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Position/philosophy statement
Our children, educators, and community need public schools we can be proud of. We’re a hub of innovation and creativity and those can be put to work in the public service of our schools.
Current Occupation
Teacher/Administrator
Age (optional)
39
Campaign Phone
703-220-7942
I have been keeping up with ACS since roughly 2012, serving as an employee of the district beginning in 2017. I served as an IA at Asheville Primary School - the board decision for its closure in 2021 prompted my first campaign. As a career educator, small business owner/founder of a preschool, I’m highly qualified through my life being solely dedicated to wellbeing of children, through access to high-quality education that offers children agency in their learning and invokes a lifelong love of learning. I’m also married to a career educator in ACS and our three daughters attend Asheville City Schools - we’re big fans and promoters of public education! Our teachers and students deserve so many more resources - let’s find them.
To serve as the checks and balances on the will of the superintendent and to ensure the resources of the district are utilized to their highest potential and greatest positive impact on students. It is my responsibility to ensure the superintendent is promoting stewardship of our funding and equitably distributing people power toward places that are directly impactful for our students. It is our responsibility as a governing body to guide the superintendent to measure that have been demonstrated successful in closing the achievement gap - early childhood education, early intervention, high behavioral and academic expectations to encourage all students toward excellence and their highest potential, and authentic relationship with community.
Closing the achievement gap and equitable access to potential for all racial groups in Asheville. I believe an important step toward meeting this need is by reducing the central office footprint and redirecting those resources back into our schools to work directly with children and educators. I will continue to work to uplift educator voice and transparent decision-making that involves students and the community in creative problem-solving. We must eliminate the scarcity mindset that continues to pit schools and programs against each other and lift all of our public servitude to reach and engage the support of every family in Asheville.
Support teachers as perhaps the most creative solutions-focused, dynamic multi-taskers in their roles in the district! Student-facing staff are the people who have the most authentic relationships with students and families and truly know what’s needed day to day. I hope to see Meet, Confer, Collaborate be a more impactful procedure in recognizing the value of a cross-section of educator voice. I will continue to advocate for the reallocation of central district resources back toward direct student impact and relationships in the schools.
As an early childhood educator myself, suffice it to say I know well the impact of high-quality early learning. Again, I see the potential for birth-to-five programming to be incredibly beneficial for not only laying a foundation for, but instilling in students a love of learning, and thereby closing the achievement gap. By investing in our students and staff early and engaging their families all through the early years, we could have the opportunity to reestablish relationships with historically marginalized families and to rebuild trust in Asheville City Schools as a beacon of hope that is dedicated to its children and their future.
I am grateful for the trust I have earned over the past four years. I believe we still have work to do to make ACS the jewel of North Carolina public education - I hope to spend the next four years reinvigorating the district back toward its most vibrant, innovative, and stable trajectory. Regardless of the outcome of the election, I will continue to advocate for our students and staff to have a wealth of resources to co-create an inspiring and limitless concept of education - one that also includes less time on screens and more time outdoors… because kids grow better outside. Thank you for your support of public schools in voting for this public office - regardless of its direct impact on you or your loved ones, every part of your ballot matters and this office is about our children and the legacy we offer them.
Position/philosophy statement
I have lived in WNC for 55 years, involved in education, outdoor and in. 30+ years in Asheville City Schools as an award winning teacher and principal who builds school communities involving students, parents, and volunteers.
Current Occupation
Retired Educator, Board Member of Asheville City Schools Foundation and volunteer in school programs with RiverLink and Sierra Club
Age (optional)
71
Campaign Phone
828-713-7267
I have over 50 years in education, 30 of them involved with ACS, as an outdoor educator, a classroom teacher, a building principal, an education professor at UNC, a director of teachers' programs at NC Outward Bound School.
With deep respect for all my fellow candidates for school board, I note that my direct experience in schools in general and Asheville City Schools in particular exceeds the combined years in education of the current candidates.
I have won national teaching awards ( A Milken) for curriculum on the French Broad River, and regional recognition for building school communities in alternative, public, and charter schools.
My signs say "Trusted and Experienced;" ask anyone who has worked with me and they'll confirm that.
