Letter to the Editor - Kennedy Stiffarm: I ask for your vote for the school board

Editor,

My name is Jessica Kennedy-Stiffarm. I am a candidate for the Havre Public Schools Board of Trustees. I am a mother of three and my children attend school in the district. I am married; my husband’s name is Pete. We both grew up on the Hi-Line and we have lived in Havre for the last 14 years. I am a public health nurse and I will be graduating with my master’s degree in Public Health this summer. I am very passionate about education.

I am now at a place in my life where I feel I can give back to the community. I can offer a unique perspective to the board; I am a person of color, an Indigenous woman and a mother of children who attend school in the district. I also offer my knowledge of public health, my professionalism, I am a good listener, I consider all opinions, I value service and commitment and because of those reasons I believe I can make a difference in the overall quality of the education that the school is providing.

My goal is to keep student achievement the primary focus. I want to support the districts vision in any way I can, including high expectations for quality teaching and learning that will support strong student outcomes. I will help the board form specific goals that will move the district forward. I am committed to educational equity; the students need the same opportunities, not the same treatment. We need to look back on the year past, learn from it and identify how students’ disadvantages have negatively affected their education. We can then focus on what resources we need to help our children succeed.

Public education can offer our children a foundation of skills they can use to become creative and innovative leaders. I support all programs that encourage this process; from drama, speech and debate to basketball and tennis and everything in between. I believe our children should have the best start to life and dream big. Quality education is part of that foundation.

I would be an asset to the Havre Board of Trustees because I bring my experience, my knowledge, education and my values to the district.

Jessica Kennedy-Stiffarm

Havre