The Fairport Central School District’s Board of Education appointed Arlette Miller Smith, PhD as a new board member at its January 19, 2021 Board of Education meeting, with her term beginning immediately. Miller Smith replaces Judy O’Leary-Sargeant, who resigned from her Board of Education seat on January 8, 2021 due to her family moving out of Fairport.
O’Leary-Sargeant’s resignation was announced at the January 19, 2021 meeting. When a Board member resigns before the end of the three-year term, the Board may appoint an interim successor who will serve until the next school district election the following May. O’Leary-Sargeant’s three-year term is set to expire in June 2021. Miller Smith will serve until that time and may choose to run for a full three-year term in the May 2021 school budget vote and board election.
Miller Smith, a resident of Fairport since 1988 with her husband, Art, and (their now) two adult children Tarik and Tamisha (both Fairport High School graduates) has spent more than 20 years in administration and teaching at St. John Fisher College. She has spent her career creating and implementing diversity-centered research and programming in her roles: as the founding Dean of the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs; as associate professor of English; and as Director of the African American Studies minor. Her academic interests center on the intersections of the raced, gendered, classed, and artistic voices of African American women leaders of socio-political movements.
Miller Smith said she “cares and [is] willing to serve (Edelman) all Fairport students – the whole student.” She noted that Dr. King’s 1967 “Blueprint” speech gave her a metaphorical framework that situates the Board’s current work to support the architectural design and building of a life plan by Fairport students.
“The Board’s Statement of Core Beliefs provides the foundation that supports Fairport students’ ability to design and begin building a structure that can support a lifetime of both achievement and advocacy,” she said. “Those core beliefs also remind me that, as a board member, it is my responsibility to provide a solid foundation that enables student vision, growth, individuality, respect, fairness, achievement, civility and much more; and to undergird student success, we must offer academic staff members and District personnel a cadre of dynamic, research-based, developmentally appropriate (SCB) and culturally relevant pedagogical educational opportunities.”
According to the current members of the Board of Education, Miller Smith’s career in higher education, and her involvement in numerous civic organizations and groups within the Greater Rochester area, will be great assets to the Board and District.
“We have focused this year on diversity in the Fairport School District,” said Board of Education President Tim Slisz. “When we knew the Board vacancy was going to occur, we saw this as an opportunity to add diversity to our Board. After meeting with Arlette, we were excited to have her join us on the Board. She will bring so much to the work we have before us.”
For questions or more information about the Fairport Board of Education, contact District Clerk Arielle LaBarbera at the Fairport Central School District Office at (585) 421-2010 or via email at alabarbera@fairport.org.