Campaign Phone
740-818-8456
Education and Experience
I am a 2003 graduate of Belpre High School and earned my associate's degree from Washington State Community College in Marietta, Ohio. I studied Mass Media at Marietta College and was a journalist for over a decade, primarily at The Athens Messenger. I left journalism in 2016 and spent two years serving with COMCorps at the Athens County Board of DD. I have worked as a children's librarian at the Athens Public Library since 2021. I have proudly served on the Fed Hock School Board since 2018.
Funding is an issue not only at Fed Hock, but in many districts in the state. Costs, such as health insurance, continue to skyrocket while funding from state/federal sources is trending downward. Our district treasurer does a fantastic job monitoring our revenue/expenditures but it's hard to plan for the future when state funding in particular is unpredictable. We must continue to advocate for fair state public education funding but also look for new revenue sources. One idea being proposed is an earned income tax levy. The board must ensure that the district superintendent and treasurer are working hand-in-hand to advance student education while maintaining financial responsibility.
I've lived in the district since 2013. I first got involved with Fed Hock as a journalist at The Athens Messenger, covering board meetings. I was impressed with the district and its values. My daughter attended Amesville Elementary and is now a freshman at Fed Hock. When I left journalism in 2016, I decided to run for the board as a way to serve the district. I've served on the board since 2018, during which time we've navigated a pandemic, financial constraints and multiple superintendents. During those tough situations, I kept an objective point-of-view and based my decisions on student education. I support maintaining our small elementary schools, full-time art/music education and improving handicap accessibility for students/families.
The primary role of the school board is to hire and evaluate the district superintendent and treasurer. It is the superintendent's role to oversee the day-to-day operations of the district and delegate responsibilities to the administrators. The board should ensure that the superintendent and treasurer are working in tandem to advance student success while making sound financial decisions. While the board should not deal with district operations directly, it should guide the superintendent's goals based on community input and student needs. Board members should maintain open communication with the superintendent and treasurer and ask questions to ensure they are making informed decisions when voting on supt./treasurer recommendations.
Campaign Phone
7404487318
Education and Experience
I have a BA in English Literature from Michigan State University and an MA in International Affairs from Ohio University. I work at HAPCAP and am a certified Community Health Worker, with a focus on healthy food and food security. I am the owner operator of Blackberry Sage Farm in Ames township. I have served several terms on both the Athens Farmers Market and Community Food Initiatives Board of Directors. I taught EFL at the high school level in the United States Peace Corps.
The top two issues in the district are raising the academic standard and improving communication between the parents and the school board.
One solution to raise the academic standard is to start the Federal Hocking Textbook Foundation, whose sole purpose is to raise money to purchase new textbooks and supplies for the district.
I believe improving communication between the parents and school board is imperative. Often the parents do not feel heard and I believe the board is open to improvements. Tweaking the process by encouraging questions and clarifications from board members to the parent who is speaking (instead of just calling up the next speaker) will diffuse the tension and frustration that builds from a lack of interaction.
I was on the Athens Farmers Market board for 12 years. I am a short and long term visionary. I am a good listener and will prioritize the needs and desires of the tax payers when making decisions. I have a good relationship with many local non-profits, village officials, and agencies. I work well with others and I stay in my lane. I am committed to finding solutions to the needs of the community, administration and students. I am transparent and a good communicator in verbal and written form. I know how to read financial spreadsheets. I have integrity and can handle challenges with grace and patience. I am open to opinions different from mine and collaborate well with others. I am an advocate for public schools and good at public outreach.
The role of the school board in relation to the superintendent and their office is one of governance over and working closely with to find solutions for all district level issues. The school board is responsible for hiring and evaluating the superintendent. The board's job is to establish a vision for the district and adopt policies that work towards the success of that vision. The superintendent’s office develops and implements a plan to achieve the vision, tracks and presents the progress of the plan to the board, who then re-evaluates the vision and the superintendent’s efforts to start the process over again. The board decides “what” the vision is, the superintendent decides "how" to implement that vision.
Campaign Phone
7404400399
Education and Experience
Federalhocking high school, tri county Former Councilman of Coolville
Top issues for many of the parents and community members I spoke to is school board members ignoring and refusing to acknowledge people at the meetings. And even if the information is confidential at least tell the people that its confidential instead of treating them like dont exist and their concerns dont matter.