The Board's chief responsibilities:
* Setting the goals, vision, and policy of the school system.
* Recruit, hire, and evaluate a superintendent who can carry out those goals and policies. Their relationship: They are partners but not equal partners - boards govern, set policy, and hire superintendents; Superintendents manage - which contains a vast set of relationships and skills. Clear and honest communication with, and evaluation of, a Superintendent are critical Board duties.
* Board members need to be in the schools to see the ground truth at the school level of their policies, to be open to staff and teacher input on how those policies are going, and to be visibly supportive of the school community they serve.
There are three: 1) Teacher Recruitment Retention and Development: Asheville has some of the highest attrition rates in NC. We can attract and retain teachers by helping them feel competent at what they do; feel authentic in their lives; and feel connected to others. As a principal, I attracted and retained teachers through relationships. We can do that as a district.
2. ACS has the highest achievement gap between Black and White students in the state. We can address it by early attention to science based reading programs and support, and not chasing new programs offered by consultants. Commit resources to helping students be at grade level by 3rd grade.
3. Funding; We must use our funding on jobs that serve students directly.
First, I would go directly to the teachers in the district and ask them how to recruit others, and in particular I would seek out the roughly 10% of our non-white teaching staff for their guidance in doing this. In the past, as an ACS administrator, I went to HBCU's to recruit Black teachers, and in our recruitment of international teachers - some of whom are still here - I kept and maintained relationships with them as they adjusted to teaching in a new country. As a Board member, I would expand this initiative.
Attraction of of staff is built on relationships, strengthened when we ask our current staff what keeps them here, how do we risk losing them, and how we can find others like them. They will help us; they will like being asked.
It is incredibly important: any kindergarten teacher can tell you that students who do not have the benefit of pre-K social, emotional, and community based instruction start at a disadvantage that widens through the years - hence the achievement gap.
ACS does have pre-school classes and is working on expanding them. I support this work.
ACS is starting in 2026-2027 an important program for these students under a $500,000 CCLC grant to reach out to 150 students whose families would not normally have access to such programs. We need to expand these programs and I look forward as a board member to doing so.
I’ve been in and around public education in Asheville for 34 years, and I can promise you this: I know how to build trust and community through commitment to relationships with all involved. I know how to develop classrooms and institutions built on success attributes of character, climate, and communication that prepare kids and teachers to deal with whatever life deals us. I have done that as a teacher and as a principal, and I will continue that commitment to Board work, so that, four years from now — in 2030 — the ACS community will see improvement in all these three areas and be able to say:
“Look what we have done!”
Position/philosophy statement
NC
Current Occupation
Advocacy Director for State Facility for Individuals with I/DD and Alzheimer/Dementia
Age (optional)
49
Campaign Phone
828-280-7238
I have spent over 20 years in the public mental health system. I have worked with individuals during active psychotic episodes, coordinated care with physicians and support staff to ensure needs were being met, worked with various agencies to ensure their needs were met. I've sat with state level individuals and assisted creating service definitions to ensure needs were met with available with resources in the community. I have been able to successfully navigate these systems to ensure clients received the care and services they needed while building relationships with clients, staff and state representatives. I will do this on ACS Board. I will work with board members while building relationships in the community.
The most important thing a school board member can do is listen. Listen to what the students are saying, listen to what the parents and teachers are saying, and listen to what the community is saying. They have to use these conversations and work with the superintendent to develop policies that guide our district. The board has to ensure the superintendent's vison adheres to these policies. They have the responsibility and obligation of reporting back to the community so transparency is present and trust can be established.
One of the most critical needs we currently have is stability. We have to have teachers who want to remain in our district, and we have to have students who want to remain in our schools. Teachers need to know they have the support of administration. They have to have a community where they feel welcomed and can express themselves without fear of retaliation. Students need classes, curriculum and spaces that allows them to express themselves and explore interests. Respect and an open ear costs nothing. Available funding sources need to be scrutinized to ensure monies are maximized to provide stability in both of these areas. Discretionary funds should address teacher and student needs before they are spent on other interests.
