Campaign phone
3135740851
Education
BS in Elementary Education - New Jersey City University, MA in Supervision and Administration - Montclair State Universi
Occupation/current position
Retired Educator
I believe a successful school district helps every child achieve success. Being a long time educator, I know success looks different for every student. I would measure it through student achievement and growth, graduation and post-secondary outcomes, attendance, and participation in academic and career programs, while listening to students, families, and staff.
I would also measure success through enrollment and retention. We need to understand why families stay, leave, or choose other options and show the value of a Grosse Pointe education.
Finally, success requires sound financial management and healthy fund equity. We must align resources with priorities, plan ahead, and make difficult decisions while keeping students at the center.
I believe two areas that deserve additional investment are family recruitment and support for our youngest learners. To address enrollment challenges, we need to connect with families early and demonstrate the value of a Grosse Pointe Public Schools education. Continued investment in our youngest students can build a strong foundation for academic success while helping families feel confident in their choice and connected to our schools.
When considering savings, I would first want to understand the entire financial picture. Working with the CFO, I would examine spending, long-term obligations, and opportunities to improve efficiency without negatively affecting students. Any savings discussion should begin with: “How can we be more efficie
I believe the key to building trust is being an active listener. People want to know their concerns are heard and their perspectives matter, even when we disagree. As a Board member, I would listen to families, educators, staff, students, and community members, asking questions to better understand their concerns and priorities. We do not have to agree on everything to work effectively, but we must treat one another with respect and welcome different viewpoints. My approach would be to listen, ask questions, gather the facts, and work collaboratively with the Board and administration to make the best decisions for our students and district. Trust is built over time through respect, communication, consistency, and follow-through.
I believe classroom technology decisions should be led by our educational professionals, with the Superintendent and his team providing instructional leadership and guidelines. The School Board should set the district’s vision and expectations but not determine day-to-day instructional practices. Teachers should have a meaningful voice because they use these tools every day and understand what truly benefits student learning. The Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, and District EPLC Committee made up of teachers, students, parents, and administrators should guide these decisions. The Board’s role is to ensure decisions align with district goals, are evidence-based, and produce positive outcomes for students.
Campaign phone
313-942-5318
Education
Duke University; Washington University in St. Louis (law school)
Occupation/current position
Attorney/Partner/Owner
A successful district is one where students are engaged, supported and prepared for whatever comes next. It attracts and retains excellent teachers, offers broad opportunities inside and outside the classroom, uses its resources responsibly and earns the trust of families and the community.
Success should be measured with real data: student growth and achievement, graduation and attendance, enrollment and retention, staff retention, financial health (short and long term), and feedback from students, families and educators. The Board should set clear goals, regularly measure progress and be willing to adjust when the results show something is not working.
I would prioritize investment closest to the classroom: attracting and retaining excellent teachers and staff and providing them with the resources and support needed to serve our students. I would also prioritize investment in student programming and extracurricular activities. I am reluctant to identify a particular area for savings without first reviewing the data and understanding the potential impact. We should continually examine staffing, facilities, administrative costs and programs to determine whether resources are being used effectively and efficiently. The goal should not simply be cutting costs, but directing limited resources where they have the greatest impact on students.
Trust requires listening and treating people fairly and respectfully. I would seek input from students, families, teachers and community members with different perspectives before making important decisions. The Board should explain not only what it decides, but why, and apply its policies fairly and consistently. Good governance builds trust. When the Board operates professionally, follows consistent processes and makes decisions based on facts rather than personalities or politics, the community can have confidence in the process even when people disagree with the outcome. I do not expect everyone to agree with every decision I make, but they should be able to trust that I listened, considered the facts and respected different viewpoints.
Teachers should have the greatest influence over technology use in classrooms because they work with students every day, are professionals, and understand what enhances learning and what becomes a distraction. They should not make those decisions alone. Administrators and outside experts can provide research, training and guidance, and parents and students offer important perspectives.
The Board's role is different. It should establish responsible districtwide policies, provide appropriate resources and oversight, and give educators reasonable flexibility to determine how technology can best support teaching and learning. The Board and administration must also be flexible and willing to adapt as technology and research changes.
