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Torrie Meier for Paw Paw School Board

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Torrie Meier Paw Paw School Board Trustee
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If you are looking to connect with me as a current Trustee on the board, please see: Torrie Meier Paw Paw School Board Trustee. As a member of the Paw Paw community, I began sharing my voice with the school board in April of 2020 when we started to experience the devastating effects of Covid. While I respect the deadliness of the pandemic, I also was hyperaware of the mental health devastation we

were causing our youth by masking, remote learning, closing schools and cancelling events. I quickly learned that, for the most part, we have a very good BOE in Paw Paw. I watched them fight for the best interest of your children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors. They often had to compromise with the Administration to keep the children in school and learning. Had it not been for the BOE, things could have been much worse. I decided to seek a spot on the board to support the members and fight for the students. When an open seat came up, I was interviewed by the members and assigned a seat on the Board – I am running to retain that seat. I have strong beliefs that the purpose of the Public School System is for the safety, well-being, and EDUCATION of our students. Parents as well as the community are equally invested in the success of our schools. With all of the ugliness in the world today, we need to come together as parents, friends, neighbors and community to support each other. While I lean more to the conservative side, I pride myself in listening and considering all opinions. There is no voice that is not valued. I look at the Public School System as having families with values from A-Z. Compromise is the key - as the answer cannot always be B and/or Y on the scale. We need to attempt to sit at M……but always keeping in mind the ultimate goal of safety, well-being and EDUCATION of our students. Covid measures proved to us that the middle ground is not always the best solution….it skipped the well-being and education in that statement. I am a community member and a mom who has no hidden agenda other than our children. ALL of our children. I am sometimes asked why I want to be on the BOE when my children are Seniors and soon to be out of school. This issue of our students is bigger than all of us individually. Paw Paw is my home, and the success of this community and our school matters greatly to me. I also want to be the voice of those that can’t speak up, are too afraid to speak up, are too ill to donate their time….or simply have priorities elsewhere that take precedence. I thank you for your time and ask for your vote 11/8/2022. FAQ:
Q: How are you going to represent parents and community members who have values and beliefs that differ from yours? A: When I do my work on the school board, I rely wholly on my statement that the purpose of the Public School System is for the safety, well-being and EDUCATION of our students. That is ALL of our students and their families. There is not one group of students that is more important than the other. The minute we start catering to one side or the other is the moment we fail. We have to keep our “eye on the prize”. The prize is our students. Compromise is the key word. Q: A loud buzz in the community is the topic of a new S*x Ed curriculum. What is your stance on that topic? A: I believe that EVERY SINGLE STUDENT in our school system needs to be loved, respected, and valued. I do not believe that a curriculum that introduces controversial gender studies accomplishes that goal of inclusion. S*xual education should be about anatomy, safety, reproduction, mental maturity, abstinence, proper birth control, protection from and knowledge of HIV and STD’s, saying no, abuse, self-respect, etc. IF that foundation is taught accurately and effectively, it applies to EVERYONE and all sexual relationships. Q: What is your opinion of SEL (social emotional learning) and the Trails Program? A: Start by recognizing that SEL and Trails are different things. Trails is simply a vehicle that the school is using to deliver SEL. SEL on its’ own is a wonderful tool that teaches kids to monitor and recognize their feelings, respect and love for all people including those with thoughts or ideas different than theirs, and to treat others with the utmost kindness. Students benefit from both giving and receiving this kindness, and it eases their minds to open for learning. However, we don’t want to take too much time away from learning to implement this. School is about education. The Trails program is very comprehensive and can include things such as gender studies and CRT. The school district is adamant that they are not using those sections of Trails. I would like to see the district consider a program that is less controversial. Q: What do you feel is the parent’s role is in their child’s education? A: I am a firm believer in Section 380.10 of the Michigan Revised School Code: “It is the natural, fundamental right of parents and legal guardians to determine and direct the care, teaching, and education of their children. The public schools of this State serve the needs of the pupils by cooperating with the pupil’s parents and legal guardians to develop the pupil’s intellectual capabilities and vocational skills in a safe and positive manner.”

