I have decades of experience as a mother and as an educator. My husband, Layne, and I are the proud parents of five kids ranging in age from 15-5. The Peterson kids have attended WESD schools their entire elementary educational careers, which started when our oldest son began at the autism special needs preschool at Mountain View at the age of 3, and continues as our youngest begins kindergarten at Chaparral Elementary in August. Our children have attended John Jacobs, the Gifted Learning Center at Sahuaro, Royal Palm, and Desert Foothills over the last 12 years. As the mom to a child with severe special needs, I have advocated for my son to receive services, to be included, and to have the best education he can. I have also been endlessly grateful to the people who have taught, guided and cared for him and each of our kids over the years. Similarly, I have advocated for my gifted kids to be challenged at an appropriate level, as I have for my typical kiddos.
As an educator, I have nearly twenty years of experience. An English teacher and chair of the English department, as well as literacy and instructional coach at Apollo High School, I understand the realities of educating students in an urban Title I district. The WESD Board currently lacks a teacher voice, and I believe that void is a detriment to students and faculty and staff alike. As a teacher, I understand the day to day demands of being in a classroom. I know the importance of quality teaching, opportunities for teacher leadership and the value of teacher voice. I believe that teachers are the lifeblood of our schools, and that valuing educators and treating teachers as professionals improves outcomes across the board in our schools.
I am dedicated to our community. Not only have our children grown up in WESD Schools, both my husband and I are products of the WESD. When we got married and purchased our first home, we were childless, but enjoyed the idea of sending our future kids to familiar schools. When our oldest son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, I began to learn about the programs available for him, and I found that the WESD had some of the best programs in the state. As our family continued to grow, and we made the choice to move, we made sure to find a house in the WESD community. The lives of all my children have been blessed by the teachers, therapists, aides, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, maintenance and custodial staff, office workers and administrators who they have encountered in their schools. People are what makes our schools thrive, and making people feel their value will ensure continued success and growth.
I am dedicated to public education. I believe, as Nelson Mandela taught, that "education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Education has the ability to change lives and redirect paths. I have dedicated my whole life to public education, as has my husband, who is a high school administrator in the GUHSD. We have made the choice to keep our kids in public, neighborhood schools because we believe that our schools should be the heart of our communities, and that sending our kids, our voices and our support to our neighborhood schools is good and right for our community as a whole. I am a proud member of the Glendale Union Educators Association, and I have worked for and supported the Invest in Education campaign, as I know that while money won't solve every problem, underfunded schools are not the answer to any problem.