MKA’s expertise in mobilizing, organizing and building support communities for schools grew out of Ms. Miller and Ms. Kamm’s role in rejuvenating their community’s interest in Lanai Road Elementary School beginning in 1998. This school’s seemingly extraordinary height of achievement may have seemed remarkable to some. To them, it was a somewhat predictable outcome as they recognized that the critical components were present:
a deeply dedicated core of families,
a talented principal,
motivated teachers,
committed District leadership and Board of Education member.
The rest was a matter of implementing sound organizational and marketing strategies to focus all the stakeholders around one clear, well-articulated vision...an institutional mission.
Together with strong stakeholder commitment, these strategies resulted in Lanai’s speedy transformation from a school long-neglected by its residents to a completely neighborhood school; one that the community holds up with great pride. Major gains were seen within a few short years! Once a neighborhood of families who had long ago lost their faith in public education, Lanai’s community is now a neighborhood of families who proudly say they support their community public school with their enrollment, volunteerism and financial support.
MKA’s library of strategy “toolboxes” has grown and continues to be refined since those early days and now includes training in developing PTOs, Volunteer Recruitment, Community Outreach, Fundraising, Curriculum Enhancement, Communication and Corporate Donor Programs.
Though research clearly shows that “one stop and drop” training does serve to heighten stakeholder motivation and provide instant excitement about a project, true long lasting benefits are less likely with this modality. MKA’s proven techniques plus a unique business model of teaching and mentoring stakeholders over an extended time period allows MKA to easily train schools to develop, attain and maintain an institutional mission and goals. Stakeholders become empowered to pass on these skill sets to future generations of staff and volunteers thus building a legacy of long-lived success for the school.
We know our strategies work. We can bring these strategies to schools who are suffering from dropping enrollment and negative community perception or to those that just want to take their existing programs “to the next level”. With the commitment of your stakeholder groups, MKA can show you how to heighten your community’s interest and commitment to public education and give your school what it needs to achieve and sustain its goals for our children.
Background of Principals Jeannie Kamm
Ms. Kamm’s background in accounting and skill in designing and implementing organizational strategies was critical in successfully mobilizing her community into a grass-roots movement to improve local public education in 1998. Her leadership of this non-profit organization assisted Lanai Rd. Elementary School in becoming an outstanding neighborhood school (designated as a CA Distinguished School in 2005) bringing back families who had long lost faith in public education.
1998 to present: Lanai Road Elementary (Parent Leader)
- Founder and President of Friends of Lanai Booster (non-profit foundation benefiting Lanai Road School):
- PTO Organization: Established, organized and mobilized a grassroots parent organization (Friends of Lanai) consisting of parents with pre-kindergarten aged children to help bring the community back to Lanai Road Elementary School.
- Community Outreach/Volunteer Recruitment: Developed a Community Outreach and Political Networking Program establishing relationships with local neighborhood committees (i.e.Chamber of Commerce, Property Owners Association, City Council Office, School Board Member, etc.) and LAUSD District Administration and School Board Member. Organized community events to market the school.
- Extensive experience in establishing and maintaining community stakeholder involvement at school site such as: implemented an incoming kindergarten program to ensure a smoother transition to kindergarten through general events, on-site and off-site play dates, Annual Community Wine and Cheese Event to bring school administrators, teachers and current parents together with prospective families for an intimate evening of “questions and answers” in a local parent’s home.
- Established recorder/orchestra program at Lanai.
- Organized FOLB as a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization with the sole purpose to fundraise for the school, all board meetings, organized committees for all school fundraisers & recruit chairs, oversight of budget & school year calendar, organized & ran school tours, established volunteer base at the school of over 250 volunteers, worked closely with administration to build cohesive working relationships.
2004: Co-founded Miller Kamm and Associates, LLC
Pro Bono Work:
- 2003: Worked with BOE President, Marlene Canter’s staff on the production of a “Booster Club Manual”
- 2004: Local District One Parent Center Award Luncheon presentation: "Legacy of Volunteerism"
- 2005: “Bringing the Puzzle Together” - Spring Conferences for principals and parents of District One Elem. Schools
- 2006: “Parent Night” Panelist/presenter: “Every Wave Begins with a Ripple” - Marlene Canter, LAUSD BOE
- 2007: "Middle School Night" - Marlene Canter, LAUSD BOE
- 2007: Committee Member/Facilitator for Middle School Task Force - Marlene Canter, LAUSD BOE
- 2008: Primary and Secondary School Task Force - Tamar Galatzin, LAUSD BOE
Geri Galián Miller
Ms. Miller possesses a background of over 15 years of extensive experience in business management and administration at UCLA Health Sciences Center and Medical School managing over 80 professional and administrative staff in multi-specialty private medical practice, academic and inpatient settings. In 1990 she co-founded the Institute for Medical Education, a continuing medical education company at UCLA, designing and marketing events and procuring corporate funding for medical educational seminars and major destination events. Certified as a University of California, Davis Master Gardener, Ms. Miller designs and implements standards-based school garden programs as part of our Curriculum Enhancement services.
1999 to 2006: Lanai Road Elementary (Parent Leader)
- PTA: Board Member - Ways and Means, Curriculum Enhancement committee member: responsible for designing, implementing and running School Garden Program around the Open Court & Science curriculum, developing a campus beautification program.
- School Site Council Chairperson.
- Friends of Lanai Booster (FOLB) founding member:
2001 - 2003 Treasurer: with President, established business procedures of Booster to ensure sound business practices
2004 – 2006 Vice President FOLB.
- Fundraising: developed a new & ambitious fundraising program including Annual Family Pledge Drive, Community Halloween Carnival, Valentine’s Day Dinner and Auction, Corporate Donor Program.
- Communications and Marketing: established school newsletter, established guidelines and graphic design principles for school flyers, established marketing guidelines for events.
- Information/data analysis: working closely with administration and teachers to set realistic goals for school through extensive analysis of data annually ensuring that all stakeholder groups continue to work toward one united goal.
- Wrote “Support for Student Learning– School Culture and engaging the Community” section of Lanai’s winning California Department of Education Distinguished School Application.
2004: Co-founded Miller Kamm and Associates, LLC
2006: Certified as a University of California, Davis Master Gardener
Pro Bono Work:
- 2003: Worked with LAUSD BOE President, Marlene Canter’s staff on the production of a “Booster Club Manual”
- 2004: Local District One Parent Center Award Luncheon presentation: "Legacy of Volunteerism"
- 2005: “Bringing the Puzzle Together” - Spring Conferences for principals and parents of District One Elem. Schools
- 2006: “Parent Night” Panelist/presenter: “Every Wave Begins with a Ripple” - Marlene Canter, LAUSD BOE
- 2006: Finalist: Parent Volunteer of the Year - LA County Office of Education
- 2006: University of California, Davis - certified Master Gardener
- 2007: "Middle School Night" - Marlene Canter, LAUSD BOE
- 2007: Committee Member/Facilitator for Middle School Task Force -Marlene Canter, LAUSD BOE
MKA’s library of strategy “toolboxes” has grown and continues to be refined since those early days and now includes training in developing PTOs, Volunteer Recruitment, Community Outreach, Fundraising, Curriculum Enhancement, Communication and Corporate Donor Programs.
