Michelle Short

My name is Michelle Short and I grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. I graduated from Taylor University in 1997.  I married my college sweetheart, Jeremy Short, in May 1997, and moved to Morton in June 1997. We have 3 children Charis (10th grade at MHS), Elli (9th grade at MHS), and Sox (6th grade at Grundy). 

I've been a board member to Camp of Champions USA, Morton Youth Soccer Organization and Country Aire Pool.  I'm a member of Harvest Bible Chapel and I enjoy watching sports, especially soccer and basketball.

1997-2000- I was  Alternative Education Aide @ MJHS and coached 7th gr. Girl's Basketball

2000-2016-  I had a daycare business

2015- 2016- I substituted @ Bethel Lutheran Preschool

2016-present- I am a paraprofessional at ROE 53 Alternative Education School

I firmly believe a voter should know exactly who they are voting for, therefore I will be crystal clear on my views. 

If elected, my goal will be to help unify the Morton 709 School Board with the Village of Morton. Right now, it seems the School Board isn't communicating well with the village boards.  As ONE community we are all interconnected and we need to ask as many questions as possible before making decisions that affect our whole community.

Facilities

Do I think we have space problems that need to be addressed in the near future? Absolutely! I do understand the mistrust the community has for the school board's previous decisions about land purchases and buildings. Currently, there is a space problem in the junior high. Sometime in the near future, I believe we will have to address that and find a solution. In my opinion, it will probably be some type of new building. If it would fix the overcrowding and building issues at the junior high, I would be in support of a new building. Whether or not that would be a high school or junior high would depend on the cost.

Progress

There are two things I would like to see happen in the next few years in the Morton 709 School District. One, more classes in construction, mechanics and home health care.  Not all kids are 4 year college students. Some need different opportunities to get them excited to further their education. Two, I believe a multicultural club would help showcase and unite the diverse cultures that are represented in the Morton 709 school district. Our schools are blessed by students from many different cultures whether through adoption or their family has made Morton their home. I want every student, no matter their culture, to feel like they fit into our community and school district.

Transgender Student Accomodations

My opinion is that students should use their birth gender bathroom and locker room. Children should not get to choose these life altering changes before they are 18.  All children have parents or guardians who help them navigate life decisions before the age of 18. How often do children change their minds on sweethearts, music, and favorite colors? As adults, we should not pigeon hole them to a decision they make as a child. I believe the safety of every student should be a top priority of the school board.

Superintendent

I believe that the school board represents the community and the superintendent represents education. Our last few superintendents have not been from Morton, it's the school board's responsibility to guide the superintendent in the direction that's best for Morton. As we've seen, our past superintendents don't retire and continue to live in Morton. Their ultimate goals are professional and personal. It's the school board's job to represent the community's values, welfare and conscience. The superintendent works for Morton not the other way around. The school board with the help of the superintendent should guide Morton 709.

Standardized Testing

Let's be honest, we all took the IOWA Standardized Tests and lived to tell about it. I do think standardized testing is a necessity. We have to have a way to compare the progress with other students and districts around the country. By tracking kids from year to year we are able to see progression and/or areas they may need help in.  It is also a way to keep each district accountable to further education, instead of falling behind. Do students dislike the testing process? Maybe. But, this allows the students to learn a good life lesson that sometimes we have to do things we don't enjoy. A good lesson to learn early in life.