importantly of the needs and development of the children of Merrimack. The families, teachers, and students deserve more, they deserve to be heard and deserve to have opportunities that set them up for a successful future well past graduation!