I am running because I believe in high-quality public education for both neurotypical and neurodivergent students. I attended DPS, completed coursework at Henry Ford College, graduated from UM-Dearborn, and today my wife and I are raising three children in the district. As a MASB-certified Trustee and Treasurer, I bring 15+ years of experience in strategic planning, business operations, and communications, plus 10+ years of community advocacy. As a parent of a child with special needs, I bring both fiscal discipline and personal urgency to ensure every student receives rigorous academics, targeted support, and opportunities to thrive beyond graduation.
My priorities are increasing academic rigor, strengthening special education, expanding real-world skills, and ensuring students are career- or college-ready. I support early, small-group interventions to address literacy and math gaps before they grow. I will continue advocating for dedicated special education staffing, modern facilities, and parent engagement. At the secondary level, we must expand CTE, dual enrollment, internships, and industry credentials while making sure families understand how to access them. We must also prepare students for AI and emerging technology while modernizing our schools with strong fiscal accountability.
Equity means giving students the targeted resources they need while maintaining high expectations for everyone. I support expanding high-impact tutoring, strengthening ELL programs, and helping students successfully transition out of supportive programs when they are ready. I also support removing financial barriers so cost does not prevent students from accessing clubs, athletics, or advanced courses when possible. District policies promoting respect, dignity, and anti-discrimination must be consistently enforced so every student, regardless of race, income, language, identity, or learning need, feels safe, valued, and challenged to reach their potential.
Every school should have a clear process for reporting, investigating, and following up on bullying so concerns do not fall through the cracks. Students need confidential reporting options, and parents should know who to contact and what happens next. Staff should be trained to recognize bullying, cyberbullying, threats, and concerning changes in behavior. I also support regular emergency drills, updated building security, and districtwide reviews of incidents to identify repeat problems. Consequences should be consistent, while counseling and support should address the underlying behavior and help prevent it from continuing.
Our first responsibility is ensuring every child remains safe, supported, and learning, regardless of circumstances outside the classroom. I support helping families maintain updated emergency contacts and caregiver plans so children have a clear plan if a parent is suddenly detained. DPS must strictly protect student and family records under FERPA and train staff on protocols for law-enforcement visits to school grounds. If family separation occurs, school counselors and social workers should provide immediate, trauma-informed support to the affected child, while also supporting classmates experiencing fear, grief, or anxiety.
I am running for the Dearborn Board of Education to provide student first, equitable leadership for K-12 schools and Henry Ford College. As a UM-Dearborn alumna and mother, my dedication is personal. Our district faces urgent hurdles. I will work to close literacy gaps so all students read at grade level. Having formally founded Dearborn's first Special Education PTA, I will fight to fix lacking special education facilities. I am also committed to securing better overall infrastructure for students and teachers. My deep PTA service and education experience ensure responsible budgeting to address these critical gaps and build clear paths to student success.
My top priorities for Dearborn Public Schools are ensuring equitable opportunities, supporting our educators, and elevating parental voices. Drawing on 15 years of experience alongside families and the special education community, I will advocate for fair resource allocation, robust staff retention, and transparent communication. Crucially, infrastructure must meet the needs of all learners. I am committed to modernizing our facilities so that our special education students are provided with safe, clean, and state of the art learning environments. By building strong community connections and prioritizing accessible spaces, we can ensure every child in Dearborn has the tools to thrive.
My commitment to our schools drives my vision for equity. To ensure every student thrives, I will first advocate for expanding dual-language programs and stabilizing ELL resources to bridge the communication gap. Second, I will focus on removing financial barriers for students from low-income backgrounds by eliminating extracurricular fees and securing targeted grant funding. Third, I will back the implementation of our district's Strategic Plan to foster safe, culturally responsive learning environments. By expanding mental health resources and cultivating inclusive spaces, we will protect and support ALL students, ensuring full access to academic excellence.
I am committed to a proactive approach to safety and school climate. We must implement restorative behavior policies that prioritize early intervention, alongside comprehensive anti bullying protocols with clear, anonymous reporting channels. School safety requires a true community effort. We need regular communication and training for staff and parents. Crucially, we must secure our schools by investing in safe infrastructure, including modern access control systems, secure vestibules, and updated surveillance ensuring facilities are physically ready to protect students. By pairing structural security with expanded mental health resources, we ensure every Dearborn student feels safe, valued, and ready to learn.
I am fully committed to keeping our schools a safe, welcoming sanctuary for every child, regardless of legal status. To protect students, I support strict "sanctuary school" policies. ICE agents must be barred from district property without a warrant, and staff must never share family data unless legally forced. When immigration actions hit families, the trauma impacts entire classrooms. I will advocate for rapid response mental health teams, deploying bilingual social workers and culturally competent counselors to affected schools immediately. We will provide peer support and ongoing counseling to help classmates heal from anxiety, keeping focus entirely on our children's well being.
