ABOUT ME
Geraldine is a mother of two children and has lived in Vail since 2019. Geraldine has always been actively involved in the lives of her children and has been advocating for her daughter since she was born. Geraldine has been volunteering for her children's school since they entered pre-k by volunteering in the classroom or the school as a whole. Geraldine has been President of her PTA in the elementary school her children attended while living in Wisconsin, as well as co-VP at her children's current Middle School. She also was the co-president of VOICES, a collaborative group of MTSD (Wisconsin) parents and staff that provides support & information to our district families. Their focus encompasses not only special education students but all students (because all students face challenges at times). https://www.mtsd.k12.wi.us/students-families/voices
Geraldine has become a passionate advocate for children for many years, especially in the last two years in Vail. She has become a voice for parents in the district after she founded Vail Arizona Parent's group, a Facebook group with over 700 members. Many parents and educators feel that they would not be heard at meetings, so Geraldine has made it her purpose to speak for them.
As a board member, she will continue to be a passionate advocate for children and parents in the community. Geraldine will continue to fight for academic excellence, and against the politicization of the classroom.
Early Years: Geraldine was born in Lansdale, PA, though at the age of 6 moved to Argentina, where both her parents and brother are from. She lived in Argentina for 8 years, where she attended elementary and most of middle school. She became a fluent Spanish speaker, while forgetting all of her English. At the age of 14, she returned to the US with her family. She had to learn to speak English again, she attended high school as an ESL (English as a second language) student in Texas. She attended UTEP and also National University in San Diego to become an Accountant. As she studied, she worked in HR in payroll. Once she graduated, she worked as an accountant. She retired from the corporate world when her son was born, and has not returned to the corporate world since then. She has been able to spend all her time focused on her children and their education.
Areas of Success: Active parents and stakeholders in VUSD, like Geraldine, achieved real change for the school district and it is their determination and hard work that are responsible for:
The re-opening of schools to in-person learning in March 2020
The prevention of another shutdown in 2020/21—even when current board members felt unsafe in our district with in-person learning
Increased transparency and publicly available data
Masks optional at the beginning of the 2021/22 school year
Bake Sale at the Capitol - Helped prevent the AEL not being extended
"OUR LIVES BEGIN TO END THE DAY WE BECOME SILENT ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MATTER."
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
BACKGROUND
PARENT. ADVOCATE. ACTIVIST.
Hi, my name is Geraldine Kleber, and I am excited to be your next Vail Unified Governing Board member! I am running to bring a fresh perspective to the board—one that puts students first, supports teachers, and will partner with parents! A voice for ALL stakeholders.
As a mother of two children, I know the important role education plays in the lives of Vail students. I also understand that my job is to focus resources on priorities that provide long-term benefits for students. If elected, I will help refocus the board’s priorities toward educational excellence. VUSD will be the NUMBER ONE district in the state of Arizona!
I support curriculum transparency. Parents and grandparents, who are concerned about what children are learning in the classroom, should have access to taxpayer-funded materials. I also think it is important that children be taught HOW to think critically, not WHAT to think ideologically. We all need to focus on what unites us, not what divides us, and classrooms need to get back to basics.
The last two years have been difficult for everyone, particularly for children. I want to accurately address the learning loss kids experienced over the pandemic, and I will work tirelessly to provide real solutions for the decline in early reading and math proficiency. In tandem, I will work with educators and stakeholders to put forth initiatives designed to reinvigorate accelerated learning programs, promote the arts, and provide more support for kids with special needs.
For the past year and a half, I have been attending every school board meeting that was open to the public. I have spoken at most, first focusing on getting schools open to in-person learning. After that, it was to get children in school for longer days. I, with the group I founded, Vail Arizona Parents' Group, had the first town hall meeting in February 2021 with the district. After that very productive meeting, many other town halls were held. I have been attending Governing Board meetings to learn all about what is going on in the district. I have learned to be a good board member one has to spend much more time than just a few hours a week.
For the past year, I have been hosting a couple of coffee meetups around town to get to know the community. Many have attended and I believe it has made talking with a future member of the board more accessible.
The future is a truly engaged and accountable school board that listens and prioritizes Academic Excellence.
I am running to bring a fresh perspective to the board—one that puts students first, supports teachers, and will partner with parents.
Let’s work together and create a brighter future for a student in VUSD!
Sincerely,
Geraldine Kleber