Meet Emily Malabey, Fox School Board Candidate

Fox C-6 School Board Candidate Emily Malabey, 35, of Arnold is known as the founder of the International Coalition for Autism and All Abilities, a non-profit organization headquartered in the city and focused on helping Autistic people.

She would like the school district to develop visual and interactive techniques to support lectures. She wants more interaction among students, the community and community leaders.

“It’s difficult to obtain perspective while sitting in a classroom,” Malabey said in a phone interview. She admits people need years of life experience to forge their perspectives.

She hopes students visiting the St. Louis Zoo or interacting with community leaders will begin to ask questions and develop critical thinking skills.

People also learn visually and through hands-on projects, Malabey said. “We need to find creative and fun ways to engage children while developing practical skills.”

Malabey’s perspective comes from her experience as a mother of an Autistic son, Matthew, 8, and a daughter, Erica, 7, who does not have the disability.

The children attend the same Fox District school, Malabey said via email. "The difference is that my eldest receives special education services while my youngest receives all general/regular education services."

Malabey and her husband, Matthew Sr., 37, have graduated from public and private schools. 

She understands gifted, regular and special education, Malabey said in an email statement.

If elected, Malabey hopes to add diversity and a fresh perspective to the school board.

“I want to students taught about the ‘big picture’ and not simply MAP goals,” Malabey’s statement said. She wants workshops led by professionals working in science, math, history, culture and language arts.

Malabey wants increased transparency and interaction between school board members and the community.

She proposes that board members attend a school breakfast quarterly. The board member can experience students’ lives, listen to their concerns and talk to parents. 

“It makes us more approachable,” Malabey said.

She wants to see the students and the community leaders working together to improve the community.

Hands-on experiences at charities and businesses, seminars to prevent bullying, and special events to discuss living with physical and mental disabilities are among Malabey’s ideas for the Fox School District.

All the proposed ideas would enrich students’ education and prepare them for the world, Malabey said in her email.

Malabey said she struggled with the decision to run for the school board. The mother of two children, a wife and founder of a non-profit organization, Malabey is also a student with a double major in legal studies and English at Webster University.

“But I believe in education and in lending a voice to families, parents, and citizens in the community,” Malabey’s statement said.

Malabey’s campaign is self-funded and she has created a Facebook page to discuss her candidacy.

“Facebook was the first thing to get the word out,” Malabey said. It also allows her to listen to ideas and answer voter’s questions.

Click here to go to Malabey’s Facebook page. People must have a Facebook account, which is free, to write questions on Malabey’s Facebook Page.

Correction: This version posted at about 3 p.m. correctly reports that both of Malabey's children attend the same school.  An earlier version incorrectly reported the children attended different schools.