School Board Honors Cyndi Peltonen For 20 Years of Service

Cyndi Peltonen has worked with six superintendents, a dozen principals and 23 board members, and attended nearly 500 board meetings. All of these interactions have been packed into 20 years of service on the Clawson Schools Board of Education. It will all end this year. 

The school board honored Peltonen at Monday night's meeting, which will be her last.

"I've gained a lot more than I've given," Peltonen said after Clawson schools executive assistant Linda Gould presented a special tribute to her.

Gould read off about a dozen letters of appreciation from principals, former board members and members of the community. Many of the letters noted Peltonen's accomplishments, commitment, dedication and perseverance.

"Her interaction with students was really an asset," Superintendent Cheryl Rogers said. "She was a positive influence."

Peltonen, 57, said she decided leave the school board this year because there are others who would like to have a voice on the board. will replace Peltonen beginning in January.

"It's time to move on and give them a chance," Peltonen said.

Peltonen said she first ran for the school board because she wanted to make a change. In the early 1990's, she helped develop the Early Childhood Parent Teacher Association ,which encouraged support and rapport among teachers and parents of younger school children. She was also instrumental in implementing a curriculum at each grade level in Clawson Schools.

"There was no consistency (in curriculum)," Peltonen said. "The school board wasn't really in touch with what was going on."

Former school board member Helen Beamer was at Monday's meeting in support of Peltonen. Beamer served on the school board from 1993-2005.

"She's very passionate, she's always been focused on the children," Beamer said. "She's a very persuasive person," Beamer said.

Moving forward, Peltonen said she hopes the board will continue to find ways to implement the unfunded mandates from the state of Michigan, such as the anti-bullying policy. 

"I'm really concerned about the support from Lansing," Peltonen said.

Aside from serving on the school board, Peltonen has taught at Detroit Country Day High School, Cranbrook and in the Troy School District.

She currently teaches private piano lessons at her home and also teaches pre-school music. Now that her time on the board is over, she said she plans to do more volunteer work.