The best way to recruit good teachers is to keep the good teachers and support staff that are already in our district. We have to listen to what our teachers and staff are saying, and it cannot fall on deaf ears. The district has to create a culture that welcomes opinions and respects those opinions. The board has to continue to advocate for higher wages for staff to allow them to live in the community and explore all possible revenue options to make it viable. This involves working with various government agencies and advocating for funds, grants or other streams of revenue.
Pre-K is the most underutilized avenue our district has to reach our kids. We cannot wait until third grade when standardized testing starts to address deficiencies with our students. We have to have outreach to our families to get them involved early and onboard to identify needs of the kids and ensure their success. Pre-K classes instills confidence in kids ability to transition to a school setting and allows staff to the opportunity to develop bonds and relationships with both the kids and their families. We need support staff to provide assistance to the teachers who are stretched by working with wide ranges of needs in the classrooms once they are in school.
The main reason I decided to run for Board of Education was because of my kids. I'm just a dad. I'm from Weaverville and moved to West Asheville 20 years ago when I bought my first house. When my family moved 10 years ago, my wife and I decided to stay in West Asheville because this is where we wanted to raise our daughter. We wanted to stay in Asheville City Schools because of the choices in curriculum offered. We now have two kids, one in 4th grade at Isaac Dickson and one in 9th at Asheville High. We decided this before numerous superintendents, the closings of Asheville Primary, Montford North Star Academy and most recently the elimination of the Strings Program at Asheville Middle and High. Even with all the upheaval and turmoil, we love our choice. We have had caring teachers wrapping their arms around our kids, loving them and supporting their journey. I am running to give staff a louder voice and support the families that continued to feel ignored and not represented.
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Position/philosophy statement
Advocate for strong, stable public schools
Current Occupation
Attorney
Age (optional)
57
I bring 2 years of experience as the Chair of the Asheville City School Board, and 4 years of service as one of the first elected Board members. I bring over 14 years of experience as an involved parent of two children who attended Asheville City Schools every grade from K-12, graduating in 2020 and 2022. I bring almost 30 years of experience as a practicing attorney working and living in Asheville. I've served on numerous boards, including the MLK Jr. Association of Asheville, Working Wheels, and the CFWNC. My experiences as an attorney, a community volunteer, and as a parent provide a valuable perspective in weighing multiple facts and opinions, making decisions grounded in financial and long term stability, and honoring all voices.
The Board's primary responsibility is to implement policies to govern the district. These include the mundane, as well as "reform policies" to proactively create positive change. In 2025, the ACS Board passed policies focused on evaluating student progress, student promotion and accountability. This past school year, the ACS Board updated the policy which sets goals and objectives for the district's educational program. The policy includes a focus on holistic growth, clear expectations, accountability measures, a sense of belonging, and active participation in democracy. The policy also incorporates the "Asheville 6" strategies created by high school student ambassadors in the REAP program of the Asheville City Schools Foundation.
Addressing the racial gap in student outcomes is our district's most critical need. A major pillar of the new ACS Strategic Plan creates an aligned vision and structure throughout each school to address these proficiency gaps between students, with a focus on equitable student outcomes, high expectations, high quality work, data informed differentiation, work plan progress checks, and district-wide equitable grading practices. The Board is guided by this Strategic Plan when we prioritize funding decisions which support (i) student outcomes, (ii) staff recruitment, retention and development, (iii) operations and finance, and (iv) improving the climate and culture of the district.
One pillar of the new ACS Strategic Plan is to build and sustain a diverse, high-caliber workforce, where everyone can grow, lead and advance. The district’s efforts focus on proactive communications, trust building, inclusive engagement, cohesive professional learning, and instructional coaching. Challenges include the cost of living and significantly fewer applicants.
ACS has an excellent preschool program for eligible 3 and 4 year old children. The preschool classrooms are licensed as 5-star childcare centers, the highest designation in the state. Such classrooms are an important tool to addressing long term student outcomes. Consistent with NC child development and early education program goals, future success in reading and math is tied to children being prepared in the following areas prior to starting kindergarten: play and learning; emotional and social development; health and physical development; language development and communication; and cognitive development.
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