As a member of the school board, it will be my responsibility to be a voice for everyone in our community. One cannot do that by coming into [the] office with a personal agenda. Instead, my principles will be my guide. I will be transparent and accountable to the people I serve. I will seek out the diverse voices in our community and focus on our common goals and seek out solutions to complicated problems. I am passionate about building bridges. I have the skills and experience that allow me to connect with people from all walks of life. My children have attended elementary through high school in Waconia. I know and love the district. I am invested in making this the best district for my own children and the children of our community.
I like to be highly informed about the duties I assume. I have already begun to research about the responsibilities of a school board member and, if elected, I will continue that research with focused dedication to quickly become a highly contributing board member. The past few years have been difficult for our district so I will work hard to rebuild trust with teachers, parents, and students. I will also strive to build new connections in the community to ensure all concerns are heard.
I would approach budget cuts with compassion and creativity. Cutting personnel would always be a last resort. I would rely heavily on school admins to investigate their own school’s programs and costs to see where cuts could be made. I would make sure that they rely heavily on their staff because they will have valuable insights. I would make sure that we keep the overriding goal of keeping the costs that are the most important to achieve the results we want for our students.
These types of disparities are often overlooked. This is why it is important to seek out diverse voices and experiences. We must determine effective solutions to ensure each student is treated with fairness and given equal opportunities. This could include creating adequate scholarships for students to participate in activities and providing low cost or free access to tutoring and test prep services. We might also need to investigate our discipline track record to ensure biases are rooted out.
I will represent everyone in our district, and I want my community to know and feel that. Each member of the board is assigned one school to connect with during the school year and I will make sure I am in that school regularly to meet with teachers and staff to hear their concerns and ideas. I will connect with families in the community at school functions and community events. I will help create a welcoming atmosphere at school board meetings where community members feel heard and respected.
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I believe I am the best candidate because my diverse background and personal experiences allow me to represent and understand the varied needs of our community. As a person of color, LGBTQIA+ member, and neurodiverse individual, I offer a unique perspective that is currently missing on the board. My professional experience in leadership and consulting gives me the skills to effectively support our schools. I am committed to ensuring every student has the resources and support they need to succeed, and I value the expertise of our teachers in creating those opportunities.
If elected, my priorities will be equity, transparency, and community empowerment. I commit to ensuring every student has equal access to resources and opportunities. Transparency will guide open communication and collaborative policy and budget-making. I'll advocate for educator growth and student success, ensuring both have the support needed to thrive. These priorities will foster an inclusive environment where everyone in our school community can excel.
I'd prioritize core educational services, minimizing impact on students. By collaborating with teachers, students, families, adults at home, and caregivers, we can find savings that least affect classrooms. Exploring partnerships and alternative funding is key. Transparency and community involvement ensure informed, fair decisions during budget constraints.
To address racial and economic disparities, I’d use my lived experiences to advocate for equitable resources and opportunities. I would work to ensure diverse voices are included in decision-making and focus on educating leadership to think inclusively and equitably. Building strong connections with families and community leaders will help identify and address specific needs, fostering a more inclusive and equitable education system for all students.
I will engage teachers, students, families, and caregivers through email, school board listening sessions, or one-on-one conversations. You'll also find me at local events like the fire department's pancake breakfast, Carver County Fairgrounds events, or getting coffee at Kwik Trip. These interactions provide insights and strengthen ties. I'll ensure their voices are heard in decision-making, fostering a collaborative environment that supports our students and educators.
I’m a former Minnesota teacher, parent volunteer and PTO member, whose district knowledge stems from doing real work alongside people impacting our students each day, and seeing my children thrive in the district. In my 8 years as a board member, I helped create a board handbook, develop a robust superintendent evaluation process, and hire a new superintendent. I ask tough questions and create strong working relationships with board members that result in mutual cooperation, transparency and collaboration with administration, staff and the community.
Every board decision centers around delivering a high-quality education that meets or exceeds students’ needs. To do that we need strong, motivated staff members so they can create positive, productive learning environments. The district must also prioritize sound financial oversight so we can continue to thrive. I want this district to be a place where every student has the opportunity to succeed and every staff member has the support they need to make a difference.
As a board member who's been through a budget cut cycle, the strategy used in the event of declining revenues is similar to that process. The board determines how much money needs to be cut. The administrative team then makes recommendations to the board after an extensive process of determining what cuts would have the least impact to students. This would include teacher and parent/community input in the form of surveys and/or listening sessions. The board makes the final decision on cuts.
Education is not the same for all learners. Having a schedule that allows teachers to have extra time to focus on students who need it is key to minimizing the gaps. We must continually monitor to ensure that students are getting the resources to thrive in this environment. We need to ensure all students have equal access to working technology, proper support structures and professional development for teacher/staff to continue to innovate.
I'm always open to conversations from the community and district staff. We have so many individuals who make an impact on student success in our district, it's important they all feel heard and supported.
I am passionate about public education. I have experience in teaching, social work, policy decisions, and budgeting. In my current role as a Disability Waiver Case Management Supervisor, I make daily decisions of what is truly a need for people while choosing the most cost-effective option to respect tax dollars. I have extensive experience working with diverse populations. My professional role includes advocating to discuss how to address staffing, funding constraints, and how current legislation effects government contracted programs. I understand the calculations of how school funding works, specializing in special education. I am committed to this community and continuing District 110’s legacy.
Create a better environment for educators and students by prioritizing high quality teacher retention and recruitment. We need a funding system that more fairly distributes funds throughout the state. Increase Mental Health, Disability to students by establishing common sense partnerships with nonprofits and Community Based Organizations. Safety and transparency in Schools: Implement Be SMART best practices in schools as a common-sense health, safety and gun owner resource.
