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As an Ithaca graduate, parent, and community prevention professional, I bring experience working directly with individuals and families, as well as leading programs designed to strengthen the systems that serve them. As a Program Director, I supervise staff, manage a complex multi-grant portfolio and budgets, oversee compliance and evaluation, and build partnerships with schools and community organizations. I am completing my master's degree in Management, Strategy and Leadership at Michigan State University. I bring experience managing people, resources and partnerships, with a strong understanding of how decisions impact the people we serve.
My priority is maintaining a sustainable budget while protecting the people, programs and resources that have the greatest impact on students. Before making cuts, I believe we need to understand what each program provides, who it serves and the outcomes it produces. I would look for duplication and efficiencies, but also opportunities: Are grants available? Can we partner with community organizations? Are there resources through the RESD that we can better utilize or collaborate on? I do not work in our schools every day, so listening to the educators and staff who do is essential. Cuts affecting classroom instruction, essential staff and critical student supports should come last.
Improving student achievement starts with understanding where students are succeeding, where they are struggling, and why. We should use achievement, growth and attendance data while listening to the teachers and staff who work with students every day. We need to identify gaps early, evaluate what is working, and use school, RESD and community resources when support is needed. We should have high expectations, but achievement is more than test scores, grades, or how many activities students can fit into a schedule. Kids also need time to be kids. Success means helping students grow academically, socially and emotionally without losing the joy of childhood.
Public schools are being asked to meet increasingly complex needs with limited resources. Sustainable funding is a major concern because it affects nearly everything else: our ability to recruit, retain and support great teachers and staff, maintain aging facilities, provide student supports and invest in the classroom. Attendance is another significant challenge; students cannot fully benefit from school if they are not consistently there, and addressing the reasons behind absences requires partnership with families and the community. We also have to think long-term about our buildings. Aging facilities are not only expensive to maintain, but can create inefficiencies that pull resources away from other priorities.
