As a GPPSS parent, I’m proud of our school district and want to serve on the school board to improve it. My background in public health and education makes me a great candidate. I’m passionate about creating a safe learning environment for ALL kids!
Partisan politics has no place on the school board, so I’m not seeking endorsement by any political party. That means I need as many individual donations as I can get. I’ll use this money to purchase lawn signs and print literature to send out to voters.
Our teachers at GPPSS are a phenomenal part of what makes the district such a great place for students, and I'm proud to be endorsed by the GPEA (our local educators' union). Parent volunteers create awesome learning opportunities through field trips and extracurricular activities. We need a Board of Education that listens to the community and responds to their concerns, while keeping the focus on what’s best for our students. I hope you’ll consider contributing to my campaign!
Show your support for this campaign by endorsing it and sharing why!
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Alex Doji endorsed
“I support Valerie to get the job done!”
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Wendy Soubel endorsed
“Valerie has a young child in the school system and has experienced both good & disappointing aspects of GPPS. Her career in public health equips her to dig into & draw insights from data. We need her empathy and analytic skills on our Board of Education. She has my vote!”
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Jody A. Kommel endorsed
“I support a School Board candidate who believes in inclusion and in teaching all of history not just the parts that are self-serving. In addition, Grosse Pointe does not need a Charter School.”
October 2, 2022
Success! Hey wait a second...
You may have noticed that we finally reached my original goal of $10,000! I am blown away by how many people have donated to this campaign. I couldn't have purchased over 500 yard signs, dropped over 3000 pieces of campaign literature, and bought ad space in the Grosse Pointe Times without all of you. I was thrilled to reach my goal and not have to ask anyone for money, ever again!
When I was endorsed by our teachers and staff, I had the opportunity to meet with leaders in the Michigan Education Association. They have declared GPPSS a "target district," meaning there is a lot of money being funneled into the school board election by outside forces, such as Betsy DeVos, Moms for Liberty, and FEC United. When I proudly told them I was nearing my $10k fundraising goal, they told me I need to raise at least $20,000. Yes, it sounds ridiculous. This is a local school board! We won't even be paid! Unfortunately, we are up against some very wealthy people who have an interest in dismantling public education. Whatever amount you donated, if you can afford to contribute that again, I would be amazed. I recognize that some people already gave as much as they could, so don't feel pressured if your budget won't allow for that!
One way everyone can help without spending another dime is to talk about this election. Most of the people who would vote for me are also too polite to bring up politics unprompted, but elections have changed in the past few years. Simply scrolling through your contacts and texting everyone who lives in our school district about who you like for school board can have a huge impact. Thank you to everyone who has had these conversations already!
September 6, 2022
Halfway there!
Thank you so much to everyone who has donated so far, to get me halfway to my campaign goal! I’ve been able to purchase a sticker ad for the Grosse Pointe Times, which you’ll see September 22nd and will be delivered to all homes in the school district. We’ve also distributed over 200 yard signs, and I just had to put in another order - I’m blown away by the support! Soon we will be canvassing as many houses as possible, and I’m almost out of the 1000 pieces of campaign literature already printed, so I’m placing an order for 5000 more (with some updates to the design based on voter feedback). I couldn’t do any of this without your donations, and I’m truly grateful that you’ve put your trust in me to run for our school board. I’m going to keep working as hard as I can to make sure all students feel safe and welcome at school, and keep our district moving forward!
July 20, 2022
1/3 the way there!
Thanks to so many generous neighbors, I’m already one-third of the way to my fundraising goal! We have ordered another run of signs, because we ran out of the initial 125 so quickly. My first fundraiser was a great success, considering how quickly we put it together, and I’m excited for future fundraising events. I’m working to get a reasonably priced voter list and designing flyers for canvassing, which we’ll begin after the August primaries. As always, message or email me if there’s anything you’d like to know - I’m all about transparency!
June 9, 2022
Thank you!
Thank you so much to my first donors! I’ve placed an order for bookmarks that include some of my goals for the Board of Education. Another priority of mine is transparency, so I plan to update this page to let you know where your money is going. I truly appreciate every hard-earned dollar that’s been contributed so far!
Campaign created!
Show your support for this campaign by endorsing it and sharing why!
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Alex Doji endorsed
“I support Valerie to get the job done!”
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Wendy Soubel endorsed
“Valerie has a young child in the school system and has experienced both good & disappointing aspects of GPPS. Her career in public health equips her to dig into & draw insights from data. We need her empathy and analytic skills on our Board of Education. She has my vote!”
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Michele Pittel endorsed
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Brian D Jones endorsed
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Patrick Rorai endorsed
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DAVID BRUMBAUGH endorsed
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Kenny Hemler endorsed
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Jody A. Kommel endorsed
“I support a School Board candidate who believes in inclusion and in teaching all of history not just the parts that are self-serving. In addition, Grosse Pointe does not need a Charter School.”
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Libby A endorsed
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Kristine Hayes endorsed
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Katy and Joe Forcillo endorsed