Belief Statement

I have had many experiences working in and for the schools in behalf of individual families and my community in general. I have worked tirelessly at the legislature for several years helping craft good legislative policy for public education and fighting against harmful legislation. I have served on the budget committee for the district and have been a watchdog to insure we are fiscally sound. ASD is one of the best fiscally run districts in the state as well as academically. I am in the schools, connecting with parents and the community.

There are many stakeholders in the community that I advocate for. A school board is made up of individual members that are locally elected to represent their community in the policymaking, budgeting and fiscal management, and overall supervision of our local public schools. We are the public overseers responsible for the education of the children of our community allowing students to receive an education that will lead to successful citizenship. A board member’s responsibility to our stakeholders is to look after the health, welfare and performance of the entire educational institution in a manner that instills public trust in the competence and integrity of the organization.

Over my years I have helped students, families, teachers, staff, taxpayers, community leaders and legislators with various needs and questions. I have also had to weigh the individual need and the good of the whole. There is a balance to that. Because I advocate for many I have to have a good working relationship with those I serve and those I lead. Trust is a big factor in being successful. Listening to our community and then making decisions that will best serve the children is the most important part. There are many voices and varied ideas and thoughts on what is best for those we serve.  Our successful educational opportunities for all children and attaining high achievement, including the sub groups, gives credence that our pathways to student learning are making a difference.

I have been actively involved in all areas of public education including teaching in the classroom and parenting 4 children in our public schools. I also have 5, soon to be 7 grandchildren in our schools in ASD. I do not have one agenda because I realize that there are many facets of a school board member’s responsibilities.

I am elected to the Alpine School District board of education. It is my responsibility along with my fellow board members to insure ASD is providing the best education possible to our students while providing fiscal responsibility to our taxpayers. We need an educated society. We all have a stake in insuring we have an educated workforce. We all need an educated citizenry. We all have an interest in insuring our schools are turning out young adults that are equipped to function in society. We ALL have a stake in insuring we have an effective education system.

The goal of the ASD is educating all students. This is a collaborative effort with parents, the community, our support staff and our professionals in the classroom and administrative leaders. All of the things that I have been instrumental in accomplishing as a board member are due to the fact that I have a collaborative and working relationship with schools, the district, parents and the community in which I serve.  Because of that trust and collaborative effort many great things have been able to happen. That is why I am running again. I feel at this time my experience, collaborative effort, influence and relationships on the local, state and national level qualify me for continued service to insure the best educational opportunities for children in our public schools.