Reader Endorses Melba Kiser, Misti Ray for School Board

Dear Editor,

With elections being plagued by the lesser of two candidates so often, it’s refreshing to have two amazing candidates for Noblesville School Board. Seeing candidates that retain professionalism, even when berated, and who are well-prepared for the position is wonderful to see. Melba Kiser and Misti Ray are a great fit to lead our school system over the next four years for these reasons and much more.

What makes a good school board candidate? I am sure that varies based on the person you ask, but for me, the top things are what I’ll discuss here. To me, the most obvious two characteristics of a strong candidate for school board are to be both familiar with the accolades and challenges in the school, as well as being approachable and considerate of opposing views. Melba has been a regular attendee of school board meetings and other school and parent-related functions for more than 18 months while Misti is both a mother of a Miller for 22 years and a substitute teacher. Both are well aware of the state of our schools. Melba and Misti are both as far from a conversational narcist as one could find. Neither Melba nor Misti finds it easy to talk about themselves, but rather, continually talk to everyone about whatever subject matter is important to that person. Both have repeatedly shown a strong backbone to criticism and a willingness to find solutions to disagreements without jeopardizing their values.

I believe everyone will agree that prioritizing both children and teachers is a must for a school board candidate. Both Melba and Misti have stated and shown a dedication to putting kids first. Melba constantly states her inspiration for running is to give her grandchildren the same opportunities she had as a Cuban refugee from Castro and as a naturalized citizen, while Misti has been serving on preschool, PTOs and youth sports boards for years. Both show a dedication to our children. Both of these women have held the standard that our teachers deserve the best pay possible and it must be made a priority, not as just one part of a referendum. Each has stated they stand for removing distractions from the classrooms so that teachers can focus on the academics they went to college to learn how to teach. Both want to bring “academic excellence” to the forefront of Noblesville Schools; which oddly enough is not in the vision, mission or commitments listed on the school website. This will make Noblesville attractive to new teachers and teacher retention.

Finally, that brings me to the last two points. Ensuring Noblesville is a competitive and high ranking school is paramount, as-well-as transparency is vital to quelling the contention rising throughout the country between parents and schools. Both Melba and Misti want Noblesville to be competitive not only to attract teachers, but in a state of school vouchers, to ensure parents choose Noblesville over the other private and charter school options. Each candidate has also pledged to increase transparency at every level with the parents, because communication and unity between parents and schools provide the best learning environment for children.

With both Melba and Misti running for school board I am thrilled to be voting not for the better of two bad candidates, but for two candidates that are truly great picks for Noblesville school board. Both candidates want less non-academic distractions, prioritizing better teacher pay, a written commitment to “academic excellence”, and an approach to education that puts transparency at the center of the parent and teacher relationships. I won’t tell you who to vote for, but I hope you can see why I believe Melba Kiser and Misti Ray are such great candidates for Noblesville School Board.

Tim Cortrecht
Noblesville