Endorsements
Grand Forks Education Association
Campaign Phone Number
7017395520
Paying and retaining teachers, defining school boundaries, updating our schools while trying to maintain a balanced budget.
We need to look into our revenue sources making sure they are being utilized correctly and completely.
We are set with making sure our teachers are the best possible. To do this they need to be paid well as to retain them
We need to be comparable to other teacher's salaries in the area and the state.
Schools are the place our children spend 7-8 hours a day. They are with their teacher for this amount of time. We need to make sure we are working to make our schools a place that is enjoyable to teach in and a great place for learning. To do this we need to be attentive, honest and sincere when dealing with the issues that may arise.
Campaign Phone Number
7017320105
I am committed to supporting teachers, staff, and students by advocating for increased K–12 funding, investing in curriculum, and ensuring educators have the resources they need. I will also focus on long-term financial and facilities planning. Despite short-term challenges, I believe we must stay focused on a shared vision to build a strong, sustainable future for the entire school community.
As noted, advocating for adequate funding is essential to the district’s success. Through the collective work of the Board, the Government Affairs Committee, and my role as a board member, I will continue to engage with local and state legislators to communicate the importance of supporting public education and securing the resources our schools need to succeed.
School board members support student success through leadership, oversight, and decision-making. They set district goals, hire and evaluate the superintendent, approve budgets, adopt policies and curriculum, and monitor academic performance. By working with educators, families, and the community, effective boards help create the stability and support needed for students and schools to succeed. I will continue to work for this moving forward as a school board member.
I have and will support recruitment and retention by promoting a positive work environment, competitive compensation, professional development, and strong communication between staff and district leadership. Listening to employee concerns, recognizing staff contributions, and ensuring teachers have the resources and support needed to succeed are essential. Retaining quality educators requires building a culture of respect, collaboration, stability, and shared commitment to student success.
Over the past four years on the school board, I have focused on student-centered leadership, informed decision-making, financial responsibility, and transparent governance. I value community input, respect diverse perspectives, and work professionally through challenges. My commitment to continuous learning and accountability supports effective leadership for students, staff, and the community.
Campaign Phone Number
218-779-3961
To assure that the students and families in the district have the best possible educational opportunities.
As a member of the board, I would study, assess and discuss the unique challenges facing the district. Many factors have lead to the financial shortfalls, including declining enrollment, federal dollars have been cut by 8%, and the state provided a 2.5% increase in funding, which did not fully keep pace with rising salary costs. These factors coupled with other issues such as state funding given to charter schools need to be addressed.
As a member of the school board, I feel my role would be to make sure that adequate resources and support is given to administrators, professional and support staff to address the needs of the students. My reviewing achievement data and listening to the professional working in the schools on a daily basis, I would be able to evaluate the future needs for our students.
The GFPS is fortunate in that we have excellent administrators, teachers and staff. Recruitment and retention is a challenge at times as teaching is not an easy job and is not a high paying job. School environment have become more challenging the past few years causing some burn out. We need to make sure that our professional and support staff know they are appreciated, valued, and supported by making an effort to make salaries competitive with the private sector.
My entire life, I have been a huge supporter and advocate for public education. I an a 30+ year teacher and many members of my family are teachers and administrators going back generations. There is nothing more important that making sure our children have the best education possible to be successful in life.
Retaining student-facing positions, gaining back trust from the community, and balancing the budget.
Contact our state legislators to encourage more funding.
Providing the tools needed to administrators and staff.
Competitive salary and benefits.
Help to celebrate their successes and provide what our educators need to continue to provide top-notch education.
My top priorities are student success, supporting and retaining strong educators and staff, and strengthening partnerships between schools, families, and the Grand Forks community. Students thrive in stable schools, educators need support to succeed, and families must be engaged partners. I prioritize transparency, collaboration, long-term stability, and directing as many resources as possible into the classroom so funding is aligned with student needs and improves outcomes across the district.
Ensuring adequate funding requires strong local stewardship and advocacy at the state level. I bring experience managing programs and multi-million-dollar budgets tied to real outcomes. Locally, I support transparent budgeting and pursuing grants and partnerships to expand resources. At the state level, continued advocacy is essential. I would also ensure spending is regularly reviewed so resources are aligned with student success and district priorities.
School board members shape the conditions for student success through policy, budgeting, and priorities. They influence staffing, class sizes, curriculum support, and resource allocation. My experience in education and program work has shown how these decisions impact classrooms directly. Board members must stay connected to schools, use data, listen to educators, and ensure policies create the conditions where students and staff can succeed.
Retention starts with respect, support, and strong working conditions. I would advocate for competitive funding, but also focus on class sizes, workload, and access to support staff. Retention improves when educators feel heard and see their feedback reflected in decisions. Strong leadership and school culture matter, along with meaningful collaboration with staff and organizations like the Grand Forks Education Association. People stay where they feel valued and supported.
I would champion Grand Forks Public Schools by showing up, listening, and keeping students and educators at the center of every decision. Every child deserves strong outcomes, belonging, and support. Educators must feel respected and resourced to succeed. I bring experience in advocacy and managing complex budgets, along with a focus on transparency, accountability, and community partnerships. Strong schools are built through trust, follow-through, and consistent leadership.
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Campaign Phone Number
701-213-1510
My number one priority right now is to preserve the performing arts. The music program specifically is the crown jewel of the district and must be protected and supported. The second and closely related priority is to get the expenditures and revenue back in line with the anticipation of future cuts. The third priority is to restore the faith of the city in their public school system and make GFPS the preferred provider of education in the region, for parents, students, and teachers.
Funding from the state is determined by a complex formula. The district can help increase funds by making sure that everyone who qualifies for free and reduced lunch is properly registered. It is more important to recognize how to best spend the dollars that we do have since state budgets will likely become more constrained in the future and the ability to raise revenue via property tax has been curtailed. Hence, increasing efficiencies is the method of ensuring that funding is adequate.
Board members drive global district policy and can hire and fire the superintendent, who is ultimately the executive driving academics in the district. To that end, the primary role the board has is allocating funds and making sure that district leadership is driving academic success of students. As such, the board can drive priorities via the budgetary process and hire a dynamic, engaged superintendent that makes all stakeholders more successful.
Advocating for policies around academic freedom and allowing great teachers to teach to their skills and each student's needs. Expensive and restricting global curricula are detrimental to this process and decrease teacher's professional satisfaction. Having policies in place for enhanced discipline and consequences are the keystone to a healthy classroom and healthy teachers that want to stay. Salary increases for the best teachers is also a method of increasing teacher retention.
The GFPS has something that other public, private, and homeschools do not and that is a nation leading performing arts program. This crown jewel of the district is under assault by the current board and district leadership and must be protected. We must make the GFPS the preferred provided of education rather than the default provider of education. As a board we must implement policies and leadership that makes GFPS classrooms the place everyone wants to send their children.
