As a veteran school board member, I bring valuable experience and institutional knowledge to the district, while always continuing to have an open mind to new ideas and opportunities for positive change. I have lived in Royal Oak since 1980, and my two daughters received an excellent education in our district. I hope I'm able to keep working toward ensuring every student in Royal Oak can expect to receive that same high quality of education. I'm actively involved in several community organizations, including the Royal Oak Schools Foundation and the Historical Society, and I believe that the schools and the community are intertwined in creating a positive place in which to live and learn. I am running for the board again because I feel I still have a lot to offer our district and our community, and I'm excited about the possibilities of the upcoming bond vote, which would bring much-needed improvements and enhancements to our schools.
The top priority is always making sure our students are receiving a high-quality education. I have been on the district's curriculum committee for many years and have been able to ask those leaders questions about parental and board concerns as well as keeping up to date with new developments. Continuing to be fiscally responsible with taxpayer dollars is crucial to the district's long-term success. Each month, the board attends the finance and facilities meetings in which we discuss upcoming financial decisions as well as matters relating to the condition of our buildings. All of our meetings are open to the public, and we encourage participation so that more members of our community become knowledgeable about these vital matters. Student and staff health and well-being remain a top priority. During this past year, we've partnered with Care Solace, which helps families and staff to find the mental health and substance use treatment that would work best for them.
I am running for re-election to the Royal Oak Schools’ Board of Education to serve the community I’ve called home for the past 26 years. My experience as a teacher and as a parent of a child in the district lends useful perspectives to the makeup of the board and helps inform my decision making. In addition, my years of serving as union president of my teachers’ union (HFT Local #1052) gives me insight into labor issues. I currently serve as Treasurer and am on the Curriculum, Arts & Preservation, Policy, and Student Representatives committees. I take my responsibility seriously to ensure that our students have an excellent education that prepares them for a bright future. We have taken many steps as a district to accomplish this goal. As a trustee, I’ve been honored to be a part of this work for the last four years. I am hopeful that the voters will put their trust in me to continue to serve the Royal Oak Schools’ community for another term.
1. In order to meet the diverse needs of our students, we must continue to evaluate our curriculum and the services we have in place to support our students. I will continue to support district initiatives to update materials and practices in crucial areas such as math, literacy and technology. 2. All students should have a supportive and inspiring environment to learn in. Passing the bond will enable us to further expand our early childhood center, provide spaces throughout our schools to better support special needs, improve our athletic fields, and make our schools more functional and welcoming overall. 3. Our wonderful staff are crucial to the success of our students. I will continue to advocate for offering competitive wages and a workplace where employees feel they are appreciated and their input into decisions affecting their jobs is valued so that we can recruit and retain top notch staff.
•Royal Oak resident 18 years
•Mom of four children under 10 years old
•Graduate, College for Creative Studies
•Small business owner
•PTA President at Oakland Elementary
•Member of the RO Park & Recreation Advisory Board
I love our schools and our community, and I’m deeply invested in the success of all students. I’m a big believer in service and feel that the active role I’ve played in our schools along with the personal experience and expertise I bring, will help us build toward an even stronger school district for our children.
Education is about more than just curriculum. It’s about the community we create within and around our schools. I will be a listening ear and a voice for all our school families and the community as a whole.
I am passionate about bringing people together around a common goal and I will work every day to build on Royal Oak Schools successes while finding solutions to challenges we face. This is not just for my kids, but for success for generations to come.
Literacy: We can and must teach every child to read at or above grade level via increased investment in teacher development and extra support to meet student needs. This must be a budget and policy priority as our kids’ success depends on it.
Equity: Every student deserves the resources and support they need to thrive. That looks different for different students and different schools. We must constantly evaluate our policies to be sure they are equitable for all. As policies change, families need to be involved and we need to be communicating with them early and often.
Communication: Strong lines of communication between school leaders and parents needs to be a constant priority. Fostering meaningful engagement, ensuring parents know exactly who to go to for a given issue, and providing more opportunities for public interaction with the board and superintendent will better serve our community, and most importantly, our students.
