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Know Your Candidates Interview
We need to consider two important levers of change when thinking about student achievement: The principal and the teacher. The district can shift its hiring practices so that new principals’ skill sets more closely match the needs of specific schools. In addition, the district can help ensure that all principals receive sustained coaching and mentoring related to increasing student achievement. The district can also allocate resources for job-embedded, sustained professional learning for teachers that is centered on analysis of student work in relation to instructional standards.
I believe that most students and staff feel safe in our schools. The school board can improve school climate by asking that reporting on school climate be disaggregated by subgroup. In the current political climate, two groups of students and staff are particularly vulnerable: immigrant students/staff and LGBTQ+ students/staff. Having accurate, up-to-date information on the safety of students and staff with different identities can help the board advocate for changes in existing practices, allocate resources accordingly, and make a plan for monitoring and adjustment.
To increase enrollment in MMSD, we first need to understand why parents open enroll out of the district or relocate to neighboring communities. The expanded 4K programming, reduced class sizes, and upgraded school facilities that were made possible by the 2024 referendums should help attract families to MMSD schools. Two other areas of improvement that may draw families include (a) shifting schools’ approach to meeting the needs of students with special needs in ways that prioritize family engagement and flexibility, and (b) providing world language instruction in elementary schools.
Yes: I want the board to consider the needs of multilingual learners when making decisions. Currently, no one on the board understands the unique needs of this heterogeneous student group. MMSD has bilingual programs that can be strengthened, and provides English language services that can be more effective. The district uses curricula and other resource materials that are not designed with multilingual students in mind but are used by multilingual learners every day. Expanding the district’s capacity to meet the needs of multilingual students benefits learners of all language backgrounds.
I bring expertise in education research and language development. The board makes decisions about budget, policy, and accountability based on data about the learning and wellbeing of students and staff. As a researcher, I will strive to understand not only if initiatives are working but how they are working, for which students or staff, and under what conditions.
I have spent most of my professional career supporting teachers of multilingual learners.
Over 20% of MMSD students are multilingual. When teachers take into account the needs of multilingual children, all learners benefit no matter their language background.
As a parent and classroom volunteer in MMSD, I stay grounded in the lived experiences of MMSD students and staff.
Home municipality
Madison
Home ZIP code
53704
Preferred pronouns
she/her or they/them
Know Your Candidates Interview
As a classroom teacher, I know student learning depends on high quality classroom experiences. Low achievement outcomes and gaps in MMSD are a serious problem, but our new reading interventions are showing promising results. We are on the right track. We need to protect teacher planning time, work with families and partners in the city and state government to address systemic barriers to student learning like health and housing insecurity, and learn from the strong teaching already happening in MMSD. A lot of great work is underway, and reelecting me will ensure it continues successfully.
Across MMSD, about three out of four students report feeling safe at school. That’s progress, but it’s not enough. Students and staff name real concerns: feeling unsafe in bathrooms and hallways, disruptive behavior, and discipline disparities that affect belonging. Improving school climate means strengthening relationships and ensuring schools have adequate staff and resources. In a second term, I will push for stronger restorative practices, clearer climate data, and even better curriculum and co-curricular options that can keep students engaged in schools from earlier in their education.
I’m proud of Madison’s support for the future of our schools. Madison is growing, and our schools are preparing to meet the moment. Voters approved a referendum to build or renovate 10 schools over the next 5 years; a historic investment in 21st century facilities that will serve our community for generations to come. But schools are more than buildings and MMSD needs to take a hard look at our initiatives and let go of what no longer works so that we can continue to be fiscally responsible. I began this work through the Excellence Together strategic plan and will continue it in a second term.
I will focus on leading the district into collective bargaining with MTI over working and learning conditions, making the board into a political leader for our schools with state government, and reshaping professional development to focus on the craft of teaching. Collective bargaining will bring people with direct knowledge of classroom issues into our decision-making, making for better relationships between stakeholders and better decisions for our schools. We can reimagine professional development to create space for innovation and secure greater autonomy for teachers to hone their craft.
After a successful first term, I’m seeking reelection because I’m just getting started. I am a classroom teacher myself, and have been working in public schools for 15 years. I have worked in 4 districts and 2 states, including for 7 years at West High, and I have an advanced degree in education. I have been an active union member throughout. Being a good Board member is about using my expertise and organizing experience on policy, budgets, and evaluating the Superintendent. Through my first term, I’ve brought together stakeholders, developed collaborative relationships, and laid important groundwork for long term change. I’m in this for the long haul and am proud to be the 1st person to run for reelection to Seat 6 in more than 10 years.
