“I want each of our graduates to be academically, socially, and emotionally prepared to follow their unique dreams.”

To help readers understand their options, The Sun Times News sent five questions to each candidate running for Chelsea School Board in the November Election. Below are the answers received from Dr. Erin Hunt-Carter in response to the final three questions. 

Q: With public school funding often being stretched thin, what strategies would you implement to balance fiscal responsibility with the need to maintain and improve student resources, programs, and staff compensation?

Erin Hunt-Carter
I was appointed to the school board after applying for a vacancy in February of this year. I am the mother of two recent Chelsea graduates (2024 & 2022). We moved to Chelsea in 2015 so our children could attend school here. As a parent, I paid my property taxes and hoped our district was fiscally responsible. Now that I sit on the board, I have had access to detailed information about the financial health of our district. Frankly, I am impressed with the proactive management of district finances. A notable strength is our district’s success in securing grant funding.

However, staff compensation is a concern I would like to investigate in more detail. Many of our newer teachers want to live in Chelsea, but they cannot afford housing here. That is a shame. We would all benefit from them being able to live in the community where they work. Admittedly, compensation is a complex issue, and the problems with pay are not unique to Chelsea. Across the nation, teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school staff are grossly under-compensated. Teachers perform one of the most difficult, most important jobs. They are at school before the sun rises. They coach sporting events, conduct concerts, and grade papers late into the night. They deserve higher compensation. The problem of teacher and staff compensation is not unique to Chelsea, and I do not believe that our district is out of line with standard compensation models. However, I will always advocate for our teachers to be better compensated, and I will always support efforts in this direction.

Q. As students prepare for diverse post-graduation paths, how do you plan to integrate or expand career and technical education offerings to prepare students for both college and careers?

Erin Hunt-Carter
I want each of our graduates to be academically, socially, and emotionally prepared to follow their unique dreams. Whether they become CEOs or stay-at-home parents, Chelsea students deserve a well-rounded education that equips them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to succeed.

Chelsea District Schools do an excellent job preparing students for college, but not every student is college-bound. Nor should they be! There are so many amazing careers outside the traditional four-year college path. Chelsea High School offers Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in robotics, cybersecurity, health sciences, and construction trades. Fifteen more CTE programs are available to our students through the South and West Washtenaw Consortium. These programs allow our students to graduate ready to enter the workforce in fulfilling, important, and lucrative careers. Our CTE offerings are a crown jewel in the district, and I strongly support their continuation and expansion. 

I am also deeply committed to supporting and improving the services available to students enrolled in special education programs. I welcome feedback from district families with students in special education to better understand how we are meeting their needs and how we can better prepare these students for their lives and careers post-graduation.

Q. The mental health and well-being of students are a growing concern in schools. What policies or initiatives would you support to ensure that Chelsea students have access to adequate mental health education and resources?

Erin Hunt-Carter
Mental health is my passion and my life’s work. I am a licensed clinical psychologist and the owner of a local mental health clinic, Great Lakes Mental Health. After earning my doctorate, I worked as a staff psychologist at Eastern Michigan University’s Counseling and Psychological Services, providing mental health care to college students. My areas of expertise include addiction, trauma, anxiety, and depression. I have long volunteered and advocated for causes related to suicide prevention, sexual assault awareness, and addiction. Although I do not work with children, my knowledge and skills place me in a unique position to evaluate and advocate for mental health education and resources in our district.

Every family in our community is impacted by issues related to mental health. Whether or not we suffer from mental illness, we all face the challenges of managing our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors—this is especially difficult for children and adolescents. It is essential that children receive accurate, age-appropriate information about mental health and have access to support during times of crisis.