What is your connection to the Tosa community?

My mom went to Tosa schools. My sister and I both graduated from East.  After after college and getting married, my husband and I moved around the country a lot for his work, but then once the kids were reaching school age, we kind of decided it was time to pick a place and settle down so they could have consistency in their education.  So Tosa was the obvious choice for us. We just love the community and the strong, tight knit neighborhoods… And obviously the excellent schools.

Why are you running for school board?

I love kids. I am a teacher, and I love this community, so I want to protect the things that are wonderful about Tosa schools.  I also know we have work to do to be better. I want to learn from the successes that we’re seeing across the district, and try to replicate that and do those things in all of our schools.  That way all kids have access to those great opportunities. 

In your opinion, what has our school board or district done well recently?

Recently, I think when you look at the time after the COVID lock down, and coming out of that, people were struggling… Students were struggling, academically and behaviorally, and I think the district recognized that.  They put resources where they were most needed. Now we’re seeing the effects of those investments that were made after the lock down. Because of all of those extra resources and investments, we’re seeing test scores going up, and we’re seeing behavior data getting better as well. So I think that has shown that the board responded. I think another thing that I’m proud of the board for doing was making that hard decision to implement a stem program all across the district and for all students.  That way they all have access to those opportunities… I think it’s so important that our workforce has their future employees be technology literate. I think that’s really important in our economy and the future workforce is going to need those skills.

What would your number one priority be on the school board?

We’re a school district. Academic excellence has to be our top priority. I think that looks different for every student, so I want to make sure that we have different pathways for every student to achieve their own excellence and whatever that means for them.

What will be the first thing you do if you get elected to the school board?

I think building relationships with with colleagues on the board is so important. You see with teachers that those who build connections with their students tend to be more successful in their classrooms. I think if we we have a lot of really big, hard issues coming before us, and if we as a board have trust and strong relationships with each other, then we’ll be more successful in solving those problems.

What unique professional or personal perspectives would you bring to the board?

Well, I’m a teacher. I understand the challenges that teachers are facing in their classrooms every day. However, I also know what a strong, rigorous classroom looks like. So I’m committed to making sure teachers have the resources and support that they need to do their best work for students. I’m also a volunteer. I volunteered with the 2075 Task Force, and learned through that that we have some really complicated problems, and there are no simple solutions.  I learned that it’s going to take a lot of listening and a lot of collaboration to come to some solutions. I’ve also been involved with the PTA and PTA Council, and through that I’ve learned how important community is, and how important it is to have families involved in schools. It’s important that they’re stakeholders in the success of those buildings. Last, just as a parent I understand parents love for their kids. We all want the best for our kids. So on the board I would serve with the best interest of kids and they will be in the forefront of my mind for big decisions that we’re making.

How will you ensure that students perspectives are heard on the school board?

I love that we have student representation on the board…They’re so smart. The questions that they ask and the ideas that they have at every meeting… I’m blown away by the things that they say. So I think they’re so important and I think they’re really impactful too. They give us such an important perspective. I think that they have really had influence over some of the decisions that have been made recently on the board. I definitely want to make sure that we have student voices and absolutely keep the student representatives at the meetings.

What is something you have done in the last year that you are proud of?

For the past like 14 years, I have done pretty much everything for my family. This past year, I joined a choir because I used to sing, and I miss that a lot. I’m doing something for myself now.

Any fun facts about yourself?

I think what may be interesting about me is that I’ve lived in four different states and taught in three different states. That was interesting because you learn a lot of different things… Different curriculum, different state standards, and more. There’s always little different things, and I stayed open to learning those new things. I also lived in Laredo, Texas, which is a border town. That was really an interesting cultural experience. I kind of got a taste of what it feels like to be a minority, and to have a language barrier where English is not the dominant language spoken. So that was really eye opening and a great learning experience for me.