Below are my remarks in response to the questions posed by the League of Women Voters for their vote411.org site. Note that each question had a character limit, which I have shown in parentheses below each question.
(750 characters)
I grew up in the NL-S area, I am a passionate advocate for public education, I was a college professor, I have served on the board for four years, and my children both attend NL-S. I have a passion for contributing to the continued excellence of our schools, and I believe that serving our community on the school board is the best way that I can do that.
My experiences in education have strengthened my belief that all students should leave NL-S ready to contribute to civic life and excel in the fields they choose to tackle. I am a strong advocate of the district’s vision statement: inspire every student, every day. No matter what path a student follows, it is our responsibility to ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed.
(500 characters)
NL-S does not need any radical changes. it needs strong stewards to guide it so that it remains as good when my daughter graduates in 2034 as it was when I graduated in 2004 and when my dad graduated in 1974. With the voter-approved levy now in place, my priorities are to maximize the impact of those funds on student success. This includes re-investment in staff and training, expanding student opportunities, and investing in infrastructure for both learning and safety.
(500 characters)
In my time on the board already, we have approved substantial investments in safety improvements. Additional discipline and mental-health support has been put in place to help students before a crisis emerges. Several physical safety and security upgrades have been finished and more are in progress. I will continue to work to modernize NL-S’s procedures to ensure students can focus on learning and growing because they feel comfortable and safe at school.