Occupation
Small business owner
Qualifications for office
3 years prior board service after board appointment as well as public election, career of service to special needs students, familiarity with local practices through extensive volunteer involvement and parenting.
Education
BSEd, Miami University, 1995 . MS Speech Language Pathology, Vanderbilt University, 1997.
My interest in running for School Director is to continue to serve the community I love and understand well so that our students, staff, and taxpayers can trust that the district is being led responsibly. Simply put, in these incomprehensible political times, the changing educational landscape require strong personal values, objectivity, vigilance, flexibility, and courage, all of which I have. Public education should emphasize high quality, publicly funded education for all children K-12 residing in our community that meets their individual needs. My contribution will be to do the right thing to protect kids and to advocate for affordable and foundational public education for all.
Tremendous effort has been applied in the area of budgeting in my past three years of service. A multi-faceted approach to a fiscally responsible budget is essential, in combination with an understanding that the community continues to demand excellence and accomplishment and varied opportunities to come from tax payments. Specifically, the budget revenues have multiple sources, including federal funding, state funding, local funding, and other sources such as tuition/ticket sales/gate fees, etc. A proactive approach to understanding exactly what budget managers require to continue their excellence in programming, balanced with increases to the funding sources named above is a wide-spread approach to a balanced budget.
We have the advantage of a superior Curriculum Development team made of dedicated educational professionals who consider k-12 alignment of learning objectives. Additionally, when new and expensive curriculum purchases are needed, our faculty does a data informed approach to selection, sometimes over several months and pilot studies. when they make curriculum suggestions, as they have specifically for ELA and Science, we ask insightful questions, provide public review periods, and then we approve their suggestions. Curriculum is available for stakeholder review, as we have prioritized transparency.
Occupation
Assistant Teaching Professor
Qualifications for office
Teaching Professor of Biological Sciences, Career Development and Health Professions Advising, Advocate for holistic student development, Board Member - Mt. Lebanon Foundation for Education, Active PTA Member - Past-President Hoover Elementary & Past-President, Mt. Lebanon City Council of PTAs
Education
PhD Biochemistry, Arizona State University; BS Biochemistry, Susquehanna University
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/LeboForward
I have spent my entire career in higher education, working with students to guide them through their academic paths and career development. Beyond my professional role, I have been actively involved in the Mt. Lebanon community from volunteer coaching youth soccer and baseball to serving in leadership roles with the Mt. Lebanon Junior Women's Club, Hoover Elementary School PTA, and the Mt. Lebanon City Council of PTAs. I am running because I believe that public schools are vital to shaping a strong future for our community, and I am committed to working with district administrators to achieve that goal.
In recent strategic plan forums, the community identified several key areas for improvement including enhanced support for special education and gifted education, balancing academic rigor with mental and emotional health, evaluating the use of technology in schools, improving cultural awareness so that all students feel safe and supported to be their authentic self, and strengthening communication. These areas align with my personal priorities as well. The forthcoming strategic plan (June 2025) is anticipated to further detail these community-expressed priorities and will guide district activities for the next 6 years including budgeting priorities.
When we see our identities represented in a variety of settings, we feel a sense of belonging which research has shown is important for mental and physical well-being, and can be predictive of academic, social and economic success. In short, representation matters. I believe the characters in books found in our libraries should be representative of the characters that we will interact with throughout our lives. When we give our children age-appropriate opportunities to learn about the full range of the human experience, we help them to be comfortable embracing their own unique identities. In doing so we help them to be able to see the value in the uniqueness of others, which better prepares them for the diverse world that we inhabit.
Occupation
Project Manager
Qualifications for office
Parent of Children in the District, Longtime Community Volunteer, Experience with Financial Oversight
Education
BS Appled Math/Computer Science Carnegie Mellon MBA Univiersity of Pittsburgh
Facebook
LeboForward
As the parent of two high schoolers who've been in our district since kindergarten, I've witnessed firsthand how board decisions impact our students. I've attended countless meetings and seen what truly works in our schools.
My experience in board-level financial oversight equips me to make tough budgetary decisions during challenging times. I know how to scrutinize spending while protecting what matters most—our students and classrooms.
This unique combination—engaged parent plus financial expertise—means I'll ensure your tax dollars directly benefit education. I'll bring both heart and fiscal discipline to every decision, protecting our district's excellence while respecting your investment.
Mt. Lebanon's award-winning schools aren't just buildings—they're why families choose to live here. I'm committed to protecting this valuable asset while respecting your wallet.
To address financial shortfalls we need to address both sides of the ledger. For revenue enhancement, we should aggressively pursue grants and sponsorships to minimize tax increases. On expenditures, we must negotiate firmly with vendors to secure optimal value and consider deferring certain capital investments when prudent.
Throughout this process, the priority remains preserving the educational excellence that defines our district, ensuring fiscal adjustments have minimal impact on student outcomes.
I believe curriculum decisions belong with educational experts—teachers and administrators with specialized training—while always including meaningful community input. Our selections must reflect proven academic standards, sound research, and age-appropriate content.
Regarding books, let me be clear: every book in our libraries has undergone careful professional review. As a parent myself, I respect that families have different values. Just as I wouldn't want to restrict your child's access to materials that only align with my values, I ask for the same consideration. We should not be limiting books to just the lowest common demoninator. We should value books that challenge preconceptions and make students think.
Occupation
Immigrant & Refugee Youth Program Specialist
Qualifications for office
I am a trauma-informed children's author, educator, and program lead; an advocate for the affirmation of all cultures, identities, abilities, and languages; a parent of four children, including two who are neurodivergent; an active volunteer in my children's schools, our community, and our house of worship; and a vocal ally of immigrants, refugees, and the LGBTQ+ community.
Education
MEd (Higher Education Management), University of Pittsburgh; BA (Political Science & Psychology), University of Central Florida
Facebook
www.facebook.com/leboforward
I have been actively involved with my community's schools over the past 6 years. Because my oldest, now a 5th grader, has Down syndrome, I quickly learned the multiple players and processes that accompany the development and implementation of an IEP in our district. My husband and I have maintained positive, clear channels of communication with our elementary school, which continued to serve us well when our second child was diagnosed with ADHD. I lead several PTA events and initiatives each year, I volunteer in my kids' classrooms, and I have gotten to know families and teachers at most of the schools in the district. As part of my day job, I also have assisted in the enrollment of numerous refugee students within our district.
Our current board has done an excellent job of responding to unanticipated budget cuts over the past year, and I am excited to move forward under the proposed balanced budget that will be in place for 2025-26. Although the district's plans currently project that we will move toward surpluses over the next few years, unanticipated national events and local needs (such as capital expenses) remain a present concern. I will look to make any needed cuts as far from the classroom/student experience as possible. When additional revenue streams are needed, including potential tax increases, I will work collaboratively with district administrators, fellow board members, and community voices to find the most equitable solutions possible.
I believe that the decisions surrounding these selections belong first to the teachers, as they are highly trained and experienced professionals in education and child development. Just as I wouldn't expect a professional roofer to take my advice on a repair simply because they were repairing *my* roof, I wouldn't expect a teacher to follow a parent's mandate on what they should or shouldn't teach in a classroom solely because of what a family believes or practices outside of that classroom.
A student-centered education must prioritize a sense of belonging for every student, and I believe that when the curriculum reflects and reinforces that sense of belonging, every student experiences increased safety and wellness.
