VOTE411 Voter Guide

Working as a volunteer at the elementary school over the last several years, I've seen the impacts of district decisions on students and teachers. I'm running because I got tired of asking questions and getting nowhere. I've been advocating for teachers and parents who feel like they can't voice their concerns. I've researched vacancy data, budget documents, and state law, then brought that information to the board so families have an accurate picture of what is happening instead of getting it from highlight reels. I want a seat at the table so I can be a voice for those who don't have one and be in the room when decisions are made. My qualifications combine 20+ years as an early childhood educator and daycare director with hands-on experience working collaboratively with parents, teachers, and business owners. I've built relationships with my community as an advocate and PTA member. I have been paying attention to how this district works, and I know where the gaps are between what's reported and what's happening in classrooms.

The most pressing challenges are teacher vacancies and retention, a toxic culture where employees are afraid to speak up for fear of retaliation, and a budget process that isn't transparent enough for families to understand how funding decisions affect their child's school. All of these play into one another: vacancies are a problem because the budget won't allow for more positions, and retention is a problem because of the toxic culture between the district office and administrators and staff. I'd push for plain-language breakdowns showing how funds like the FY27 settlement transfer affect school-level staffing, so parents aren't left confused about why their school no longer has classes that they used to, or why there are long-term subs in classrooms. I'd work with administrators and listen to their experiences, advocate for protections so staff can raise concerns without fear of retaliation, and push the board to change how it communicates with school-level staff so problems surface before they become crises.

As director of the preschool where I worked, I often had differing opinions with both the teachers and the owners, which is inevitable given our different perspectives and priorities. The trick to collaboration is to genuinely try to understand the other side's perspective, listen to their opinions and experiences, and find common ground rather than just compromise for its own sake. I'll bring that same experience to the board: translating between the business and operational perspective of the owners and the day-to-day classroom perspective of teachers, using my own background in the classroom to help both sides see what the other was missing. That's the skill I'd bring to a board where members often see the same problem through very different lenses: the ability to sit with disagreement long enough to find a solution that actually works on the ground.

Inclusion. It's always been important to me to make all teachers and students feel included, no matter their ability or background. No matter what happened in a student's day, once they walked through my door, I made sure they felt like they belonged and that we were excited to see them. This is where accommodations play a role: they allow students to be part of the group and help them feel seen and accepted. Providing a child a set of headphones so the noise isn't overwhelming lets them enter the loud cafeteria and eat with their peers. Providing Spanish or native language materials for children who are still learning English lets them learn alongside their peers, and having an ESOL teacher on staff provides additional support for those students. Children need to feel safe and welcomed in order for their nervous systems to relax and their thinking brain to become accessible.

Safety is imperative; every student must not only feel safe but be safe. It's time to review our safety policies and make sure they're not just the bare minimum the state requires, but are updated to reflect modern technology and increasing threats. That means ensuring administrators are consistently following protocols around who is allowed on school property, who has access to students and when, and making sure staff receive the most up-to-date training.

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