The school board is a governing body that works as a team of nine in public conversations. While I have a number of things I care about, the tasks of setting policy, reviewing the budget, providing guidance to the superintendent, considering the health of the district as a whole are the roles of school board members. Some of my particular interests include:
-Making sure kids at the elementary level are spending the time in music, art and physical education that is supported by the research to support best brain growth and improve learning ability
-Evaluating the course offerings at the high school level to provide challenges and opportunities for more students to bridge the gap between the middle school curriculum and the Advanced Placement course offerings
-Creating a teaching and working environment where our staff and educators feel valued and are fairly compensated
-Increasing the percentage of students that qualify for the highest levels of the Hathaway Scholarships
-Creating a culture and climate in the school district where every student knows they have a place in school that is safe for growing and learning
Links to media coverage and published candidate interviews: (I will post here as interviews for the 2024 campaigns are released)
https://open.substack.com/pub/laramiereporter/p/as-school-board-is-forced-to-adopt?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
https://laramiereporter.substack.com/p/new-parental-rights-policy-will-force?utm_source=substack&publication_id=296678&post_id=146147075&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=false&r=1s34x1&triedRedirect=true
2020:
ACEA
What is your motivation for pursuing this position?
My wife grew up in Laramie and received an extraordinary education that she has been grateful for and proud of her whole life. We now have a son who is in preschool, and as I looked at the shrinking education budget and wondered what the system would be like as today’s children move through it, I felt a growing responsibility to do more than sit back and post my opinions on Facebook. I am running for the board in order to help do the hard work of preserving and enhancing our schools.
How will you be proactive in communicating and interacting with your stakeholders including district employees?
As a social worker, my natural instinct is to build relationships; my career depends on my ability to listen deeply before drawing conclusions. I will bring that skill to the board, where my primary focus -- together with and inextricable from sustaining our schools -- will be excellent communication with all stakeholders. If elected to the board, I will visit every school facility and solicit input from staff and educators at every level and will make sure people can reach me through email or phone, as well as during virtual or in-person events. I believe that for a board to be effective, everyone affected by our decisions must feel empowered to communicate with us. To that effect, I will post information on my campaign facebook page about upcoming meetings and agenda items, hold community conversations, and be available for one on one meetings.
What is your knowledge of the public education system? How do you make system decisions taking into account all three levels of schools: elementary, middle and high school?
When I decided to run for school board, I made a commitment to learn everything I could about our schools and how they work. I have already benefited enormously from conversations with educators about what they believe the board can do to support them in their work, and with current board members about the challenges they are facing, what they see as the biggest issues in the coming term, and what qualities make an effective board member. I have also begun reviewing the budget so that, if elected, I can begin my tenure with a clear grasp of our financial situation. As a board member, my perspective will be guided by thinking about the most vulnerable populations in the system, from the lowest paid staff members in the district to the students who need the most support to succeed. I believe that, when making a decision, it is always important to step back and ask who will benefit and who will lose, and whether we as a community can tolerate that impact. If that were my job or my child, would such a decision seem wise, fair, and for the greater good? I believe questions like these can help clarify the difficult decisions handled by the board, and help to assess and manage the very different needs and issues facing students and staff from the pre-K level all the way through to high school.
ACSD-1 has always prided itself on providing an excellent education to all of the students in Albany County. How do you plan on supporting the whole child in ACSD-1? How will you ensure needs of our students continue to be met for diverse learning opportunities including art, music, PE, and social-emotional (guidance), world language, CTE, advanced placement courses etc?
I know so many passionate and talented educators in the ACSD, and I believe that the best way to improve our schools is to make sure they and their colleagues have the funding and resources to do what they do best: educate our kids. I also know this will be an uphill battle, since Wyoming is facing budget cuts that do not appear to be temporary. In the face of those, we will have to fight to make sure each and every student obtains a top-notch education, from career and technical training to AP math, science, and language courses to the physical activity and artistic expression that support not only academic growth but also personal and social development. That’s why I would be a crucial addition to the board: because I would bring both passion and evidence to the fight for a well-rounded education. That fight will benefit not just our schools but also our whole community: as Albany County looks to diversify our economy and attract other industries, having a school system that supports the broad range of learning experiences will be critical. To that end, I would like to see the full details of how much ACDS-1 reserves each year from the funds from Cheyenne, and how any “rainy day funds” are supposed to be used. At some point, we may need to acknowledge that it’s raining right now, and the time has come to put some of those funds to wise use.
Employees are craving interaction and authentic engagement with board members. In recent years, board members have been discouraged from being in district buildings and interacting with staff. How will you address the lack of opportunity for positive and constructive interaction and engagement with staff members in their work settings around the district?
As an elected trustee to the ACSD board, serving the public is my first responsibility. I cannot imagine on what legitimate basis contact with constituents would be “discouraged”; nor can I imagine making decisions on the board without hearing firsthand from everyone in a position to know what’s happening in our schools and what’s going on with our kids, from janitorial, nursing, mental health, and office staff to classroom teachers, special educators, paraprofessionals, and administrators. I look forward to visiting district buildings regularly, and interacting with district employees frequently, both on site and via phone, email, and video-conferencing. I am accustomed to spending my days listening to others, and look forward to doing so on the school board as well. Board transparency is critical in establishing and maintaining trust with stakeholders; I intend to work to establish this trust.
