“As a USD 383 school board member, I want to support the success of our district, schools, staff, and students. As a mother of two children attending Manhattan-Ogden schools, I have a vested interest in the success of our district. I am passionate about public education and it is my top priority that our schools have the leadership and resources needed to ensure that every student succeeds. I believe that supporting our educators and staff are foundational to student success. While we are fortunate to have great public schools in our community, it is important to ensure that the investments we make moving forward lead to improved academic outcomes for all of our kids. As a school board member, I bring the experience of 20+ years work on a wide variety of projects-from early childhood education and youth substance use prevention to building a high-quality educator workforce- all focused on helping kids to achieve academic and lifetime success.”
ISSUES
Academic Success for All Students
Manhattan-Ogden public schools has a stellar reputation. Many of our students are high-achievers and engaged in a variety of school-related activities. However, not all students are doing well academically. This was true prior to the pandemic and has been exacerbated by the lost learning time that many students have not yet recovered. As a public education institution, we have a moral responsibility to ensure that every student succeeds.
As your school board member, this means having a laser focus on instructional leadership and school continuous improvement. We must understand our student data to identify students who need additional academic support then plan for and implement evidence-based practices and programs that lead to improved learning results. Academic success also means attending to students’ mental, social, and physical wellbeing.
Early Childhood Education > Career Pathways
As a community, we must invest in evidence-based programs that ensure our children have clear pathways to success. This starts with access to high-quality early childhood education programs that prepare our children, both cognitively and socially, to be ready to learn when they enter kindergarten. We are fortunate to have early learning centers in our district, and we must continue to increase opportunities for families of young children to access these programs.
As students begin to think about life after high school, we need to find more opportunities to expose kids to career options as well as be intentional about creating pathways to achieve career goals. I support a strong focus on Individual Plans of Study for high school students that not only align to established Career and Technical Education pathways, but also to explore opportunities to expand pathways into fields such as teacher education.
Support Educators and Staff
Teachers are the number one influence on student success. With the state and national trend of educators leaving the profession at a much higher rate than previously and fewer young people entering the profession, it is important now more than ever that we focus on building and retaining a highly-qualified educator workforce. This requires investing in preparation and professional learning, looking for innovative and evidence-based recruitment efforts, and enacting policies that make teaching and leadership careers attractive and financially sustainable.
A focus on recruitment and retention efforts must also extend to maintaining an excellent support staff of bus drivers, food service, and other support staff. They have an important role in not only ensuring our kids are present and ready to learn, but they also work to foster positive, trusting relationships with students and improve school climate.
Fiscal Responsibility and Transparent Governance
As your school board member, I will prioritize listening to parents and community members. It is extremely important to me that we build trusting relationships with parents, engage families in their child’s learning, and have avenues for open communication.
As your school board member, I will seek to ensure that the financial investment of taxpayers leads to improved academic outcomes for our students and that we continue to develop strong community partnerships with those who provide support to our students and staff.