Candidate Q&A: Glenn Fox, Chelsea Board of Education

Note to readers: The Sun Times News has made its media outlet available to candidates running for public office. Articles published do not reflect an endorsement by the STN. Submissions are from candidates who responded within our guidelines. In order to be as fair and equitable as possible, candidates can submit their responses to four basic questions.

1. Who are you?
2. Why are you running?
3. What issues do you think are important?
4. Why should we vote for you?

Candidate’s responses are printed as submitted.

My name is Dr. Glenn Fox and I am asking for your vote as a Trustee for the Chelsea Board of Education. I am a devoted husband and a father of two young sons who attend Chelsea Schools. My family lives in Sylvan Township where we enjoy the rural lifestyle of connecting with the land through cultivation and conservation. We cherish being a part of the Chelsea community with its small town charm and closeness of family, friends, and neighbors.

Professionally, I am a faculty member of the University of Michigan Medical School and the Director of the UM Anatomical Donations Program. My experience also includes Jackson College, as a Professor and Department Chair of Science, as well as UM Biology, and the Michigan Math & Science Scholars program. My students have included medical doctors and students, dental students, graduate and undergraduate university & college students, high school students, and worldwide learners via several Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). I’m proud to call myself a lifelong learner, and the ability to learn from my experiences teaching and from my students are both rewarding and important for me to grow as an educator.

In total, I have over two decades of successful teaching, research, and administrative experience in higher education.

As the beneficiary of primary, secondary, and higher public education, I feel responsible to use my public (and publicly funded) education to support public schools, for which I am a strong advocate. I believe my experiences as an educator, a scientist, an administrator, and a parent make me uniquely qualified to serve Chelsea Schools. The Chelsea School District is a top 25 district in Michigan, and I believe that we can support our students, teachers, parapros, staff, administration, and their families to strengthen and improve upon our already strong foundation such that CSD can rise to a top 10 district.

I believe in the strength of community and that through honest efforts, civil communication, and mutual support, we can go farther, be stronger, and do more - together. Inclusive communities harness the talents, creativities, perspectives, and strengths of their members to benefit all.

I believe that our schools must prepare our children for life and play a vital role not just in academics, but equally important roles in social and emotional development. CSD’s Portrait of a Graduate, a collaborative creation of CSD and the community, outlines how Chelsea Schools support the growth and development of our children across the domains necessary to be ready for their futures. I support this vision and broad opportunities for learning across curricula and extracurricular experiences.

Part of my responsibility in developing curricula for students is to provide them with an effective foundational education that serves each learner’s needs as they advance along highly specialized pathways. Chelsea teachers and administrators, with the input from families and other stakeholders, have created effective, well-integrated curricula, with careful attention to student success in foundational subjects (the traditional reading, writing, & math). They leverage their education and experiences to grow and develop curricula capable of serving students for the present and the future. Preparing students for occupations that likely won’t exist until they are out of school is a difficult task, and our CSD educators have my confidence, full support, and gratitude for this mission.

My deep and abiding love and gratitude for the Chelsea Community and Schools inspires me to lend my efforts, expertise, and enthusiasm to Chelsea Schools where I will work tirelessly and collaboratively to advocate for and support all stakeholders.

You may learn more about me and my candidacy at: www.foxforchelsea.com