WRITE-IN?
No
DISTRICT
Ypsilanti
PHONE
734-320-4044
Campaign Phone
7343204044
Number of years as resident
20
I bring six years of experience as a Ypsilanti Community Schools Trustee, along with a Master’s degree in Information Technology and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. During my tenure, I reviewed and voted on two teacher contracts and supported responsible financial decisions that contributed to the elimination of the district’s legacy debt. As a member of the Finance and Budget Subcommittee, I provide oversight and advocate for responsible use of district resources. I am also a visible and active presence at school programs, student activities, district events, and community gatherings. My leadership is grounded in accountability, informed decision-making, community engagement, and a strong commitment to student achievement.
If re-elected, my goals are to improve student achievement, maintain fiscal responsibility, strengthen communication and transparency, and ensure every student has access to opportunities that prepare them for college, careers, and life. I will use my six years of Board experience to make informed, data-driven decisions and hold district leadership accountable for measurable results. I will continue listening to students, families, staff, and community members and remain visible at school and community events. I will also support our educators, carefully monitor district finances, and work collaboratively with fellow trustees and district leadership. My focus will remain on putting students first and continuing the progress of Ypsilanti Com
Improving student achievement requires a strong focus on academic growth, attendance, and providing every student with the support needed to succeed. We must use data to identify achievement gaps early, strengthen literacy and math instruction, and provide targeted interventions. We must also support teachers with the resources, technology, and professional development they need. Families and community partners must be engaged as active partners in student success. As a Board member, I will continue to set clear expectations, monitor measurable outcomes, and hold district leadership accountable while ensuring resources are directed toward programs that improve student achievement.
My first budget priority is ensuring district resources directly support students and classrooms while maintaining the long-term financial stability of YCS. Priorities should include strong academic programs, competitive employee compensation, student support services, safe facilities, technology, transportation, and college and career readiness. As a Finance & Budget Subcommittee member, I understand the need to balance priorities with available resources. I will continue supporting responsible budgeting, transparency, strong financial controls, and long-term planning while protecting the progress we have made in eliminating legacy debt.
The most serious challenges facing YCS include improving student achievement, increasing attendance and enrollment, maintaining financial stability, recruiting and retaining quality staff, and strengthening community trust. These challenges require consistent leadership, measurable goals, and accountability. I will support data-driven decisions, regularly monitor academic and financial progress, and advocate for resources that address student needs. I will also promote clear communication with families and the community. As a trustee, I will provide strong governance and oversight while holding district leadership accountable for results.
WRITE-IN?
No
DISTRICT
Ypsilanti
PHONE
9106509418
WEBSITE
http://instagram.com/kj4ycs
Campaign Phone
313-466-4343
Number of years as resident
12
- My education is in Social Work and Philosophy - I am current non-traditional EMU student with a focus on public policy. My 5 year old is a kindergartner in YCS. I educated preschoolers for 5 years.
- My current role on the Washtenaw County Continuum of Care Board and former board positions with A2 nonprofits MISSION (Michigan Itinerant Shelter System Interdependent Out of Necessity) and Pilar's Foundation have given me experience in procedure and governance.
- A history of civic activism helps me gives me an intense empathy for the other side of the table - those who come to us with ideas, issues, concerns, as does my dedication to letting the voices of lived experience, along with research-backed evidence, guide policy governance.
- Creating top choice public schools: Over half the students in district for YCS attend elsewhere. Addressing perception issues and implementing feedback on improving the desirability and fit of programming and campuses are essential.
- Fostering safety and inclusion by - continuing to support YCS's policy against voluntary cooperation with ICE; developing the district's resources for supporting neurodiversity in the classroom; championing our district's LGBTQ+ students, with emphasis on our trans students who are facing new vulnerabilities with the current administration.
- Pursuing greater environmental sustainability and resiliency for the district in the face of imminent climate collapse through infrastructure, land use, curriculum.
