I am an incumbent. I am a member of the Board Finance Committee. I have a good understanding of the issues and players. I am fiscally responsible. We have a balanced budget unlike most school districts in the state. My peers have voted me District 742 Treasurer.
I am Chair of the Board Development, Policy and Governance Committee. I lead in reviewing and setting board policy.
I am a small business owner-Scott Investigation. I have been a licensed private detective since 1992.
I am an Eagle Scout. A man of integrity and good character.
Safety of student and staff are primary. I have voted for secure entrances to our schools and will continue to do so.
Equity between high schools is needed. Tech in new. Apollo is 50 years old and needs remodeling. I support a referendum.
Charter schools are stealing our students and most provide an inferior education. As delegate to Minnesota School Board Association I support lobbying the legislature to hold charter schools accountable
Currently we have a balanced budget. One time covid money has been used wisely. I am a fiscally responsible Treasurer.
If revenues decline I would ask the superintendent to provide recommendations for review in Board Finance Committee where I would ask lots of questions.
Our student population is 67% non-white and 70% below the poverty line. We have great teachers. I support the Science of Reading and Modern Classrooms initiatives.
I believe in team teaching as long as one person does not take advantage of the other.
Somalie society is patriarchal. I would hire more men to support the ladies.
I enjoy attending district activities from open house to professional education. Often I just watch and pass my observations on to the superintendent. Other times I ask a lot of questions.
Recently I participated in an active shooter drill with St. Cloud Police pretending to lie dead in a pool of blood.
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As a successful small business owner, I bring an entepreneurial spirit to the school board. I understand our money does not “come from the state”, it comes from hard working tax payers. With 12 years of board experience as Chair, Vice Chair, and chairing the finance committee, I've balanced budgets and cut wasteful spending without asking voters for an excess operating levy. I am committed to enacting policies that adhere to statute, but eliminate unnecessary noise and make a real difference in classrooms. I back my belief in 742 schools, donating nearly double my board salary back to fund district programs! I’m in it to do everything possible to make our schools the best they can be!
I would continue to be a voice of moderation. I believe schools should be places for enjoyment and learning. I do not believe k-12 schools should be a place for the distractions caused by politics or activism. I would also ensure continued fiscal control. Accurate, effective budgeting and maintaining healthy reserves keep school district operations healthy and strong. I will ensure ours is one of those.
Schools do not have declining revenues. The budget woes you saw in the majority of school districts this past year were the result of school boards committing one time covid relief funds to ongoing spending items. Despite record funding from the state, the covid funding ended and they no longer had funds for their committments. We did not fall into that trap. We spent one time money on one time expenses and budgeted for ongoing expenses within known funding resources. This I would continue.
I believe ALL kids can learn learn if they feel full, safe, secure and loved. If a child has food to eat, a bed to sleep in, a loving, involved family who participate in their life and education, then they have the capacity to learn. Not all kids have this. Poverty is often a mirroring characteristic. Our job is to recognize where a child is, value, support & inspire them. To provide an education system that challenges them with the resources they need to reach their full potential.
Board members need to hear directly from staff and families. However, direct board engagement in day to day operations can be disruptive to the district. Our role is policy makers, administration is management. We have to be consious of allowing administration to do their job. I support a very robust community engagement process between district, families and staff resulting in recommendations from administration to the board, responsive to the needs and voices of staff and community.
Over the last 24 year my career has been focused on PK-12 education in the St. Cloud area. I began my teaching career at North Junior High in ISD 742 and now have transitioned to teacher preparation and teach education courses at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University. My passion is making sure all students have equitable education experiences, and I value every adult that the district employes to provide services to meet the needs of all students. My knowledge base stems from my educational experiences and extensive professional development over the years, as well as from my real-life experiences as a teacher and a parent. I want to serve the community with a new voice to make a difference in our education system.
The top three priorities if I have the opportunity to serve on the board are 1) Curriculum & funding to improve academic performance and support innovative changes to meet the needs of all students in the classroom, 2) Outreach & partnerships with local businesses to provide opportunities, 3) Attendance initiatives – Support continual efforts to increase attendance rates that will lead to higher academic performance and higher graduations rates.