I am a Royal Oak parent of two, gardener, and community advocate running for the Royal Oak Schools Board of Education. As a mother of two children who have attended all levels of school in the district, I understand deeply how school board decisions affect families. Professionally, I've spent my career fighting for laws that have kept people in their homes, made it possible for people to vote, and increased workers rights. I've also served on government and nonprofit boards for the last 9 years, learning to work in collaboration with community and leaders alike. These experiences have strengthened my ability to analyze complex issues, ask critical questions, and make thoughtful and courageous decisions grounded in the real needs of the communities I've served.
I am running because I want to bring that energy to the school board. I would be a collaborative and prepared board member who is focused on keeping students at the center of decision-making.
1. Education. Our schools prepare students for both the world they live in now, and the one they will walk into after graduation. Together, we have the responsibility to prepare students to thrive across differences. We can reinforce the boundaries and hierarchies of the past, or we can leverage our excellent education to prepare students to thrive no matter where the world takes them.
2. Community. I would push for more transparency about how decisions are made, opportunities for families and educators to weigh in earlier, and clear explanations of board decisions. Good leadership requires the courage to listen, even to difficult feedback, and to adjust when and if we've gone wrong.
3. Money. Pandemic relief funding has ended just as costs to continue to rise. I would push for disciplined prioritization: Compensation to attract and retain our excellent staff and teachers, safe and welcoming facilities, and robust resources for students who need additional support.
My name is Belem Morales, and I am an attorney in private practice specializing in criminal law and divorce litigation. As a Mexican American who grew up in an immigrant family, I learned firsthand that education is the ultimate equalizer and the foundation for long-term success. My spouse and I are proud to raise our two boys, ages 9 and 6, who attend our local schools. I am deeply committed to our district's educational community, I am a former member of the Royal Oak School Foundation, where I collaborated with local leaders and educators to unlock and enhance opportunities for our students.
I am running because I believe our school system must challenge every child academically while providing an equitable framework of support that leaves no student behind. With the community considering the $165 million facilities bond, our district is at a critical turning point. If elected, my priority will be ensuring this investment has a sharp focus on modernizing STEAM programs.
1. Strict Fiscal Oversight and Strategic Focus for the $165 Million Bond.
2. Expanding Equitable Academic Support and Closing the Achievement Gap
3. Rebuilding Administrative Transparency, Collaboration, and Teacher Morale
As a litigation attorney, my entire career is built on dispute resolution, open communication, and bringing opposing sides together to build a consensus. On the board, I will work to restore a human-centered approach to district governance. I will push for transparent policy-making processes, actively listen to our frontline educators without fear of retaliation, and establish regular, open communication forums between parents, teachers, and administration to build a unified roadmap for our children’s future.
I'm Trina and I've been living in Royal Oak for over 10 years with my two children that both attend Royal Oak Schools. I am from Michigan though have also lived in several other places before settling back in MI. I have degrees in Nonprofit Administration and Supply Chain Management. My resume is filled with various advocacy and organizing jobs - the one I'm most proud of is that I spent 5 years as the Michigan Education Justice Coalition Director.
I'm running for the Royal Oak School Board because I have experience with education policy and funding. I also want to provide my time and talents to encourage the policies and practices of Royal Oak to be more inclusive so that kids like mine see themselves reflected far more in what they are learning and the adults around them in the schools. Finally I also think that more can be done to engage and connect with families and the community so that we can widen the circle of who is part of decision making.
1. Ensure a safe and welcoming environment for students, families and staff.
2. Close the achievement gap (aka academic performance) between white students and Black students.
3. Lack of transportation options such as bussing.
There needs to be intentional practices put into place such as screening curriculum to ensure inclusion. We also need to be more intentional about inviting family members into schools during the school day so that families feel more connected to what is going on in the buildings. I think the school board can be a vehicle to support policies that encourage deeper commitment to a welcoming school environment.
Transportation has long been an issue and it will require some hard choices related to the budget. I would propose doing a participatory budgeting process so that more families can weigh how to balance funding in the district. Finally while we are on the path to district bussing, I'd like to see more work done to support carpools via an app.
