Amber Waller Knows Her Audience

If you told 10 years ago she would one day be a member of the county board of education, she would have said you were crazy.

“I never thought of myself as a political person… but apparently I was and I just didn’t know it,” she said with a laugh.

Waller has lived in Chillum for 15 years and served on the for five of them. The board appointed Waller a member at-large—overseeing the entire county—in 2007. She was elected to represent District 3 in 2008 and again in 2010. Her district includes schools in Hyattsville and surrounding towns, such as Mount Rainier and University Park.

Raised in Roanoke, VA, Waller has been involved in education reform from the start.

“My sister and I were two of the first students to integrate the schools in Roanoke,” she said. “I was the organist for the school play, “Bye Bye Birdie. It amazes me because when I was growing up they feared for my life and now my son is the teacher of his own music classroom.”

Waller’s family was her main motivation behind getting involved with the board of education, and she holds out her motherly sentiment to the families she represents.

Continuously calling them “my children,” she knows the schools face challenges, including high levels of students with limited English proficiency and eligible for free and reduced meals.

Among other goals, Waller’s biggest focus during her membership on the board is to foster parent and community engagement in education. She hosts a so parents have the opportunity to meet her. Her approachability makes Waller stand out in the community.

“Amber has a wonderful personality, she really, truly does,” said Hyattsville Councilwoman Ruth Ann Frazier (Ward 5), adding that she has found Waller “really great to deal with.”

Her energy shines through in her short, pixie-style haircut, tender smile, bright-colored fashion choices and jolly laugh.

“She is a really warm person,” Frazier said.  

Waller admits tough times are ahead and she plans to use her accessibility to guide the community through the 2013 economic spending plan preparations and expected budget cuts.

“Our families are struggling right now,” she said. “But the business community, the church community, the civic associations—they’re all stepping up to the plate. It’s just a matter of reaching out to people who are just waiting to be asked.”

Correction: This article has been modified to reflect that Waller lives in Chillum. The original report gave the wrong location. We regret the error.