Q: What can we expect of you if you are elected to the BOE? A: You can expect honesty, integrity, transparency, and action. You can expect me to ask tough questions to other board members and school administration holding them accountable to the ultimate goal that is our children. You can expect me to listen to and respect each and every person even if we have to agree to disagree in the end. You can expect me to be fair and expect equal treatment of all. You can expect me to be present and attentive.

11/09/2022

I received this beautiful text from my daughter. It just reinforced that while I was not successful, the courage it took to stand up did not go unnoticed. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate every single one of you who supported me. And I promise, I’m not going to take my ball and go home.

And if I can ask something of everyone, please get involved. Come to meetings. Share your voice. Now more than ever, we need to support common sense on the board - Brent McNitt, Dale Pease, Thomas Baney and Ray Martin. Please join me in standing behind these 4 and the others who will continue to fight for your kids.

Photos from Torrie Meier for Paw Paw School Board's post

11/06/2022

As a last minute push, may I ask everyone to share this post. Thank you! ❤️

Tuesday 11/8 is finally right around the corner. Most everyone knows the importance of a school board with no hidden agenda. A school board that wants ALL children to thrive and the focus to return to EDUCATION. I promise to listen to all families and educators to consider all views when making decisions. Please vote for board integrity not one sided agendas.

11/06/2022

Truth!!

Kindness counts. 🧡

11/04/2022

I am so honored by these endorsements!! ❤️

11/04/2022

The most important thing you can do is ask questions of the school board candidates. You can find out quickly where people stand. I’ve always said that I will not evade questions to trick someone in to a vote. You either like what I stand for or you don’t. And if you don’t, I will still shake your hand and just agree to disagree. I was contacted by a community member with great questions. Here are my responses:

What is your stance on critical race theory? Should it be taught in our school district? Absolutely not. CRT should not be taught in schools. Racism is kept alive by people who want to keep it alive. I don’t believe that just because someone is black/Hispanic/minority that they’re automatically oppressed. And I don’t believe a white person automatically rises to the top without putting in hard work. If people would stop trying to judge people by race and let qualifications such as character, hard work, determination, and skill, we would be in a much better place.

What role do parents have in curriculum decisions? So how I see the school board is the bridge from the parents and the community to the admin staff. The board gives the path. The admin does the follow through. Parents are part of that path or direction. In the past, parent involvement has been very little, unfortunately. I see that changing now for the good. I think there should be more opportunities for parents to see what is being taught to their children. And I would love to see more involvement and attendance at meetings. Parents need to be heard and seen and involved.

Should parents be made aware of their students' gender decisions? My very first answer on this is nothing should be hidden from parents. Ever. We are the parents. Our children are ours to raise and guide. We need to be able to help our children through what will likely be a difficult and confusing time. I do understand the flip side of that because we do have to keep in mind not everyone parents the same. You could have a situation where a child expresses a gender decision to a school counselor because they don’t have loving or tolerant parents at home. It’s relayed to the parents and the next day they are in school with a broken arm. That’s a tragic example, but not totally out of the realm of possibility. In the public school system you have a whole spectrum of families. But as a general rule, nothing should be kept from parents.

Are there any articles that discuss your positions on school board issues? If so, where? I did a big write up on my page Torrie Meier for paw paw school board. I even added some FAQ items. But ask away. I will be honest with you even if we disagree. I want you to make the best choice for your family.

What is your primary qualification for the Paw Paw school board? I think a good school board is made up of all different mindsets with the bottom line being keeping the education and wellbeing of the children first. I’m a mom, a professional, a hard worker, not afraid to stand up to adversity, have common sense and can talk and listen to all people. I do have hard stops though: CRT, sexualized curriculum, bullying, favoritism, boys in girls sports….to name some. I do not have an agenda that I’m trying to push. My only agenda is to EDUCATE these kids and teach them to be good humans and prepare them for their lives ahead.

11/03/2022

Come support the boosters. They do so much for our athletes. I’ll see you there!

