BACKGROUND AND GOALS: How do your educational background and experience prepare you for the duties of this office and what do you hope to accomplish if elected?
As an educator I have experienced the impact School Boards have on students, teachers and the school community overall. This provides me with a unique viewpoint on the role the School Board should play. As a School Board member I will prioritize retaining and recruiting quality staff, developing safe and welcoming school environments for all, and increasing the awareness and accessibility of career and college pathways for all students.
AREA OF NEED: What do you consider the area of greatest need in our county's public education system and how would you propose to address it?
Our greatest need in our county’s public education system is retaining and recruiting quality teachers and staff. Under-staffing greatly impacts a school's ability to meet the needs of all students. Whether it be not having improper student to teacher ratios or an inadequate number of bus drivers it all impacts how our students show up and experience our school environments. It is vital that we increase pay and non-monetary supports to keep and attract quality staff.
SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT: How would you prioritize initiatives to ensure school environments that are safe, supportive and conducive to learning and teaching?
All students deserve to have school communities where they feel welcomed and safe. We can achieve this together with continuous reassessment of safety protocols and consistent conflict resolution procedures. In order to foster safe school communities, we must also provide necessary mental health services for all students.
MENTAL HEALTH: Do you believe the district should provide mental health resources for students and staff? Please explain why or why not.
Mental health support for both students and staff is critical. Student success is greatly impacted by their ability to navigate education and life. Providing them the support to grow as a student and a person is incomparable. Working in education often requires someone whether directly or indirectly to fill many roles often leading to burnout or compassion fatigue. Mental health resources will help students and staff balance the demands that may make thriving in work or school impossible.
EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION: In addition to fair pay and benefits, what initiatives would you support to attract and retain high-caliber teachers and staff in all district schools?
Fair pay and benefits are a big factor in attracting and retaining quality staff. However, in order to support staff retention, I will seek to reduce teacher to student ratios and provide a more flexible leave policy.
FISCAL OVERSIGHT: What are your budgetary priorities and how will you balance them with implementation of the Blueprint for Education mandates?
As a Board member my focus will be teacher retention, mental health support for students and staff, as well as, increasing the awareness and access to student career and college readiness pathways. My priorities are aligned with the Blueprint for Education. It is important to consistently and annually evaluate our effectiveness including our budget to make sure that resources are best supporting students.