Samantha Smith

"𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼 𝗪ard 𝟮 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. I'm Samantha Smith, and I'm running for School Board Seat B to put our kids and staff first.

As a proud parent of a seventh grader and a second grader and a future Salmon Falls Black Bear, I'm deeply invested in our community's education. I currently serve as president of the new Salmon Falls PTA and formerly as president of the Chamberlain Street School PTA.

I've organized years of family and community engagement events, including meet and greets with staff, welcoming over 500 kids and family members through our doors there. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 when we opened the doors to the Salmon Falls School to welcome them for the first time.

I have also advocated for strong leadership on principal search committees for Chamberlain and Rochester Middle School, and collaborated with our school's MTSS teams and districtwide family nights to foster collaboration.

I'm passionate about creating student centered schools with safe, supportive environments where every child thrives by prioritizing our staff, listening to their perspectives, and advocating for greater family involvement. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘦𝘥.

As your school board member, I'll advocate for educators and staff, ensure families’ voices are heard, and push for the use of data to drive student outcomes. I'm running because I believe in getting back to basics, prioritizing our kids and staff to build a stronger Rochester school district.

My experience as a PTA leader and parent equips me to listen, collaborate, and act for every student and staff member.

On November 4th, vote for me at Chamberlain Street School. Visit votes Samanthasmith.com to share your ideas or learn more. Let's put kids and staff first."

Notes:

The Public Information and Community Engagement Office for the City of Rochester is pleased to announce that the Meet the Candidates video series is now available for viewing ahead of the upcoming Municipal Election.

The nonpartisan series introduces voters to candidates for Mayor, City Council, School Board, and Police Commission. Each candidate was given up to three minutes to speak directly to voters, share their priorities, and present their personal message.

To ensure fairness and transparency, all videos were recorded live in a single take, without edits, hosts, or predetermined questions.

The views and opinions expressed in the following video are those of the candidate and do not necessarily reflect the views of the City of Rochester, its elected officials or staff. The content is presented as part of a public information effort to provide equal opportunity for all candidates to address the community.

Transcript was taken directly from the GovTV website closed captioning. AI added bold/italic fonts for emphasis and separated paragraphs where appropriate.

Hi, I’m Samantha Smith, and I’m running for School Board to put our kids and staff first. As president of the new Salmon Falls School PTA and former president and treasurer of the Chamberlain Street School PTA, I’ve dedicated years to strengthening our schools through community involvement. I’m a proud parent of a 7th grader, a 2nd grader, and a future Salmon Falls Black

Bear, deeply rooted in Rochester’s Ward 2.

My work includes organizing events like “Popsicles on the Playground” and STEM nights, advocating for school tours to ease student transitions, and serving on Principal Search Committees for Chamberlain and Rochester Middle School. 

I’ve collaborated with our school social worker to ensure successful Thanksgiving and Christmas drives, bringing joy to families, and led Teacher Appreciation Week efforts to celebrate our amazing staff, from teachers to custodians. As a trusted listener, I maintain staff confidentiality while advocating for their needs and respecting their perspectives on district events. I also created a community resource list for teachers and PTAs to access local services supporting students’ academic, social, and

emotional needs, and established a district-wide PTA biannual leaders meeting to unite elementary schools, fostering a network for robust parent and community engagement.

I believe in prioritizing what our kids and staff need through positive family and community participation and open communication. As your school board member, I’ll advocate for student-centered schools with safe and positive environments, supporting our amazing staff with resources, advocating for families through Family and Community Engagement efforts, and to drive student outcomes by using data to close gaps. My goal is a united SAU 54 where every student and staff member thrives.

Every decision I make will prioritize our kids’ needs, ensuring safe, inclusive environments in our schools where they can thrive academically and emotionally.

Great teachers and staff create great students. I’ll advocate for fair pay and professional development to retain talented educators who inspire our kids.

Parents, families, and community members are the heart of our schools’ success. Strong engagement builds trust, fosters collaboration, and ensures policies reflect our community’s values.

Our district is using data more intentionally to identify gaps. I’ll advocate for action items to close achievement gaps and boost outcomes, ensuring every student succeeds in school and beyond.

Fill Out My Community Engagement Survey Here!

Resources to Learn More About Samantha Smith

Candidate's Election Website

Samantha Smith for School Board Facebook Page

¹ Introduction from Samantha Smith for School Board Page https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122099061404997236&set=a.122099057870997236

² Information from VoteSamanthaSmith.com