Locally and Nationally there has been conversation on the effects of Covid-19 on the mental health of students. What role do you see certified support staff having in addressing this mental health crisis? How do you, as a board member, ensure that those staff members (ie counselors, social workers etc) are prioritized in the budget so we can address those critical mental health issues facing our youth within ACSD-1.
This is a great question, and as a mental health professional I appreciate the members of ACEA bringing it up. I would start by talking with school counselors and nurses in each school to find out what they are observing and what their students need. I would also reach out to my colleagues who work with young people in private practice, to get a sense of what trends they are observing in the office and what needs may not be evident or are not being addressed in the school setting. Although the current pandemic has created specific issues, I would view this work as part of my overall commitment to making sure that our schools sustain and enhance the mental and emotional wellbeing of our students. I know that the budget situation will be less than ideal and that we may need to reallocate resources from some of the top expenses in order to maintain adequate direct services, but I am committed to finding ways to meet these essential needs.
LARAMIE YOUTH VOTER GUIDE
Do you support the current level of SROs and police presence in our schools? Are there changes you think need to be made?
The role of Safety Resource Officers in schools is an important one, but the way that role is filled is just as crucial. A skilled SRO can help prevent small problems from becoming big ones, while an under-resourced or inadequately trained SRO can do the reverse. As a result, we need to make sure that all of our Safety Resource Officers understand the climate and culture of the school where they work and are able to build relationships with students. I am in favor of keeping kids in school and in the community wherever possible, and working to identify problems early and understand them from a mental health perspective, rather than solely a disciplinary perspective. I do not support a police presence in our schools.
Do you support creating a Student Member of the School Board position? If so, how would you go about implementing it?
Students are the number one stakeholders in our schools, and I believe it is crucial to hear from them about their experiences. I would support any representation on the board that helps make sure their voices are heard, including having a Student Advisory Board that regularly presents to the board or a student representative on the Board. I know that many other school districts around the country have had these positions for decades, so I would seek the advice of board colleagues around the state and beyond about how to pilot such a student position here.
How will you work to ensure student safety as the pandemic continues (continuing hybrid learning, going back to five days a week, etc.)?
Safety is the most critical issue facing our schools right now, for students, families, staff and educators. I believe a remote learning option is absolutely essential for students who cannot risk getting sick or bringing the virus home to their families, and I believe we owe it to those students to make sure that option does not sacrifice educational excellence. WIth the pandemic likely to continue for the majority of the current school year, I believe our energy is best spent developing outstanding hybrid and remote learning options that will work for every family in the district. I would hesitate to move to full-time, in-person school, since the risk of an outbreak remains high. I believe putting ourselves in a situation where we would likely have to send everyone home again full-time would ultimately be more disruptive to students, teachers, parents, and the whole community. I do hope, though, that we can find safe, evidence-backed ways to allow for some in-school contact while ensuring that other models do not shortchange our students.
Will you work to expand the dual language immersion program in the district?
Yes, I absolutely would. The dual-language immersion program is an extraordinary part of our district, and I would love for more students to have the opportunity to participate in it, by expanding it to more schools and possibly to additional languages as well, as other districts in Wyoming have done. I also believe it is important for the DLI program to be more inclusive of English Language Learners, so I would also focus on outreach strategies and creative funding, as well as staff and teacher retention efforts.
What have you done in your campaign and past work to ensure youth voices are heard?
My son is four years old, so most of my exposure to youth voices right this minute comes from the pre-K set! But in graduate school, I volunteered in the Dominican Republic with a youth empowerment program that helped bring HIV and AIDS education to rural villages around Puerto Plata. The entire theory of that work was that residents were more likely to accept information and education from local youth than from adults, and it was incredible to watch those teenagers become public health advocates in their community. It reminds me of what we are seeing around the country right now as young people become leaders on some of the most important issues of our time: racial justice, gun safety, and climate change. I see that locally at Laramie High School, and one of the things I’m most excited about if I am lucky enough to join the board is the chance to meet with and learn from young people.
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS: VOTER’S GUIDE
What is the appropriate balance of power between the District Superintendent and the elected Board of Trustees?
My view is that there should be an equal balance of power between the District Superintendent and the Board of Trustees. Good governance requires checks and balances, and no one body can make decisions alone or leverage power over the other at the expense of thorough, informed, transparent decision-making. I am very aware, however, that the Superintendent and staff bring a lifetime of service, training, and expertise to their roles, and I believe the trustees can and always should learn from them.
Considering a likely income shortfall, what specific measures do you favor to balance the 2021-2022 budget?
This is an extraordinarily difficult year for our schools, and comes on the heels of other budget cuts and adjustments. I propose we conduct a top-down review of our budget, starting with higher-level pay scales and district-level roles rather than making further cuts to staff, educators and direct services. From my perspective, limiting the student experience by cutting electives is not an option.
What school board policy regarding athletic activities, as defined by the Wyoming High School Activities Association, would you advocate in light of evidence that long-term neurological issues may result from sports or activities that cause head injuries?
As a former collegiate athlete, I believe in pursuing our highest potential, on and off the field. This means being able to stay active physically and mentally over the long haul, not sacrificing the future for a short-term goal. As a mental health professional, I also believe that research and science should guide our decisions on athletics, as on every other aspect of student life. I applaud the efforts of the Wyoming High School Activities Association to take player safety seriously, and as a trustee I would devote myself to researching the data and implementing best practices for reducing long-term injury while maintaining the integrity of the sport.