Candidate: Donna Maria Mills

Dr. Donna Mills Vice Chair St. Lucie County School Board Member, District 3 Re-elect Dr. Donna Maria Mills for the St. Lucie County School Board seat, District 3, and you will be glad you did! Donna has a proven record for getting things done. Anyone who knows her will tell you that she is a woman of both action and integrity. She has a special ability for communicating with kids of all ages and backgrounds. She has been married to the Rev. Kenneth Mills, Sr. for 34 years. He is both a native of St. Lucie County and a graduate of Fort Pierce Central. Together, they have raised all four of their children in SLC Public Schools. Their youngest child is currently in the Dual enrollment program. Their oldest daughter has returned to SLC as an attorney after graduating from Yale Law School. They are also proud grandparents of two grandsons. The oldest attends a SLC public school. She and her husband have been community activists and advocates for children in SLC for over three decades. In 1989, they opened the Save Our Children Tutorial, Cultural and Recreational Center in Fort Pierce. In 1986 they opened The Bible Way Ministries, an inner city mission that provided services to many of Fort Pierce’s poorest children. In 1992 they began mission work to Haiti and founded 3 schools and 2 churches. In 1999 they became Foster parents for 6 boys. In 2009, Dr. Mills opened The Bible Way Academy Pre-school on Avenue D for children ages 2-5. In 2014 she decided to close the Bible Way Academy to devote more time to her School Board position. In the district she has worked tirelessly to provide St. Lucie County students with the best education possible. She has strongly supported continued emphasis on our Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum, as well as career and vocational readiness. She has also supported early learning initiatives to increase academic excellence in our preschool age children. Anyone who knows her will tell you that she believes in fairness and justice, and is no rubber stamp! Donna Mills is not afraid to speak her mind regarding challenging issues or to go against the grain for what she believes is right. Her motto is “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy, M.L.K.” During times of challenge and controversy in this district, Donna Mills stood for fairness, even when doing so was not always comfortable for her. Since taking office, Donna has defended and supported our educators in their fight to receive fair compensation. She believes no one in this district makes the type of sacrifices our teachers do daily. They are in the trenches with our children everyday, working hard to empower students to meet higher and more rigorous state and federal standards. Today our educators have received 6 years of back pay, as well as salary increases for beginning teachers. Donna has also stood up for our custodian workers. She refused to let them bear the brunt of budget cuts through salary decreases and privatization. She says the answer to our budget crisis is to invest in the right strategies and curriculums, to listen to our teachers more, and to leverage technology to operate in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. As Vice-chairman of the Board, She is currently working on several innovative projects for student improvement. First, she has started a mentoring program at Samuel Gaines Academy K-8. Once a month Dr. Mills has male mentors from the community meet with a group of middle school boys who have had academic or behavioral challenges during the school year. During the meetings, the students participate in conversations about setting goals, making smart choices, building strong relationships, getting a good education, choosing positive role models, avoiding gang violence, and becoming leaders at home, in their community and at school. The program is currently in its second year. Another project she has established is a Speaker’s Bureau at Westwood High School for 9th grade students. Once a week, a different speaker from our local community comes to share his life story with the students and the life choices he has made that brought success. Dr. Mills has also led in the creation of a yearly calendar that highlights the accomplishments and contributions of minorities and women. The calendar’s purpose is to encourage, inspire, and educate all students about the monumental achievements minorities and women have made. It is to show students that they can make their dreams and aspirations come true with the right combination of determination, hard work, positive attitude and faith, no matter their individual circumstance. The calendar’s content is generated by the students. She has always believed that all children are capable of success, NO EXCEPTIONS!