As a graduate of Rochester Community Schools who still has family members attending the district, I am dedicated to help the district be the best it can be. I have almost 10 years of School Board experience in a neighboring Oakland County district. Having recently returned to the Rochester Community, I believe my experience will benefit this district. I have helped lead a district through devastating financial issues, the Covid-19 years and a comprehensive bond initiative. I have served in all officer positions on a School Board, including the last 3 as President. I understand the roles and responsibilities of a School Board as well as the limitations. I have worked with multiple superintendents and know the importance of effective oversight and clear direction. As a returning Rochester resident, I believe my unique perspective will benefit all.
Improving internal Board cohesion and cooperation leading to thoughtful, concise and clear decisions built on consensus.
Full financial transparency for our community to fully understand how their tax dollars are truly spent.
Full review of policies and procedures to ensure full compliance and to address the many issues brought up by the communitee.
I have spent over 12 years in college studying engineering, psychology and divinity while raising 5 children, coaching 2 sports for over 30 years at all levels including High School Division 1 & 2, counseling hundreds and helping to improve companies through strategic development.
I am generally the fixer who assesses problems, identifies core issues, listens and then creates a clear plan to resolution. I have done it with individuals, businesses and competitive organizations where true team building was central and strong opposition was expected.
The school district has rather infamously lost trust locally, regionally and beyond. It has developed a reputation for steadily declining in its ability to execute the base mission of childhood education.
The apparent operating system of the board majority for the last years has become to centralize power in an individual of the board, namely the president, and then make itself unaccountable to anyone.
Major decisions have been and continue to be made that all move in the same direction - towards secrecy and against properly established norms of transparency.
Boards of Education throughout the United States have operated well under the same organizational guiding principles for many decades. I intend to return us to this structure. We will conduct ourselves pursuant to federal and state constitutions, legislation such as The Revised School Code & The Open Meetings Act, with Robert's Rules and Board Policies as standards of conduct.
I am a graduate of Rochester Community Schools, and my five children are all graduates of Rochester Community Schools. Over the last several years I have noticed a downward trend in test scores, academic rigor and performance, transparency from administration and the board and school board accountability. I have the experience, skills and passion to help reverse that trend and make Rochester Community Schools the most educationally excellent school district in the state and country. I am an attorney whose practice has focused on child welfare law. I was a law professor and dean of a local law school. I am a former school board president and school superintendent of a public school academy. I have been part of the greater Rochester Community and Rochester Community Schools since 1971. I understand the importance of open and respectful discourse, and an honest and open relationship between educators, students and parents.
The top three issues facing our school district are a lack of transparency from the board, and downward trends in academic achievement and enrollment. I've observed the board censure one of its members for sharing already public information about a millage with voters. I've watched the board change their rules so that the board president can restrict other trustees from sharing their ideas or asking questions. I've seen the board engage in closed session decision making without reports back to the public. I will change the rules so that each trustee may express their views. When parents make public comments, they will get responses. I will ensure that strategic planning focuses on academic achievement with measurable goals that will improve academic outcomes. And when trust is reestablished between parents and the board and academic outcomes trend up, RCS will be the most attractive educational option for parents of our school aged children to select, improving enrollment.
I am a parent, OU faculty member and administrator, longtime Advanced Placement consultant, researcher, nonprofit leader, and current Rochester Community Schools trustee. For more than 30 years, I have worked at the intersection of K–12 and higher education, building bridges between schools and communities, research and practice, and people with different perspectives.
I am running to continue serving RCS because strong schools depend on thoughtful, transparent governance that keeps students at the center. I bring experience in educational leadership, curriculum and assessment, strategic planning, collaboration, and evidence-informed decision-making. As a trustee, I listen carefully, ask questions, respect professional expertise, and work to build consensus. I am committed to responsible stewardship and to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and excel.
RCS is a strong district, but we cannot become complacent. To maintain excellence, we must: 1) Help all students reach their potential. Families choose RCS for its academic rigor—and for programs and supports, from comprehensive special education to AP coursework, that help students succeed. We must use outcomes, community input, and expertise to ensure learners are supported and challenged. 2) Invest in the people who make excellence possible. We must recruit, reward, and retain outstanding teachers, administrators, and staff; maintain class sizes that allow educators to know, challenge, and support students; and balance our commitments with responsible fiscal stewardship. 3) Strengthen communication and public trust. The Board must model clear, respectful communication and help the community understand how and why decisions about leadership, staffing, programs, and resources are made. I support transparent explanations, two-way engagement, and long-range stewardship.
I am a parent of a current student in the district and a recent graduate. I have spent the past 14 years volunteering in the schools with PTA, serving in many capacities. Most recently, I spent 6 years serving on the Rochester Community PTA Council, which oversees all 20 school PTAs in our district. Through that work I have learned a lot about our district and the individual schools. I have also formed relationships with parents in all the schools, as well as principals, administrators, teachers, secretaries, etc. These relationships and this knowledge of our district will be invaluable to me in serving on the school board as we work to continue to keep students at the center of all we do in Rochester.
The biggest priority is continuing to meet the needs of all learners, especially in a changing educational landscape. From our most advanced learners to our special education students, and everyone in between, we need to continue to evaluate how students learn best and work to meet those needs as best we can, whether that's virtual learning, alternative schedules, hybrid schedules, increasing CTE opportunities as well as dual-enrollment.
As technology increases and becomes more prevalent, as well as the use of AI, ensuring we determine the most appropriate uses of technology in our classrooms and with our students. Finding the right balance between using technology to benefit our students, while not losing the core focus on teaching and student interaction in the classroom.
Financial sustainability is also an important issue. Ensuring we can continue to offer a wide variety of programs and opportunities to students while also ensuring we can recruit and retain top teachers.
