Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 15 June 2000 — Page 10

The Muncie Times, June 15, 2000, page 10

that. We have Tuesday meetings as a board. We spend a lot of times in meetings for the local board and also on regional and state issues,” Kizer said. “There are also the meetings in Indianapolis, the conventions and conferences that we have to attend and the invitations to speak to various groups and attend various events. Being a board member takes up a lot of time. But it also has its advantages. One of the things that I have enjoyed as a board member has been reading to elementary schoolchildren, talking to them about my life and my business and being a role model to all the kids in the district. “I’m very glad that I have had the opportunity to serve on the board and to serve my community. I have enjoyed working with the other board members, with the teachers, the administrators and the staff. I opened doors to many people, black and white, who had problems with the school system and did not know where to go. I’ll always be grateful that I have had the opportunity to serve and to be in public service.” Kizer said the highlights of his tenure included being president when his two daughters graduated from Muncie Central High School. He said. “One of the happiest memories I’ll always have is that in my first year as president, my daughter, Kristin, graduated from Muncie Central. I was on stage handing out diplomas. As (board) president, I signed the diplomas and handed her diploma and gave her a big hug, right there on the stage, in 1995.

“During my second term as president, I also signed the diploma for my second daughter, Cindy. I was also on stage on graduation night, handing out diplomas. I gave Cindy her diploma. Those are among some of my proudest moments on the board. “There are not many fathers in Muncie today who can say they signed their children’s diplomas or presided at their daughters’ graduations. That’s one of the memories I’ll always carry with me.” Kristin Kizer went into the U. S. Navy, left that and is a pathology associate at Ball Memorial Hospital. Her younger sister, Cindy, received a full-ride volleyball scholarship from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich. This summer she is a telemarketer during the day and coaches volleyball at night. She and her team will be going to Europe later this summer. “That’s one of the things I regret about being on the School Board. Because I was so busy with School Board business and with my carpet care business, I did not always have enough time to watch Cindy play volleyball at Muncie Central. I did not always have the time to follow her career or attend all her games,” he said. Kizer also offered advice to Pastor Karen Lang of Trinity United Methodist Church. She was elected to the Muncie School Board during last month’s balloting. However, because of the staggered terms she will not start serving until next year. His advice: This is a time-consuming position. To get the

maximum advantage out of it, you have to invest lots of time for local, state and regional meetings, in addition to the Tuesday evening public Muncie School Board meetings. Expect to invest extra time in taking care of the people’s business, often in settings where there is no public acknowledgment or appreciation for your efforts. Expect to get lots of mail, lots of requests for speaking and other engagements and to receive phone calls at home late at night. Often, there are not enough hours in one day to do all the things that need to be taken care of. Each board member has one vote. That means having to work with other board members and getting their support for your projects and ideas. Programs that fail to garner support from a majority of the fivemember board are unlikely to be enacted. • A minority representative is es-sential to offer input and remind other board members of the importance of such issues as diversity and multiculturalism, issues on which Kizer was the point man during his years on the board. •White board members are not insensitive on diversity and multiculturalism issues. However, they need someone inside who can offer insights on how to deal with issues that primarily concern minority students, teachers and administrators. •It is impor-tant to get all parents, especially those of color, to become

involved in school issues, including attending board meetings, participating in school activities and getting away from the idea that the only time to be mobilized is when your child, cousin, nephew/niece or other relative is involved. •Listen carefully to your constituents and do what you can to help them or show them what to do to resolve issues. That means being there for them at all times, even when they call you very late at night. •Keep in regular contact with the community and community leaders to find out what’s happening in that community. Kizer applied to fill a seat left vacant when Mary Alice Cherry resigned, he was selected to complete the remaining 3 years. Then he was elected to a 4-year term. “I’ve enjoyed everything about being on the board. I have made many friends and colleagues. Even when I’m off the board, I hope I’ll still be able to contact board members, make some suggestions and put in my 2 cents’ worth of ideas. Being on the board has opened many doors for me. It has also given me an opportunity to work with kids and to talk to students, especially high school students, about how they can become useful, productive citizens, regardless of where they end up living,” Kizer said. “Sometimes our

community has ignored concerns in the minority community, not because board members are evil or insensitive, but because there has been no one to help them understand the issues that concern the minority community. “It is very important to get the viewpoint of that minority community.” Kizer said among his greatest frustrations, especially during his two terms as president, is that not enough parents are concerned about what’s going on in the schools. He said far too many parents, black or white, come to the Tuesday school board meetings. Additionally, many parents do not attend school activities or participate in other school events. Kizer said many parents will not set foot on a campus unless they hear that their children are in trouble or are invited by teachers to come to school because one or more of their children is in trouble. “I don’t know if I have anything to boast about as an achievement during my years on the Muncie School Board. But I think one of my greatest achievements, besides seeing my daughters graduate when I was board president, is the fact that I was a team player. That’s one of

KizerSEE PAGE 12