Education
B.A., University of Massachusetts; Teacher Certification K - 6th ; plus Assoc. Degree in Early Childhood Ed Becker Colle
Occupation/current position
Business owner / Grosse Pointe Board of Education Trustee
A successful school district is one where families want to send their children, great teachers want to teach, and students are safe, challenged, supported, and prepared for what comes next. To me, success means strong academics, families choosing and staying in our schools, extracurriculars, great teachers, safe and well-maintained schools, and responsible finances.
We need to look at data like student achievement, student and teacher retention, and financial stability. But numbers don’t tell us everything. We also need to listen to families and teachers to understand the full picture. Ultimately, we should hold ourselves to a high standard and make decisions that give our kids an amazing educational experience.
Over the past four years, I have supported investing in the things closest to our kids and the classroom: great teachers, school safety, strong foundational academics, special education, extracurricular opportunities, and our buildings, to name a few. Going forward, I want to keep resources where they have the greatest impact on students.
For savings, we need to ask harder questions about spending further from the classroom, such as administrative costs, legal fees, consultants, and technology. Not every new program, device, or consultant makes education better. My priority is to protect our financial stability, spend taxpayer dollars wisely, and make sure our spending reflects what matters most which is educating our students.
One of the most important lessons I have learned serving this community is that trust begins with listening even when we disagree. I have made it a priority to remain accessible to parents, educators, students, and residents. I have asked questions publicly, explain my decisions, and consider viewpoints different from my own. Transparency matters! Difficult conversations should not be avoided simply because they are uncomfortable.
I will not always agree with everyone, but people should know they were heard, their concerns were taken seriously, and my decisions were made thoughtfully, independently, and with students at the center.
Decisions about classroom technology work best when students, parents, and teachers are part of the conversation. Teachers understand what works instructionally, parents know their children, and students offer valuable insight into how technology affects learning. Administrators should support that partnership, while the elected Board provides oversight, sets policy, and ensures investments have educational value. Technology should support education, not drive it. Screen-based technology should play little to no role in elementary education and be used thoughtfully and sparingly in middle and high school-never at the expense of great teachers, books, handwriting, critical thinking, deep discussion, creativity, and genuine human interaction.
Campaign phone
3133190766
Education
J.D. Loyola University-Chicago, B.A. Michigan State University
Occupation/current position
Community volunteer
A successful district is one where students are learning and thriving, teachers want to teach here and stay, and families want to send their children to our schools. I'd welcome community feedback. I'd look at academic achievement and growth, including whether achievement gaps between student groups are closing and whether students with disabilities are getting the support they need. I’d also look at how well we’re preparing students for life after high school, along with enrollment, class sizes, teacher recruitment and retention, student safety and well-being, and responsible use of technology and resources. I'd ensure the administration is implementing the strategic plan including collecting and interpreting the relevant data.
Teachers, academic excellence, and student safety and well-being should always be our top investment priority. Our community generously supports our schools through the sinking fund and bond and we must use those dollars wisely. The district must increase enrollment through preschool and other programs that attract and retain families, with administration bringing data-driven recommendations.
On savings, we should scrutinize vendor contracts as well as costs like litigation. The district will always need legal counsel but avoiding unnecessary disputes keeps dollars focused on students and teachers.
As a trustee, I’ll make hard decisions guided by solid information, the strategic plan, and, most importantly, what’s best for our students.
It starts with listening and treating people with respect, even when we disagree. Dr. Bishop has already put good structures in place, like listening sessions and surveys, and I’d want to build on that so people have real chances to weigh in while decisions are still being shaped, not just public comment after the board has already made up its mind. Transparency matters too. When people understand how and why the board reached a decision, they can accept an outcome even if they don’t love it. And honestly, we won’t always agree, but I think that’s okay. When board members lean into our differences instead of glossing over them, it usually makes for stronger governance, as long as everyone stays focused on what’s best for students.
Everyone has to work together. This is a rapidly developing area with new research emerging daily. The district must be well-versed in the research on the use of screens and AI and must employ best practices to enhance student well-being, learning, and brain development, Teachers deserve a strong voice in the discussion because they are the experts in the classroom but parents and students must be heard too. In addition to knowing the latest research, the Curriculum Director and other administrators should gather and interpret district data and outcomes so they can bring solid recommendations to the board. From there, the board’s job is to set thoughtful policy and provide oversight, not micromanage classrooms.
