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Kira Taylor for

Mancos School Board

November 4th, 2025

My Key Issues:

My Bio
I am an experienced educator with a background in education technology and community outreach. I also have experience with town government and nonprofit board structure. I have lived in Mancos for over 7 years with my husband Andres, my son Ames, and our two dogs, Pasque and Smoot. I love Mancos - I love how much people care for their neighbors and our town, and I love the access to and beauty of the mountains and mesas around us.

My Teaching Philosophy
As a former 5th grade teacher in Cortez, my teaching philosophy is based on establishing trust and mutual respect with students and student-centered approaches that account for different learning styles, backgrounds, and strengths. I also understand first hand the importance of providing teachers with support, from a living wage, to collaboration and mentorship facilitation, with room for individual teaching styles and creativity inside of a system built on best practices for student success.

A Bridge to Community Voices
I want to help strengthen community engagement by serving as a bridge between the community and the board. My experience as a teacher gives me ideas for supporting our schools, but I believe our policies should reflect both good teaching practices and the values of our community. The district has already made progress, such as starting a District Accountability Committee to advise the board. I want to keep finding new ways to bring more community voices into our decisions, including the teachers and students that will be most impacted.

Technology in the Classroom
With my background in education technology, I hope to help our district keep its policies up to date so students get the most out of new tools. The best ways to address screen time, AI, gamified learning, internet safety, and cell phones in classrooms are always changing as technology evolves. I want our schools to teach students how to use these tools in ways that build both their skills and their sense of safety and balance. As a board member, I would work to gain feedback from community members, teachers, and students, integrated with the latest research to design a technology policy for the classroom that both meets current needs and is adaptable to grow with the pace of technological changes.

Support for Teachers
Good policies only work if we have dedicated and caring school staff. The Colorado Department of Education reports that Mancos Schools had a teacher turnover rate almost 10% higher than the state average in 2024-2025. As a district, we need to balance what students need with ways to keep and support great teachers and staff. We also have to make sure salaries keep up with rising costs. Starting teacher pay in Mancos is more than $10,000 less than in Durango and $7,000 less than in Cortez. This November, voters will decide on a Mill Levy Override that could help make staff salaries more competitive, but keeping teachers is about more than just pay. I want to support strong mentorship programs and professional development, and help Mancos continue to build a positive school culture for everyone.

Belief in Public Schools
When it works well, public education gives every child the chance to learn, grow, and gain the skills they need to succeed and make a difference in their communities. It also helps our local economy by allowing parents to work and by building a strong workforce. Public schools help create informed citizens who have the tools to find the truth and advocate for what they believe in, no matter their political views. My four-year-old attends our wonderful public preschool in Mancos, and I want to make sure that he, his classmates, and all future students continue to get the support they need.

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