VOTE411 Voter Guide

I currently serve as the incumbent for Position #1 on the Redmond School Board. I bring a strong commitment to improving our schools and apply strengths in observation and analysis to make data-driven decisions that serve the best interests of our students.

As co-founder of a successful public charter school, I played a key role in every phase of its development—including facility construction, innovative curriculum design, and the recruitment of expert staff. I also served as Board Chair for seven years, guiding the school through its foundational growth.

The Board’s role is to create policy and provide leadership in its implementation. As local stewards of state and federal law, we’re responsible for applying government policy as required. However, implementation—particularly when funding or guidance is unclear—often falls to us. Our responsibility is to interpret and apply the law through the lens of local needs, striving to uphold its intent while doing what’s best for our students.

The most urgent challenge facing our schools is ensuring that students gain proficiency in the fundamentals—reading, writing, and math. We must bring the majority of students to grade-level expectations and equip them with the skills needed to shape their own path to success. This requires data-driven decision-making and controlling for variables so we can clearly identify what works—and what doesn’t—in building academic proficiency.

Improvement comes through practical changes and dedicated effort. Maintaining manageable class sizes, protecting classroom instructional time, and refining—or replacing—curriculum as needed will lay the groundwork for getting our schools back on track.

My background includes years of working with families and individuals with disabilities, navigating Oregon’s policies to deliver support and equity. As a special education parent, I understand firsthand the importance of communication, inclusion, and student-centered decision-making. I bring both professional and lived experience, grounded in community and guided by values of equity, accountability, and care. I believe in policies that lift up all students, support educators, and reflect the voices of the families we serve.

School districts must meet state and federal obligations that protect student rights, ensure access, and guide accountability. Laws like I.D.E.A., Title I, and Title IX are not just mandates—they reflect a promise to serve all students equitably. As a social worker and special education parent, I understand how these laws shape real lives. I will support policies that uphold compliance with purpose—ensuring equity, transparency, and inclusion. Beyond meeting minimum standards, we must implement these policies in ways that reflect care, justice, and our shared responsibility to all children.

Community leaders need to be vigilant, bold, and brave in our efforts to protect our children and make thoughtful decisions with student safety, well-being, and success at the center of those decisions. If elected, I look forward to collaborating with the four other board members to discern the most imminent issues and priorities our school district will be facing in the next few years.