I bring a unique perspective shaped by my experiences growing up in the projects of Providence, RI. I understand the challenges many families face and the importance of education in overcoming them. As a father of three, including a child with dyslexia and another with ADHD, I am passionate about advocating for policies that promote educational excellence and ensure every child has access to the resources they need to succeed. My educational background in Political Science and African and African American Studies, combined with my commitment to transparency and responsible budget management, positions me to effectively support our teachers and prioritize our students' needs.
Improving Education Quality: I’ll push for research-based curriculum that helps all students, especially those with learning challenges, because education changed my life, and I want that for every child.
Supporting Teachers: I’ll ensure teachers have the resources and training they need to succeed, so they feel valued and empowered in their classrooms.
Responsible Budget Management: I’ll focus on clear budgeting to make sure money is spent wisely.
If faced with budget cuts due to declining revenues, my strategy would be to prioritize essential programs that directly impact student learning and support. I would conduct a thorough review of current expenditures to identify areas where we can reduce costs without sacrificing quality. This includes consolidating services and eliminating inefficiencies. I’d also engage with teachers, parents, and community members to gather input on which programs are most valuable, ensuring that we make decis
I would address racial and economic disparities in our education system by advocating for programs that focus on personal responsibility, resilience, and academic excellence, while engaging families and communities in the process. One unique solution I propose is to establish mentorship programs that pair students with local professionals from various backgrounds to help students see the value of education and hard work.
I will actively engage teachers and families by establishing open channels for communication and collaboration, aligning with my campaign slogan, "Building Bridges, Inspiring Minds." One key plan is to conduct online surveys to gather feedback and ideas from both groups. By listening to their experiences and concerns, I can ensure our decisions reflect the community's needs and inspire our students to reach their full potential.
I have a genuine commitment to ensuring all students receive a high-quality education.
I have the ability to collaborate, build trustworthy relationships and make tough decisions. I am an effective listener and clear communicator with diverse stakeholders.
I am involved in my community. I actively engage with families, and community members.
I am a visionary thinker. I have the ability to develop and implement strategic plans for student success.
I am culturally competent. I have demonstrated equity, diversity, and inclusion in my community.
I have a collaborative mindset. I have the willingness to work with teachers, administrators, parents, and community members.
I hold a strong moral compass, accountability, and open communication.
1. *Student Safety and Well-being*: Ensuring a secure, inclusive, and supportive environment for all students to thrive.
2. *Academic Excellence and Equity*: Providing high-quality education, closing achievement gaps, and ensuring equal opportunities.
3. *Teacher Support and Development*: Attracting, retaining, and supporting teachers through ongoing training, resources, and support. This includes competitive compensation.
These priorities focus on creating a foundation for student success.
If forced to cut the budget, my strategy for schools would prioritize essential programs and services, minimize harm to students, and maintain a commitment to equity.
Addressing racial and economic disparities in education requires a multifaceted approach.
Racial Disparities:
1.Culturally responsive teaching and incorporating inclusive materials and histories to promote representation and understanding.
2.Education on recognizing and addressing implicit bias is important.
Economic Disparities:
1.Allocate funds and resources to under-resourced schools.
2. Early childhood education: Invest in programs supporting disadvantaged young learners.
1. Build relationships and trust
2. Foster open communication
3. Provide opportunities for feedback and input
4. Encourage collaboration and teamwork
By engaging teachers and families, schools can create a more collaborative and supportive environment, ultimately leading to better outcomes for students.
I have invested time into district committees and volunteering within the schools so I understand the concerns, challenges, and strengths of our schools. I'm a neutral candidate that wants to refocus our schools on the primary purpose of public education - academic success for individual students. My strengths lie in my ability to clear the way for what needs to get done, this may look like empowering people to speak up, seeking answers, or looking for creative alternatives.
My top three priorities are to:
1. Elevate Academics
2. Ensure Safety
3. Empower All Families
I would look at the areas that aren't essential to classroom time.
I believe we have the opportunity to leverage our community partners/volunteers to work with students that experience these disparities.
Transparency from the school district would be a huge emphasis for me, especially with families and staff. The school board has a high responsibility to engage the stakeholders as they are elected to represent them. I would seek to enter into conversations with others even when they are in disagreement with me. I would live this out by a high level of responsiveness to individuals that contact me along with proactively encouraging the school board to seek input before major decisions are made.
I work in financial services, which means lots of spreadsheets and numbers. However, the bulk of my responsibilities are trying to find ways to delight our clients. This means you first need to understand the problems, prioritize the most urgent needs, and measure how successfully you have been in addressing the original problem.
