For more than 30 years, I have provided regulatory oversight and compliance auditing to large healthcare institutions across the country as RN consultant. I have 12 years of small business experience as well, functioning in a director role in a highly regulated industry. I have served on Corporate boards, as President and Chief Operating Officer, as well as a Compliance Officer. I have taught nursing school at a university level and for a VoTech twice, developing presentations for teaching documentation skills to survive federal audits. I have spoken publicly about parents’ rights in education, and published several articles about that topic.

1. Literacy has to be restored at the earliest opportunity and age. Six out of 10 graders do not read at grade level, and we have dropped from fifth place (for reading) in the country in 2013 to the bottom 10 today. That is an unsustainable decline that will affect our workforce, our economy, and opportunities for children. 2. Compliance with the law. For example, our current Board of Education recently voted to allow a teacher with admitted grooming behavior involving a 17 year-old girl to keep his license and continue teaching. This is a violation of policy and statute that fails to protect children in Kansas. 3. The relationship between the KS legislature and the BOE is dysfunctional, by their own statements. Trust must be restored.

Teachers must have full support from administrators and parents when dealing with behavior problems in the classroom. The majority of the class cannot be expected to sacrifice learning time due to disruptive behaviors and school policies must offer guidance to teachers, struggling with this problem, which teacher say is the number one issue they face. It’s difficult to teach children how to read if you are in constant chaos in the classroom. K-3 should also have two teachers in the classrooms at all times, which would be possible if administrative costs are cut considerably. The classroom should be budgeted first, ensuring that teachers and students have everything they need to promote the best learning environment.

The state board has to take a more active role holding schools accountable for spending practices. Administrative costs are escalating and outpacing expenditures in the classroom, with little to no positive result in student outcomes. We’ve already proven over these past 15 years that spending more money does not improve education. We must answer where the money is going and make sure that it’s being used in the classroom first and foremost. After we answer the questions about where all the taxpayer dollars are going, we can answer whether or not we need more.

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Thirty-plus years teaching K-12 ELL students, high school literature/journalism, and college composition/ESL gives me firsthand knowledge of what works across rural and urban classrooms alike. I've written four textbooks, developed curricula, and led teacher trainings — expertise directly relevant to closing Kansas's reading and math proficiency gaps. I've spent most of my career teaching in rural communities, so I understand District 5's real challenges: teacher retention, aging buildings, and resource gaps for special needs students. As Chair of the Decatur County Democratic Party and Rawlins County Silver-Haired Legislature representative, I've built consensus across diverse groups — a skill I'll bring to representing District 5.

1. Reading/math proficiency in rural districts, which often lack reading specialists and interventionists. I'll push early intervention funding, shared regional staffing for small districts, and sustained teacher training, funded by the state, not teachers. 2. Full public school funding. Underfunding drives teachers away and lets buildings crumble. I'll push Topeka to meet its own funding commitments, treating schools as long-term community investment, not an annual fight. 3. Local control with state accountability. Teachers, principals & parents know their districts best. No single policy fits all 45 counties. I'll protect local decision-making while ensuring the state meets its funding obligations.

A well-trained, well-supported teacher is most important. With my teaching K-12 and college students across rural and urban communities, I've seen that curriculum, technology, and facilities all matter — but nothing replaces a skilled teacher who knows their subject and students. That's why competitive pay matters, especially in rural District 5, where certified teachers are hard to recruit and keep when neighboring states pay more. Sustained, evidence-based professional development matters too — ongoing support, not one-off workshops. Beyond the teacher, students need engaged families behind them. Parents and grandparents — like me — should be partners with schools, not bystanders, working from the same information toward the same goals.

The Board's key role is being a credible voice in Topeka for what adequate funding means on the ground — not just a budget line, but whether a reading specialist is available or a leaking roof gets fixed. Members must hold legislators accountable to funding levels the state has already committed to, not treat those as optional. Special education needs particular attention. Districts often must provide services without adequate state support, forcing tradeoffs elsewhere in tight budgets. The Board should push for special ed funding reflecting actual need, not outdated formulas. Members can also gather real evidence from classrooms statewide, bringing what teachers and administrators see directly into funding decisions.