2nd issue is spending money recklessly. I feel that a few of the things money was spent on wasnt needed or more was spent then needed. Hoping to address that by budgeting better.
Im a parent, I went to federal hocking and I was a former coolville council member.
A school board is suppose to be over a superintendent.
Campaign Phone
7405411677
Education and Experience
Bachelors in Elementary Education Masters in Educational Leadership and Principalship. Teacher for 12 years, Principal for 15 years.
First and foremost I believe it is important for the board to hire a superintendent that will support the community, staff, and students in our district. We are fortunate that Dr. Wood has agreed to be the superintendent until a viable candidate is found, but finding the right person to replace him is essential as the welfare of the district both financially as well as structurally depends on strong consistent leadership. To find that candidate it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the expectations of the superintendent, the priorities of the district, search all avenues available, engage the community in the process, conduct thorough interviews, and thoroughly vet the candidate.
As a 35 year resident of this district I have been involved in several different capacities. My daughter attended Amesville Elementary and graduated from Federal Hocking High School. After graduating from OU she went back to Amesville to teach.
I had the immense pleasure of being principal of Coolville Elementary for 9 years and was involved in many capacities in the district including curriculum, federal programming, community functions, as well as leading a talented and caring staff and wonderful students.
My ties to the district are deep and my understanding of the district needs are wide. The welfare of Federal Hocking continues to be essential to the welfare of our community.
In order for a district to run successfully and thrive, the relationship between the superintendent and the board must be carried out with honesty and integrity so that they can work as partners for the welfare of the district.
The board’s role is to provide steady leadership by setting clear goals that reflect its community’s values, while the superintendent brings the professional know-how to carry those goals out in daily practice. While the board sets policy, and approves curriculum, budget, and staff hiring, among other matters, it is the superintendent’s role to effectively bring those decisions to life through leadership, management, and daily operations that keep the district moving forward.
Education and Experience
BFA, 19 years Project Management Experience
The first issue of our district is funding. As the state gives less and less funds to public schools, our district will be forced to make drastic cuts.
My goal would be to help find areas in which potential savings can be achieved as well as advocate for a tax lavy.
The second issue of our district is test scores. While I do not think test scores are the most important issue, it does seem to be an issue with our district.
For this I would promote continuing education for the teachers and provide teachers the resources they need in order to reach the students. My firm believe is that if teachers are engaged, then the students will engage with them.
Through my background in construction and project management over the last 19 years, I have learned to keep a project on schedule and on budget. In situations where budget cannot be met I work with the clients to find areas in which we can reduce our spending in order to meet the goal of the project. Programing and scope always come first before the budget and we can almost always find a way to make the 2 align.
I hope to bring this skill to the district in helping to realign the budget we have in order to meet our goals.
The role of the school board should be to help guide the superintendent and to ensure that the superintendent continues to maintain and promote the goals and mission of the district.
Campaign Phone
7405909276
Education and Experience
Athens High school 1984 Diploma, Washington State Community College 45.4 credit hours, Federal Hocking School District 25 years as a Paraprofessional
The top two issues that I would like to address are student success and enrollment.
Students deserve to attend school in a safe environment where they can learn and flourish. Success may look different for each student. For some it is receiving good grades, for another it may be just being able to make it through a class with no issues. We need a multitude of staff to make this happen. Principals, Teachers, Guidance Counselors, and all other support staff as well as parents and guardians. If we do not support our students and staff we do not function efficiently.
Which brings me to my next issue of enrollment. We have been losing students to open enrollment for a long time. This is not new. We need to investigate this and find a solution.
I recently retired from Federal Hocking School District with 25 years of service. Within this time I have seen what has been effective in the success of our students, both inside the classroom as well as things directly related to administration. These are the areas at which I feel I can be most helpful. I began my career at Coolville Elementary in 1999. After 6 years I transferred to the high school. I have worked with students from preschool through 12th grade. I also coached cheerleaders from 2005 to 2012. I have worked with many teachers in all subjects and several administrators. I had two children graduate from Federal Hocking. I now have two grandchildren attending and want them to have the same opportunities that their dad had.
The role of the school board should be to set goals and policies for the district and advise the superintendent on what aligns with the communities values and priorities. A financial budget will be developed by the treasurer and must be honored by the superintendent who makes sure the school administrators also spend within the rules of the budget. The school board will evaluate the superintendent and make sure he or she is following established policies and budget.
