Freeland Board Candidate - Fhaner

Personal info/Educational background:

   I received a B.A. in chemistry from Michigan State University in 2007 and a Ph.D. in chemistry in 2012.  I spent 10 months working for the United States Department of Agriculture as a research scientist before accepting a position as an Assistant Professor position at the University of Michigan - Flint in the fall of 2014.  Over the past 6 years, I have had the privilege of teaching a diverse population of students in both introductory and upper-level courses. 

   I understand that teaching does not stop when a class period ends.  This has led me to invest countless hours of mentoring to ensure my students have the necessary skill-set both, academically and professionally, to achieve their professional goals.  I believe that supporting students in reaching their goals is a successful conclusion of any level of schooling.     Throughout my long journey as a student, I found myself moving frequently.  When our family moved to Freeland in 2014, I felt a need to serve the first true community I had lived in since I was a teenager.  After seeking out ways to become involved, I decided on running for a school board position in 2014 and was fortunate to earn a seat.  Over the last 6 years, I have felt blessed to bring my perspectives as an educator and a scientist to board conversations. 

   Being a board member has also left me feeling equally fortunate to be able to learn about district history and culture through the eyes of our students, teachers, administrators, and parents.  All school districts are facing harsh challenges in the upcoming school year. 

 

What is the reason you are running for a seat on the Freeland Board of Education?

   I am running for re-election because I want to see a strong Freeland School District continue well into the future, which will require experience, creativity, and fiscal responsibility. 

What experiences and qualifications do you possess that will make you a successful member of the Freeland Board of Education?

    I believe that my experiences as an educator, current board member, and parent will continue to be a benefit to our school district.  As an educator, I can appreciate and relate to the terminology, difficulties, and strategies for engaging students in material they might not always be excited to engage in. 

  Although I love chemistry, I have seen a number of expressions on the faces of my students to suggest others may have a different level of interest in the subject.  Therefore, I appreciate the challenges teachers face as they consider materials, activities, and assignments to promote the most important learning goals of a class while encouraging students to achieve their best. 

   As a current board member, I am very familiar with our districts' short- and long-term goals, current budget, and specific areas of progress we have achieved over the last 6 years. I do not believe that previous board experience should simply earn a vote.  However, I do believe that my engagement as a board member serving on the Finance Committee (6 years) and the Curriculum and Policy Committee (3 years total, 2 as the Chair) has provided me with leadership and decision-making experience that will be a benefit to the district over the next 6 years. 

   Finally, I believe that my experiences as a parent have made me a better board member.  Since moving to Freeland, I have had a child engaged in every building of our district at some point and will have three students enrolled at various grade-levels in the upcoming year. 

   Just like many parents, I endured the difficulties of trying to keep my children engaged in their learning activities while still being expected to complete all areas of my job last spring.  I have kept those hardships in my mind and considered them from the viewpoints of the students, parents, and teachers as we move towards the fall and into the future.  

What do you believe is a critical issue facing education in Freeland, or education in general, and how would you like to see the issue addressed?

    I will not ignore the obvious.  We are being asked to educate students in a constantly changing landscape.  We must make sure we are providing the highest level of education to students while ensuring our district has the financial stability to respond to operational and maintenance needs.  There are a number of other issues that require attention, including student career development, addressing emotional and nutritional needs, providing learning materials that adapt to the student, and many more.     However, we must first do our best to maintain high education and fiscal responsibility standards through the near future so that we can keep working on other important areas of work for many years to come.