- Families and teachers must be holistically well resourced and supported. Supporting and expanding the work of the Resiliency Center is key.
- Ensure our educators are equally as supported through fair wages, benefits, and a supportive, safe, resourced work environment.
- Peer supports developed from district students should be utilized whenever possible as we develop leaders for today and the future and put trust in the most effective voices for our audience.
- Encourage a curriculum that balances technological literacy with analog activities like handwriting and paper book reading in line with evidence for supporting attention and literacy.
- Make the adaptive the norm - access to neurodiversity supports for all, not just with an IEP.
- Increasing budgetary resources through grant seeking, innovative revenue generation, and working with state and federal level partners.
- Competitive wages for educators and support staff - a smooth collective bargaining process for the 2027 contract
- Maintaining and improving essential facilities
- Investing in social-emotional programming that holistically supports student wellbeing
- Funding sustainability and climate resiliency improvements
- Responsible management of bond debt
- Navigating sea changes at the federal level while maintaining the values of our community are a serious challenge for the next several years. We must use policy and action to stand for the safety and rights of all of our diverse student body while maintaining funding that fuels operations.
- Bringing students back into district is a move that would benefit our community overall - increasing our available funding for our schools, allowing neighbors to deepen their local relationships, reduce our community's climate burden.
- Maintaining & developing top quality essential support services - resisting privatization to improve the financial bottom line; solving logistics issues with bottom-up feedback and openness to progressive innovation.
WRITE-IN?
No
DISTRICT
Ypsilanti
PHONE
5135029912
WEBSITE
https://sprague4ypsi.wordpress.com/
Campaign Phone
5135029912
Number of years as resident
10
I’ve been working in education since 2007 when I taught my first discussion section in graduate school. I spent the last two years substitute teaching throughout YCS. I’ve taught every grade level in nearly every school in the district. I’ve been a regular substitute, a building substitute, and a Grizzly Learning Camp paraprofessional. I also have a first grader in the district, so I am invested in the success of YCS and its continued improvement. I’ve been active in PTOs at Ford and Puentes, which includes helping with field days, school events, and courtyard clean ups. I helped form the PTO at Puentes by writing the bylaws and serving on the executive board.
My goals are to improve district communication and transportation, and to continue the district’s community outreach. I would accomplish these goals through collaborative efforts involving administrators, parents, and various community members and organizations. I want to listen to those with current concerns with communication and transportation, to first better understand the problems. Then, I want to work through the school board’s committees to change district policies to better meet the needs of our families. I would work with a variety of community members and organizations to encourage a closer bond between the school district and the community. I believe this will help with student retention and draw more families to the district.
I think teachers within the district should be consulted on what strategies they think improve student achievement best. They are the experts. It’s the school board’s role to provide those teachers with the support and resources they need to implement those strategies. By working with teachers, the district could implement strategies and allocate resources at specific target areas or subjects to help improve student performance. Overall, I think the district should consider student strengths and achievements beyond what standardized test scores reveal. By taking a more holistic approach to evaluating student achievement the district can gain a more complete picture of how well a student is doing.
The school board has to be good stewards of our community’s resources, but we are not currently compensating our school employees enough. For example, our teachers, on average, are the lowest paid in the county. If we want to attract and retain excellent staff and faculty, we need to be prepared to compensate them appropriately for their work. However, when making these compensation decisions, state education budget allocations, the number of students in the district, grant funding availability, and facilities maintenance all need to be considered so that the district is not overextended and is being fiscally responsible.
Attracting and retaining students is the most serious problem facing the school board. YCS has a perception problem it has been combating for decades. Our district is already making great strides to attract and retain students through CTE programs, free community outreach events, Grizzly Learning Camp, and the investment in the Puentes Multilingual School. Because of the foresight of the district and its embrace of new and innovative ideas, I believe that YCS can continue to attract more students and to retain Ypsilanti students by further promoting these district strengths and listening to our parents, staff, and faculty first to address communication and transportation issues mentioned earlier.