Last chance to purchase tickets for the Fall Wine Down! If enough tickets are not sold by Thursday, we will be forced to cancel. Please spread the word to make this event a success!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fall-wine-down-tickets-438762589717?fbclid=IwAR2MmS5wg5G59mwwOiHfnaQ0ThC4-IUyK13DIHIolUF9VUkQfkkz2Z8FEMs

11/03/2022

Wonderful endorsement from this awesome lady who puts her heart and soul in to fighting for Michigan! Thank you Beth!!

10/31/2022

Love this spirit!! And the Breakfast Club costume….brings me back. 😁

10/30/2022

Be a good human!!

10/28/2022

I was never in band, so I don’t know what the hand signals mean. But, wow, those on the stage watched these 2 like a hawk. Playing their instruments with their eyes glued up. It was pretty cool! I love when they bring the marching band inside the PAC!!

Drum majors set for a final run through before rehearsal ends.

Photos from Paw Paw Area Chamber Of Commerce's post

10/28/2022

Thank you to the Chamber for hosting this event!

10/27/2022

None of these are ok, but #4…..unacceptable!! We need to treat our teachers with the utmost respect.

10/26/2022

I met some very nice people at the coffee with a candidate yesterday. It’s so nice to speak face to face. Hoping to meet many more tonight. But, if you have questions and we don’t get to talk and you’d rather speak than email or post, please let me know and we can set up a call. My email is [email protected].

Thanks! I’m an open book!

10/26/2022

Come and visit me at the candidates forum tomorrow 10/26 at Freshwater Church in Paw Paw. 5:30-7:00.

10/24/2022

This gives me goosebumps. How can we empower our kids to think this of themselves? Especially during confusing times when they’re trying to figure out who they are. Or when they’re struggling with the pressures of life. Sadly, the world is a mean and ugly place. We have to think of the best way to support them so they can support themselves past school.

10/21/2022

Arts!!! Just as important as sports, but are they recognized equal? They should be!

The arts truly matter! 🙌

10/21/2022

This program is amazing!!!

When you have a poster on the wall in your students’ handwriting, learning comes to life! Shout out to Brianna Esser at Churchville Elementary School as she empowers her students to set personal goals related to this month’s theme, Self-Direct!

10/20/2022

It came up in a meeting I was in the other night about kids and kindness towards each other. A great comment was made that kids that are hurting tend to hurt others. I would not say that’s an absolute, but definitely see how that happens. In todays world, it’s so hard to get kids to look past their perceived flaws. Us as adults can’t always do that!! I don’t know the answer to the question of how to do this. I so wish I did. A great culture in schools is a great place to start. I think we all want that!!

10/18/2022

Think about this a moment. Here’s a story from a dear friend of mine who has the most beautiful little girl that just started kindergarten. She was in a kids group at church and was telling her mom about a new friend. Trying to describe the boy to her mom….he has glasses, short hair, striped shirt, likes to jump, is nice, sits in the front at church, etc, etc. Not knowing exactly who she was talking about, my friend asks…does he have brothers and sisters? Yes!!! His sister has the curly hair and freckles!!! See…..not in one of those descriptions did she think to say that his skin is a different color than hers. The boy and his sister are black.

WE do this to our kids. US! Society teaches kids to describe others by their differences vs describing them as individuals. We have to stop this. People are so much more than gay, straight, white, black, Hispanic, on and on. That’s why I am so against silos. We need to be better and let the blind innocence grow with our kids.

10/14/2022

As part of my journey as a school board member and life in general, I love to have conversations with many different people. I’ll often ask their perspective as it might be different than mine. I have a super liberal aunt that taught Special Education for many, many years. I love her to pieces. I have a very dear friend who is part of the LGBTQ community and also a mom. We can talk about anything under the sun! I have friends of strong faith both with young and teenage kids. They listen and embrace all my crazy questions. And so on. I’m grateful my circle is vast. And I learn so much from them just by asking. See, it takes all sorts of minds and beliefs to make the world go round. A one-track mind is never the answer. I‘ll be sharing some of those conversations (no names of course). And you might be surprised that if we just talk to each other, there may be more common ground than you think. Moral of the story….we need to talk and listen more than we shout and direct. ❤️