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I've worked over the past 8 years of board service to be an advocate for the students of our district. As a board we have successfully advocated for community support for new buildings and facility improvements, as well as maintained a sound financial basis, which is always difficult but was particularly challenging during the COVID pandemic. We have been able to retain a highly effective superintendent who fosters a desirable environment for both staff and students to achieve their best. My past experience enables me to look ahead to the future of our district and envision how we can be a great place for students to learn and for staff to work.
1) Focus on data driven decision making aimed at student success
2) Encourage rebuilding of a strong school/family partnership, since schools can't fill all needs for our students
3)Establish ourselves as an employer of choice for teachers and administration, as staff will become more difficult to recruit with shortages of trained educators
Ideally identify areas that don't affect programming, but over the 8 years I've served on the board we've made several cuts to those areas so there's little left to trim. I would advocate for across-the-board reductions rather than targeting electives such as music and art, which may be easy choices but would affect the quality and breadth of education that our community is rightfully proud of.
The achievement gap is real, and it has been difficult across the state to close it. Our professional educators work hard to find ways to make a difference for disadvantaged kids, but without additional money for staff who could focus on bridging this gap I think our best approach is to continue to invest in training for existing staff and for administration to identify creative ways to address this challenge.
I'm lucky to know several teachers and to also connect with families cross the community through church and work. In my experience these friends and acquaintances will often approach me if they have concerns, but I can also reach out to them when decisions are imminent. I appreciate how our district administration has established focus groups for most significant decisions to gather broader feedback.
I have always been involved in this community and in the activities of my children as a volunteer. I have been recognized as a leader in my local church, Steele County 4-H, the Knights of Columbus, the Owatonna Park and Recreation, the Catholic Education Memorial Fund and the Owatonna Soccer Association. I am uniquely qualified to now serve our school district and have over 30 years of experience in Business Finance and Operations Management. I am a parent of four Owatonna High School graduates and three future ones. I am passionate about student achievement and am excited for this opportunity to be a more integral part of our amazing school district. I will bring a fresh perspective as we work to improve our core subject areas.
One priority will be to increase parent involvement, making sure all parents have input into their children’s education and that parents understand who to talk to get results. Another priority will be to improve the skills of our students in our core subject areas by making sure we properly allocate our resources for student success. Still another priority will be to improve the communication between the school board and the community by encouraging face to face conversations.
I have experience working with budgets and understanding the expense and revenue sides of the equation. I will rely on the expertise of our district staff to provide realistic solutions and then analyze the best course of action and implement the solution that will bring the better result. Difficult decisions that need to be made can still result in growth for the district if we use the best information available and communicate properly with all parties involved.
Our district works for the success of every learner, every day. I will work to make sure we understand the story of every student in our district that is facing challenges and make sure that we allocate resources to give them a fair chance. We need to understand the factors leading to the disparities and work with the whole community to focus our efforts on reducing or even eliminating the negative effects of these disparities on student education.
With all the groups that myself and my children are involved in, I have opportunities every day to interact with teachers and families and communicate with them about concerns and challenges that they are facing. I will build on this interaction to understand where they are coming from and implement decisions that respect that. Teachers and families interact with our students every day and have a unique perspective about what each student needs, so we need to listen to them.
I have lived in Owatonna for over 30 years and I am a 1996 graduate of Owatonna High School. I continue to hear from community members and parents who feel they either cannot come forward with concerns or when they do their concerns are not being addressed. I know I can be the voice for those who feel they do not have one. Even though I am just one vote, I will do my due diligence in researching and asking questions and I look forward to working together with the other school board members. I have also read every school board policy. I am currently on the District Advisory Curriculum Committee and I am an Owatonna Lacrosse Board member.
Transparency, accountability & parent/community involvement. A FOIA request was made in 2021 by a group of concerned parents/citizens. Suggestions were made on how to make the process easier & cheaper. The district refused any suggestions cause the public couldn’t be trusted with the information. I am running to hold the school board & admin accountable for misusing taxpayer money & to be a voice for those who feel they don’t have one.
My strategy is to work together with other school board members to research where our district can make cuts & find other ways to build revenue. I would do this by researching and asking questions about what has been done in the past & I also believe it is important to get input from the community.
I will address racial and economic disparities by asking questions and working together with others to find a fair and balanced solution.
One way to engage teachers and families is through transparency and being available. School board members should be seen at schools and actively involved in what is happening. I will build relationships with not only parents but also staff and students and include them in the decision making process.
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