Neighborhood/area of residence
Woodland Park, Wilmington Delaware
Are you currently a school board member? (Y/N)
N
How many school board meetings did you attend last year?
All of them
Many qualified people never consider running for school board because they don't understand the role or believe it's accessible to them. Districts can change that by clarifying what board service actually involves through informational sessions and connecting prospective candidates with current members.Financial barriers matter too. Delaware is one of only 13 states where school board members serve without pay. For working parents and community members who cannot absorb that cost, unpaid service simply isn't realistic. Addressing this at the state level would help build boards that truly reflect the communities they serve.
The word "consolidation" is itself part of the problem. Red Clay Consolidated School District is a cautionary tale: a merger that preserved the silos and structural inequities of the systems that came before it rather than dismantling them. Simply combining Brandywine, Christina, Colonial, and Red Clay under one administrative umbrella would replicate that mistake at a larger scale.
If Delaware is serious about equity and coherence across districts, the conversation should be about true unification, not consolidation. Without that commitment, reorganization becomes reorganization in name only.
I bring nearly a decade of classroom experience as a teacher and reading specialist, two master's degrees in education, and a School Leadership Certification. I currently serve on Red Clay's Board Policy Review Committee, which has deepened my understanding of how policy shapes students' daily lives.
Beyond credentials, I have done the unglamorous work of board oversight: analyzing district budgets, filing public records requests, investigating inequitable fund allocation, and pursuing civil rights complaints around transportation equity. I don't just understand how school districts should work. I have spent years holding one accountable when it doesn't.
School boards have a responsibility to protect students' access to knowledge, not restrict it. Calls to remove curriculum topics, books, or programs should be taken seriously as community input, but they should never be the basis for erasure. The First Amendment exists precisely to protect ideas that make some people uncomfortable.
Removing materials because they reflect the experiences of marginalized communities is not a neutral act. It sends a message to those students that their histories do not belong in school. I would oppose removals that undermine inclusive, honest education and ensure any review process is transparent, principled, and resistant to political pressure.
The single most important issue facing Red Clay is equitable distribution of resources. Too many decisions about funding, programs, and opportunities are shaped by history and geography rather than student need, and the students who lose out are disproportionately Black, low-income, and students with disabilities.
I would address this by demanding school-level budget transparency so the community can see exactly where resources land, protecting weighted funds from being diverted away from the students who generate them, and applying an equity lens to every major district decision, from program placement to facility investment to transportation policy. Resources should follow students. In Red Clay, they don't always. I intend to change that.
Equitable access requires more than good intentions. It requires transparency, accountability, and a board willing to ask hard questions.
I would ensure weighted funds reach the students who generate them, that waivers are not used to circumvent the 95% rule, and that school-level budgets are publicly reported. I would protect transportation as a genuine access issue, not an afterthought, and ensure special education students receive the services and supports their IEPs require.
Most importantly, I would center the families most impacted by these decisions. Equitable policy is built with communities, not just for them.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
I disagree. Research does not support the conclusion that more police presence makes schools safer, and evidence consistently shows that SROs disproportionately impact Black and brown students and students with disabilities through increased disciplinary referrals and involvement in the criminal legal system.
Delaware schools need more counselors, mental health staff, and restorative practices. Those are the resources that build the safe, trusting environments where students learn best.
Campaign Phone
302-229-4496
Neighborhood/area of residence
Sherwood Park II
Are you currently a school board member? (Y/N)
Y
How many school board meetings did you attend last year?
12 monthly meetings, numerous board committee meetings
School districts can entice more individuals to run for school board by appealing to one’s civic duty. We need all residents to be represented on the school board, but this takes intentional outreach so all feel they can do the job. It is important that candidates be informed of the responsibilities of school boards, including duty to the families, students, and educators they represent. Holding district administrators accountable and transparent with open communication with all stakeholders focusing on supplying students with the resources needed to be successful in school and in life. It is also important that school boards ensure educators and support staff have resources needed for student safety and tools needed to be successful.
Consolidation of districts has been discussed for decades with city schools. Redding voted to combine all districts in N.C. County with too many variables to be successful in a timely manner. This plan will not be implemented until 2033. Variables slowing or preventing implementation are equalizing pay scales, transportation, Vo Tech buy-in, leadership, school funding, transparency, communication, and support for special needs students. I’d like a smaller Metro Model with Red Clay and Brandywine. This smaller model could identify issues that arise in a county or state model. Still, our inner-city school students are underperforming, and we need solutions for them to be successful with family engagement and additional resources and support.
Retired Red Clay 20 yr. educator at A. I. duPont H S. Head wrestling and girls’ softball coach, advisor astronomy and nature club, and Science Olympiad. Elected to Red Clay School Board for 4 years. Front-line educator with challenges of educators and students which helped in decision and policy making as a board member. I believe former educators have a greater insight into the needs of all stakeholders. My wife, a retired ELA and spec ed teacher, and I founded Just Mentoring Inc to assist struggling middle school students. Our program focusses on academic and social skills, with high schoolers as mentors/role models, demonstrating the power of mentoring. Our non-profit gave insight into Title 1 and Opportunity funding in budget reviews.
Nothing is more important than being responsive to the community. These are their schools and they deserve to be listened to. Will we always agree? Most likely not but the community should feel they have a voice in their school district. I believe any inquiries to the board pertaining to curriculum or reading selection materials should be referred to district leadership responsible for these selections outlined in procedures and board policy which should be developed through evidence-based research. If policy revision or development is deemed necessary to include family or community input, school board members can do so through policy development procedures.
Several issues confront our school district, student achievement and enrollment. Student achievement is being addressed through science of learning curricula and early childhood literacy programs. We have invested in pre-K programs to help improve proficiency in third grade reading. We are unique in that we have the highest income population as well as one of the lowest income populations in the state. We also have the highest achieving schools in the state as well as some of the lowest performing schools. Many of our under-performing schools are of highest need in low-income areas. As a school board member, I review Title 1 funding to assure equitable distribution to our highest needs schools for support staff in high needs classrooms.
I continually monitor distribution of Title1 and Opportunity funds to ensure they are properly distributed to low-income school students for support services. I also monitor district organizations developed for families from low-income schools for discussion of distribution of federal funds by the district. There have been unpopular decisions made by certain school administrators with the elimination of Spanish Immersion Programs were the board had to intervene to preserve these programs. I am informed of most issues concerning students in need of support services and act accordingly. I also review the school discipline reports to ensure proportional distribution of punishment amongst students.
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
Resource officers are needed in our schools, but they need to be trained in school community relationships. SROs are needed in certain schools due to risk of violence and terrorism. Most schools have constables, retired law enforcement, as district employees. Constables can’t arrest or use handcuffs but have firearms. Constable cost is half that of an SRO. Quantity of SROs isn’t the issue, but quality of training in school community relationships and not an “on-call” policemen.