If the district was in the unfortunate position of requiring budget cuts again, I would look at all non-wage related areas for expense reduction. I would negotiate with vendors, consider partnerships with local nonprofits and community-based organizations. Explore all possible grant opportunities. Seek input from the community upfront and elicit feedback from the community throughout the process. Long term, continue to advocate for equitable funding for ISD 110.
Diversity education, both racial and economic start at home. The board, educators and the community need to be on the same page, public schools take tax dollars therefore public education is for everyone. Discrimination is not tolerated. People that experience economic disparities do not always ask for help. Schools can promote economic assistance options through Community Education newsletters, messenger, and open house. Advocate to legislation to revisit and change our formula way of funding.
The School Board should serve as oversight in making decisions and finalizing policy. For example, Curricular decisions start with our Director of Educational Services who identifies options to meet criteria standards. After that we need to trust the teachers to pilot and track the outcome of several options, then inform us which will be most useful to them and beneficial to our student population. The board should trust the expertise of our educators and listen to community members input.
I believe that I am the ideal candidate for the Waconia School Board due to my deep commitment to our community and schools. As a parent of three daughters in the district and a volunteer coach, I am personally invested in our students’ success. With my background in marketing, operations and leadership, I bring skills in communication, strategic planning, and problem-solving. I want to give back to the community and schools that have given so much to me as an ISD 110 alumni and community resident for nearly my entire life. I am dedicated to making responsible financial decisions and fostering collaboration to strengthen our schools. Serving this community would be an honor.
1. Establishing a relationship based on trust and communication between the school board, ISD 110 administration, ISD 110 teachers and staff, Parents of our students, and the greater Waconia community
2. Strengthening the district’s focus on core academics and fostering a culture of academic excellence at each stage of K-12
3. Re-establishing Waconia Public Schools as the obvious choice for all families residing in the district as well as enticing families and students from surrounding areas.
The best way to handle situations like this is to gather as much input as possible from all parties who would be affected by budget cuts. Providing full transparency of the finances before, during and after any financial hurdle is imperative. Making budget cuts is a difficult task as it is, making them without the community understanding the “why” and “how we got here” makes this task one that divides a community. Inform the community, gather input , communicate findings and implement a plan.
The Minnesota Department of Education has dedicated significant resources to addressing racial and economic disparities through programs like the World’s Best Workforce and Equitable Access to Excellent and Diverse Educators. I would work to ensure that families and students are fully aware of and informed about these, and other, programs and encourage participation to maximize the quality and equity of their educational experience.
A relationship of trust and communication between the teachers and staff, administration, and the school board would inherently provide teacher input in the decision making process. The principles of communication and trust would also be an expectation of board members and teachers to the parents/guardians of ISD 110 students. Over-communication and full transparency fosters growth and understanding and allows all parties an opportunity to be heard and considered while making decisions.
I am the best candidate for this position because as a former soldier I learned how to work with a team to achieve an overall mission, I earned a degree in Environmental Design from the University of Oklahoma and then went to work in the oil and gas industry. Where I became a top producing salesman by using creative planning and logistical thinking to maximize profits while minimizing losses for all involved. Which bring me to my recent profession, I am retired but I can't sit by and enjoy it when I know I could help this district if just given the chance.
I'm not sure of a top three but in speaking with some of the teachers around town I would like to focus on getting more help in the schools. I know we have shortages in all areas counselors, specials, subs. Of all the problems we may be facing I feel if we fix this it will be a great foundation to start from.
Well this is a tough question to answer because I believe they just cut everything they possibly could and still function as a district. Declining revenues don't just happen though you should be able to see them coming and be able to plan for it. As a former soldier one of my favorite mottos is "adapt and overcome"
Well you see I grew up in a middle class family and there were construction workers who really cared about their lawns.
As a member of the school board I'm just a voice for the teachers and families in the district. I will always make myself available to hear their concerns. At the end of the day I believe we all want the same thing for our kids and teachers it's just how we go about it doing it are a little different. Well I'm good at sifting through the info and finding common sense solutions that benefit all parties.
As a Waconia native and mother of three boys, including one with significant special needs, I am deeply invested in the future of ISD110. My background as a Mechanical Engineer and an MBA equips me with strong problem-solving and financial management skills. Transitioning from corporate roles to small business ownership has given me firsthand experience in budgeting and strategic planning. I’ve served on various boards, gaining insights into governance and collaboration. I am committed to fostering academic excellence, supporting our dedicated teachers, and ensuring our district remains financially stable, making me the ideal candidate for this position.
1. Successful Students: Ensuring all students achieve their full potential through robust educational programs.
2. Inspired Teachers: We need to implement innovative strategies to support and retain our talented teachers.
3. Fiscal Responsibility: Rebuilding our general fund with sound financial oversight to guarantee long-term stability and growth.
If budget cuts are necessary, my strategy would focus on protecting student outcomes and academic excellence. I would prioritize a thorough review of discretionary spending and seek input from teachers and administrators on which areas are most critical. Implementing efficiency measures and exploring partnerships with local organizations could help mitigate cuts. I would also engage the community to ensure transparency and understanding, fostering trust while making difficult decisions.
To address racial and economic disparities, I would focus on ensuring all students have access to quality education and support. This includes advocating for fair distribution of resources across our schools. I believe in engaging with families and community members to better understand their unique needs.
I believe in fostering open communication with families, teachers, and other stakeholders in the community. I will hold regular office hours and I would love to see community forums to ensure their voices are heard. Other possibilities include creating advisory groups that include teachers, parents, and community members will allow us to collaborate on key issues affecting the district. By valuing their insights, we can work together to create a stronger educational environment for our students.
