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Age
46
Education
B.S. Secondary Education from Tennessee Tech Univ., M.A. Instructional Technology Austin Peay State Univ., Ed.S. Curriculum & Instruction Tennessee Tech Univ.
Work experience
2003-2006 Teacher, Metro Nashville Public Schools; 2006-Present Teacher, Coffee County Schools
The three biggest challenges facing residents of HD-47 are affordability, education, and access to healthcare. Working families are squeezed by rising costs with too little state support. Our teachers are leaving Tennessee at alarming rates because we rank last in the nation in teacher retention, hollowing out our schools. Additionally, rural communities across the state are facing healthcare deserts, with Medicaid expansion still out of reach despite billions in federal funding sitting on the table. These aren't abstract policy debates. They are daily realities for Coffee County and Grundy County families, and they demand a representative willing to fight for real solutions.
On affordability, I will fight to eliminate the grocery tax, which disproportionately burdens low-income families. On education, I will oppose voucher schemes that drain public school funding, and I will push for a $60,000 teacher salary floor to stop the exodus of experienced educators. On healthcare, I will advocate loudly for Medicaid expansion, which would bring billions in federal dollars to Tennessee and extend coverage to hundreds of thousands of working people who fall in the coverage gap. In every case, my approach is the same: I will put people over politics and make decisions based on what actually helps families in this district.
Tennessee families are being crushed by the cost of groceries, childcare, and housing. First, we should eliminate the grocery tax, which is one of the most regressive taxes we have. Second, we should redirect existing TANF funds toward subsidized childcare, giving working parents access to quality care without new spending. Third, Medicaid expansion would free up household income now lost to medical debt and uncompensated care. We don't need new programs; we need the political will to use the tools we already have to help families keep more of what they earn. Lastly, we need to implement a state minimum wage of $15 an hour. Nebraska and Missouri, both red states, have done this and have yielded positive results.
Tennessee must repeal its voucher program immediately. We just expanded it to nearly $300 million, and we are paying a private company approximately $600 million simply to run the website that administers it. That is an inexcusable misuse of public school dollars. We rank dead last in the nation in per-student spending and dead last in teacher retention. The answer is not to siphon more money out of public schools--it is to invest in them. That means a $60,000 teacher salary floor, and competitive wages for education support professionals. Additionally, I want to advocate for repealing the 3rd grade retention law. It places undue stress on 3rd graders and interventions need to occur long before 3rd grade to be the most effective.
Tennessee should enact a statewide moratorium on new data center construction until we establish guardrails that protect our communities and environment. I understand the economic value data centers bring, but not at any cost. Before approving new facilities, the state must ensure they will not harm surrounding communities, will not place undue burden on local energy grids, and will not strain our shared water supplies. Growth should not come at the expense of the people already here. We can welcome responsible development and protect Tennesseans at the same time.
