Education is at a crossroads as American schools struggle to provide a meaningful education in an era of competing interests. Schools must choose between safety or access. School leaders must choose programs that prepare for high stakes tests or cultivate creativity in students. Families must choose between quality family time or scheduling extracurricular activities that demand hours of time and money. Everyone has an opinion and perspective that is unique to their own personal experiences and priorities. The challenge lies in finding a balance between all these perspectives to serve our children's best interests. I am running to serve on the School Board so that we can work to find that balance together.
During the past year, the people of San Marino have been engaged in a number of conversations about where that balance lies. I would like to help facilitate those conversations so that our school leadership can focus on serving the needs and interests of our students with support from the San Marino community. High quality programs requires research, funding, and patience as teachers and staff work together to implement exciting and meaningful programs that match the interests and needs of our students.
San Marino schools must adapt to the transformations taking place in schools today. Across the nation, students are expected to accomplish so much that it has taken a toll on their emotional and social health. Rather than engaging students in their learning and inspiring them to be excellent and passionate, schools everywhere have cultivated an environment in which children feel pressure, stress, and anxiety. San Marino schools must take the lead in finding ways to manage this pressure and inspire students to be engaged and passionate about lifelong learning. Our schools must find ways to help students to be excellent and passionate about everything they do. I am excited to see what our Board can do when everyone works together.