Why did you decide to run for (position)?
Why did you decide to run for school board trustee?
Today’s families are complex and so are the needs of their children. I felt the best way to affect change is to become part of the decision-making team. I am a strong supporter of helping others have a voice and I can promise that I will be your loudest champion.
If you received a $1 million grant to use for your school board any way you wanted, what would you do with it?
I would put the money to great use by offering a variety of programming to the students. This year, many parents have been upset that courses and electives have been extremely limited. In the North, our children are not getting enough exposure to the arts and trades. I believe it is important for students to have many experiences throughout their education to prepare them for the future.
What do you think are the greatest challenges your school board faces?
Currently, the school boards greatest challenges are poor communication and leadership. Trust needs to be rebuilt with the community. Saying the words transparency and accountability are nice but still only words. Actions speak louder! We need leaders who are not afraid to speak up, do the right thing, and fight to protect this board. I can't tell you enough that I am that person. I believe the Near North Board can be better and do better.
Other than the official ways of communicating (minutes, municipal notes), how else will you reach out to your constituents to involve them in the decision making process?
Part of rebuilding trust with the community would be to have more engagement. Allow the community to take part in public meetings and the ability to share opinions. I’m advocating for changes to the existing communication policies to remove these barriers.
That a single trustee may speak with the public regarding their own thoughts/position on topics as long as they are not speaking on behalf of the board.
Public meeting to be advertised in advance and held after normal working hours to allow the community to attend.
Allow for a public question period at the end of meetings that does not require a pre-approved submission a week in advance. Set parameters for the code of conduct, length of time to speak, and guidelines.