Continual feedback is important throughout the process with all of our stakeholders: students, teachers, staff, parents, and the community. Our goal is for all students to thrive in our schools, and that takes everyone doing their part.
We need to create an environment where academic excellence is an expectation for every student.
We need to ensure that our students feel safe, both physically and mentally, in our schools.
We need to ensure that our solutions are not a one-size-fits-all approach across our diverse schools and communities.
I think the most important part of a strategy here would be open, clear, and transparent communication. We need to ensure that we are considering the impact on our schools and listening carefully to our students, teachers, and the community. It needs to be a collaborative decision.
We need to ensure that our teachers reflect our community, which includes both hiring and retaining talented teachers. The retention part means that we need to create an environment where teachers feel safe and supported. In addition, we need to ensure that our schools are funded equitably, focusing on the specific needs of the community and school.
We need to ensure that there are forums and sessions where parents and teachers are able to make themselves heard. Currently, there are some wonderful opportunities for parents to get involved in committees, which I have taken part in in the past. We also need to make sure that we as a school board are meeting members of the community where they are at, and not expecting them to always seek us out.
I believe I am the best person to serve on the school board because I bring a deep understanding of both the challenges and opportunities in public education, grounded in my personal, professional, and community-based experiences. I have spent my career bridging gaps—whether through policy, partnerships, or direct community engagement—and this has uniquely equipped me to navigate the complex issues facing District 279.
I also believe in our district’s mission to inspire and prepare every scholar to achieve their dreams and contribute to the community. I have the experience, the vision, and the passion to continue this important work, ensuring that our schools remain a place where every child can thrive.
Educational excellence. I am committed to ensuring our district sets the bar for the highest standards in teaching, learning, and overall student success.
Safe and Inclusive Learning Environments. Ensure schools are safe, welcoming spaces for all students and staff.
Foster active engagement from caregivers, students, and district staff. By prioritizing engagement, we can ensure that decisions are inclusive and reflective of the school district community’s diverse needs.
If the school district were faced with the task of cutting the budget due to declining revenues, my strategy would focus on making decisions that minimize the impact on students, educators and essential educational services. The goal would be to maintain the integrity of classroom instruction and prioritize the needs of our scholars while making thoughtful, data-driven decisions that reflect the district’s long-term goals.
As an African American woman and former school board chair, I would leverage
my lived experience to address racial and economic disparities by tackling systemic racism head-on. I would work alongside our school district community to develop inclusive solutions.. We are a large district, with many needs and being unified is crucial in fostering an environment where every student and educator has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.
I will engage educators and caregivers by establishing opportunities for input and feedback—voices are critical to decision-making. I’ll encourage people to join committees to represent diverse perspectives and seek their insights on key issues. Communication and collaboration are important to build trust and so that decisions reflect the needs and of both educators and caregivers. I believe that our educators are the heart of our district and am proudly endorsed by the teachers union.
Contact Phone
(855) 737-2230
Personal reasons: I love public school. I believe in education. I have two kiddos in District 279 Education right now. I am a positive, creative, hopeful and gritty person. I believe the smartest person in the room is all of us. I stand ready to give myself to this commitment.
Professional reasons:
-Demonstrated success managing/coaching staff and organizations at a high level.
-Demonstrated success leading and innovating in the non-profit world.
-Demonstrated success helping organizations restore financial stability.
-Demonstrated success setting positive culture and inspiring others toward voluntary engagement and meaningful, mission-minded work.
-Experience in the non-profit board room.
1. Improve feedback loops and outward communication from/to the community so that stakeholders know precisely what's happening.
2. Reach financial stability--we're operating in a deficit year over year and that is not sustainable long-term.
3. Move to phone-free schools: it is now well documented that phones in the hands of students during school has a negative impact on teachers, school ethos, and most importantly student learning and mental health.
-Rank order prioritize strategic initiatives, measuring highest-to-lowest return on investment with cost analysis and mission critical impact.
-Tactfully and collaboratively begin to reduce resource flow to initiatives at the bottom of that priority list.
At both a macro and micro level:
1. Gain clear understanding of the issue(s) through contact, conversation and investigation.
2. Identify known solutions to the issue(s) via thorough research, or in cases where solutions are unknown follow the Build-Measure-Learn axiom of solution development.
3. Implement proven solutions thru appropriate process.
1. Utilize the processes already in place for feedback
2. Visit each one of our 34 schools and personally connect with administration thereof.
3. Utilize open-forum listening sessions for the teachers/communities of each one of our 34 schools.
4. Innovate thru technology for regular pulse surveys/feedback on decisions.
5. Continue to host The Excellence for Osseo Schools podcast to disseminate information to the community thru a palatable medium.
