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Campaign Phone
9704430820
I bring more than 30 years of public education experience as a teacher, principal, Executive Director and prior elected school board trustee. I still provide educational consulting and professional development. Additionally, I have a financial backgroun as a former Certified Financial Planner and a current CFO. I understand how to build success as I have led multiple struggling schools to real turnarounds. At the district level I led work that improved teacher retention and student achievement. I believe my broad successful experience can elevate the practices of the school board which in turn will elevate the educational experience of our students.
Teachers are the biggest factor in student success, so competitive pay comes first, and the new funding silo requires that money to reach the classroom. But the silo also took away flexibility for paraprofessionals and nutrition services. These staff are part of every child's education and do tremendous work, so we must find ways to pay them fairly too. I would start with a multi-year budget forecast that models the silo and Proposition 1, then review overhead, facilities, energy, and transportation before anything touches students. I would also work with our legislators to restore local flexibility. The answer isn't choosing between people and operations. It's spending every dollar where it does the most good for students.
I would keep LCSD1's 45-day public review and make sure sample materials are easy for parents to review online. I would support clear, evidence-based selection criteria, like the science of reading standards in SF 59, and review committees led by teachers with parents included. Those criteria should be updated regularly to reflect community values and new technology such as AI. I would also want a full cost estimate, including teacher training, before adoption, and a report afterward on whether student results improved. I would oppose shortening public review, adopting materials without training teachers, or letting individual trustees bypass the process. Curriculum decisions should be open, evidence-based, and focused on results.
A child who is hungry, struggling emotionally, or living with addiction at home cannot learn well, so schools cannot ignore these challenges. But schools are not social service agencies, and teachers are already stretched thin. The district's role is to identify needs early, connect families with help, and build strong partnerships with parents and community organizations like Friday Food Bags and the Boys & Girls Club. Counselors, behavior specialists and community partners, not more duties for teachers, should carry this work. When schools, parents, and the community work together, we can overcome many of these challenges, or at least lessen their impact, so every child can grow emotionally, mentally, and academically.
Student learning and safety come first, followed by clear data on enrollment, building capacity and condition, and cost per student. Somewhat larger schools can offer more instructional opportunities and sustainable programs. But the benefits of smaller schools often can't be measured in dollars, so close student-teacher relationships, walkable neighborhoods, family involvement, and community identity must also be weighed. A major obstacle has been that the state drives much of this process and hasn't always been easy to work with. I would push for a transparent local process with public data, early community input, time for families to plan, and a solid transition plan, not closures driven by budget numbers alone.
Campaign Phone
307-996-7761
I bring a combination of public-sector leadership, education, community roots and experience with LCSD1. As a public sector professional, I am responsible for complex planning, budgets, policy, public engagement, and partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies. My governance experience has taught me to lead calmly, collaborate and make difficult decisions when necessary. I am an LCSD1 graduate, a UW graduate, a military spouse and a mother of 3 LCSD1 students. I understand LCSD1 as an alumni, parent, taxpayer and lifelong community member. Most importantly, I understand a trustee’s role is to listen, ask good questions, support our educators, keep students at the center of every decision and be a good steward of tax dollars.
Our teachers and staff are essential operations, these are not competing priorities. With significant changes on the horizon in the legislature and potential impacts from proposed Prop 1, there are substantial budget considerations that we need to be prepared to navigate. Wyoming is required to adequately fund public education, LCSD1 should not be forced to choose between keeping great teachers and providing the tools necessary to educate students. I would prioritize competitive pay to help LCSD1 recruit/retain great educators while also protecting safe facilities, manageable class sizes, transportation, technology, special education services and classroom support. This requires discipline and a willingness to define what truly matters.
The role of a school board trustee is to ask thoughtful questions, implement good policy and trust the qualified professionals to do the work they were hired to do.
I support a transparent, evidence-based, teacher-led curriculum adoption process. Teachers and associated staff should be engaged early and have a meaningful role in evaluating learning materials, while parents and the community should have opportunities to review proposed curriculum and provide input. I will always support greater transparency and clear evaluation criteria, including alignment with academic standards, age appropriateness, effectiveness and accessibility for different learners.
I oppose any changes that politicize curriculum or bypass educators and staff.
There are only 3 places you can find in every Wyoming county where you don’t have to qualify for services: the library, jail and a public school. Schools cannot solve every societal problem but we can't pretend those problems disappear when the morning bell rings. When a child has unmet needs, learning suffers. Our primary responsibility is education, which may include identifying barriers to learning, providing school-based support and connecting families with community resources. It also means supporting teachers when behavior disrupts learning or threatens safety. Compassion and accountability are not mutually exclusive, we can support a struggling child while protecting a student’s right to learn and every teacher's right to teach.
I am a proud and competent product of LCSD1 neighborhood schools, I believe they play an important role in our communities. I will advocate to preserve them when it is educationally and financially responsible to do so. However, I will not support keeping underutilized or unsustainable facilities open if it takes resources away from students, teachers and classrooms. In a changing budgetary climate, difficult decisions may be necessary. I am committed to evaluating each school based on enrollment, condition, safety, operating costs, transportation, student impact and true long-term savings. The MCER is a tool for the board, not a mandate. My priority will be protecting the student experience while being a responsible steward of tax dollars.
