School Board Candidate Patti Tanner

Patti Tanner

Family

Husband, Rick; son, Jacob, a ninth grader at Saline High School

Education

BA University of Michigan 1986

Employment

I work as a remote Implementation Specialist for AutoNation.

Government History

I have been a trustee on the Saline District Library Board since 2009.

Community Involvement

• I have served on various PTA/PTO boards since 2003, most recently as President of Saline Middle School PTO last year.
• I have been on many district wide boards and committees, including the Gifted and Talented Advisory Board, the Strategic Vision Planning Committee, the Wellness Committee & the Project Lead the Way Advisory Board.
• I helped develop the district’s Counting on Math afterschool program and oversaw the program at Pleasant Ridge for two years.
• I supervised the afterschool Heritage Buzz newspaper for two years. Working for the PTOs, I wrote two successful CARES grants: at Heritage School to build a new playground and at SMS to build a cafeteria courtyard.
• I also wrote a successful grant with Samsung last year to fund Project Lead the Way at the middle school.

Why are you running?

I am running for school board because I want to avoid gridlock in the district and keep the lines of communication open with all stakeholders. Saline families deserve decision makers who have the students’ education as their highest priority, not pushing an agenda where financial cuts are the stated goal. The school board requires experienced and balanced leadership to maintain SAS excellence.

What are the top 3 issues facing the district and how should the district address them?

1. The most important issue is maintaining the integrity of our schools. We need to investigate grants and new instructional models to keep our schools elite and preserve our excellent reputation.
2. Due to the economy and state funding cuts, our budget is at issue. We need to spend the revenue we have more responsibly and more creatively. Every district in the state that is making difficult choices, but we need to think outside of the box to become more resourceful. Grants are available to us; let’s eagerly pursue them.
3. Maintaining Facilities/Infrastructure. Providing a quality education requires that we maintain our facilities to make sure our learning environments are safe, secure and ready for students.

What needs to happen with the next teachers' contract and how do you plan to get it done?

Due to the fluctuating economy and the structural deficit we currently find ourselves in, both labor and non-labor costs need to be adjusted to meet revenue. We need to look at a shorter term deal and know that everything is on the table. Teachers and administration want to work together and having an open, collaborative climate in the district will be conducive to that end.

(This page will be updated as we publish the candidate's answers to the questions we posed.)