As a teacher for 11 years, I love the creative freedom to craft “lightbulb moments” that meet the needs of my students. As a member of the School Board, I will fight to treat teachers as professionals and create a culture of learning where students gain problem-solving skills, compassion and understanding for others, and become curious, informed future citizens.

When I make decisions, I use data and “stakeholder input” to facilitate conversations and make decisions that best meet the needs of that individual student. Some of these decisions are common sense, but others require more collaboration and sensitivity when dealing with issues such as mental health, trauma, disabilities, family circumstances. I believe that the State School Board should use collaboration and sensitivity while putting student needs at the center.

I absolutely love my work as a teacher. One of my favorite parts of being a special education teacher is working with the IEP (Individual Education Program) team: student, parents, general education teachers, counselors, related servers, and administrators. I have found that the most success comes when I collaborate to create student-centered opportunities.