I am the strongest candidate for the Duluth School Board At-Large position because kids and families are always at the center of my decision-making. I bring six years of proven experience on the Board and a strong record of advocating for teachers and staff. I understand our district’s challenges and opportunities and have worked hard to improve outcomes including continued progress in our student’s test scores and graduation rates. My experience ensures strategic vision, thoughtful leadership and a deep commitment to making sure every child feels connected and supported at school.
If re-elected, my top priorities will be: providing strategic leadership around district finances to ensure stability and transparency; continuing to improve graduation rates so all students are prepared for their futures; and focusing on the experience of students and families in Duluth Public Schools, making sure every child feels connected, supported and challenged to succeed.
If forced to cut the budget, I would prioritize protecting students’ and staff classroom needs, maintaining social-emotional and mental health supports and cultivating equal opportunities for all kids. My strategy is to align funds with district priorities, review legacy practices with fiscal accountability, and engage the community transparently. This ensures a balanced budget that will support the district’s long-term financial stability.
To address racial and economic disparities, I support Duluth’s Achievement and Integration Plan, which focuses on culturally responsive teaching, strong family engagement and targeted supports like Integration Specialists and interventionists. These efforts are already raising attendance and graduation rates across all demographics. My priority is to ensure fairness stays central so all kids in the Duluth Public Schools have tools and opportunities to thrive.
Engaging teachers and families is central to my work on the School Board. I believe the best decisions come from listening to those closest to our students. I will continue meeting with teachers, staff, and families, seeking input through emails, listening sessions, and school visits. By creating multiple pathways for feedback and centering all community voices, I will ensure my decisions reflect the real needs of classrooms and families by always keeping students at the heart of my work.
I've been following the district's operations for nearly twenty years.
To expand program offerings in growth areas of education, such as language immersion and career-technical education. To try to solve the district's ongoing budget problems. To help repair the school board's long-standing distrustful relationship with the public.
The same strategy the district just used: Try as hard as I can to keep the cuts from classrooms and support staff.
In a time of challenging funding, make certain we are getting maximum results from every dollar spent.
I would make myself available for questions and answer every question asked
Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)
During uncertain times, we need experienced leadership at the local level. I’ve served in key school board leadership roles including Clerk and Chair of the HR Business Services Committee. Professionally, I serve as the Executive Director of a nonprofit serving at-risk youth. Cumulatively, I bring a strong understanding of balancing budgets while keeping students at the center of decisions. As a parent and leader in youth work, I understand the diverse needs of our students, the strengths of our district, and where we can improve. I’m proud to be endorsed by the Duluth Federation of Teachers and AFSCME, who represent our teachers, paraprofessionals, and food service workers.
My top priorities are clear: building a sustainable budget that puts students first, improving academic outcomes, and ensuring safe, welcoming schools. I’m running for re-election because our student-centered, data-driven practices are delivering results, including higher graduation rates. To build on this progress, we must align budgets with student needs, utilize all funding mechanisms wisely, and advocate for equitable school funding so every child has the support to thrive.
Even in hard times, our budget must center on supporting every student every day. Using a guiding change document to ensure decisions prioritize students and staff, while seeking input from stakeholders helps guide difficult decisions. I would analyze budget cut proposals to ensure they were equitable across schools and student groups. At the same time, I would continue to advocate for stronger, fairer public school funding to reduce the burden of future cuts.
To address racial and economic disparities, I will center decisions on equity and student success. Using data to identify gaps, I’ll work with district leadership to create solutions and invest in supports like mental health and culturally responsive teaching. I will also prioritize strengthening community partnerships to expand opportunities for students. Our budget must reflect these values, ensuring equitable resources so every child feels safe, supported, and able to thrive.
I will engage teachers and families by fostering open communication and creating opportunities for input before key decisions are made. This includes listening sessions, surveys, collaboration with advisory groups, and 1-1 conversations. I value the expertise of educators and the lived experiences of families, and will use their feedback to guide policies that are student-centered, equitable, and reflective of our community’s needs.
telephone
2183405197
Contact Phone
2183405197
All the at large candidates love our schools and want the best for our children. What distinguishes me is that I have been on the Duluth School board for twelve years starting in 1994 and ending most recently in 2017. No active Duluth politicians are as deeply aware of our complicated educational landscape as me. You have only to go to my blog/campaign website to see I've contributed literally millions of words on U.S. education. This topic and other subjects are easily searchable. Public education is in crisis due to an interfering, ignorant and vengeful president. No one in Duluth has challenged Mr. Trump with mor vigor than I. Besides that, kids fall on their sides laughing when I go to their classrooms and read "Pig Pig Grows Up."
Financial prudence, Teacher support, Reporting what our shrinking Newspaper has not had the resources to share with the citizens of Duluth about the nitty gritty of the Duluth Schools for the past six or seven years.
I trust that our administration and teachers have a pretty good idea what is lean and what is fat. There will not be much fat next year when I take office. I will push to keep the trimming away from the classroom. I've said before that when I left the School Board in 2004 we had the smallest class sizes in Minnesota, we drove every child to school who lived a mile away and we had a ten percent budget reserve.
I will do it with the tact, idealism and understanding my parents exhibited not long after Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education when they moved to a house by an elementary school about to be integrated by the Topeka Board of Education. My bookshelves are lined with books on Black American, Native American and Chinese American History - dozens of them read cover to cover. I love history and it has kept me awake. Very awake. You could say I'm "woke" and I'd thank you.
I will be in all our schools. My thoughts will all be available to the public on www.lincolndemocrat.com. And if worse comes to worse, I'll will expect to get an earful from my daughter who is an exceptional and inspiring Duluth teacher who has opinions every bit as forceful as mine.