If the school district faces declining revenues, my top priorities will be to keep the students first in the decision-making process by maintaining academics and activities. My strategy would be to engage parents, students, and community partners for input before the cuts are made. In this decision making process, it would be important to look at each budgetary line analyzing the cost and benefit of each program before making any cuts.
Addressing the issues would be multifaceted. First, funding is one of the biggest issues. I will continue to advocate for funding to support initiatives for resources to support students and teachers. Second, addressing teaching approaches is also important. This would include making sure all curriculum reflects perspectives from diverse backgrounds, and this would also include recruiting teachers of color and training for current educators.
The number one way to engage teachers and families in decision-making is to be present in the schools and the community. I value relationships and feel that as a resident of St. Cloud for 27 years and a former teacher, I have maintained and built long-term relationships with the community and teachers in the district. Some of my outreach activities include attending school events, volunteering at Boys and Girls, and working in schools with current teachers.
Contact Phone
320-250-3893
With a background in business management, finance, human resources, teaching, and coaching, I offer a diverse and broad skill set to the school board. My experience is informed by my four grown children, two of whom graduated from Tech High School and two from non-public schools. Serving as Board Chair for the past four years, I have fostered a balanced and respectful governance approach. In an era of school board division, my ability to listen and respect diverse viewpoints has been key to maintaining a high-functioning board. I believe my experience and moderate approach will continue to positively impact our district’s success.
Support teachers and students in effectively and properly using AI, preparing them for their future and the workforce. AI presents both opportunities and challenges. Technology is rapidly changing, and schools cannot ignore it.
Continue to advocate for addressing unfunded mandates that disproportionally affect the District. Unlike our neighboring schools we have a large cross-subsidy, negatively impacting other educational programs.
Funding for Apollo for comparable educational opportunities.
Due to unfunded mandates, St. Cloud Area School District faces budget constraints annually. My strategy involves educating State Representatives on how the funding formula uniquely and negatively impacts our district compared to most other districts. I will continue to focus on examining program outcomes, building community partnerships, and engaging with staff, parents, and community members to make informed decisions, ensuring we stay true to our mission despite financial challenges.
Access and Opportunity are key to ensure all students are afforded a quality education. I will continue to support the funding for an Equity Director, Equity Outreach Coordinators, as well as efforts made to increase diversity in our District Workforce. Too often we have participation fees for activities. I have been a strong advocate for reducing and eliminating these fees as well as providing parents free passes to watch their children during extracurricular competition and performances.
I will continue to support the opportunity for Community Input at the beginning of each board meeting. I am an advocate of expanding opportunities for Student Voice which is now part of the Strategic Plan Focus Area. I will continue to welcome teachers, parents, students and community members to join the District Advisory Committee. This is an opportunity for active participation in all phases of planning for the improvement of instruction, curriculum, and programming.
I feel I am a quality candidate for this school board position because I know the school district and understand the educational needs of students. I spent 35 years with District 742 in many roles including social studies teacher and coach, Tech and district activities director for both high schools, district transportation director, administrator at both Tech and Apollo, and principal at Westwood Elementary. I served two previous 4-year terms on the school board where I chaired the legislative and policy committees. I was a founder and served as executive director of the District 742 Education & Activities Foundation (LEAF) for the past 15 years. This foundation has granted over $3 million to district 742 educational programs.
First, I will work with the other board members to ensure that appropriate policies are developed and updated by the board and district administration which meet legal standards and provide direction for district staff to achieve educational goals that benefit all students. Next, I will do everything possible to communicate with elected officials to ensure adequate funding to support the educational needs of ALL students. My third goal will be to be a strong advocate for our school district.
In all cases, it is important to do everything possible to keep the cuts as far away as possible from the classroom so that students can receive a quality education. I would encourage the school board to work carefully with administration to examine possible reductions and measure those by the anticipated direct educational impact. Having testified to the House education finance committee in the past regarding the sped cross subsidy, I will continue to lobby elected leaders to provide funding!
Each student is an individual and should be supported in a manner that will be most likely to allow that student to be successful. I believe that talent is distributed equally among groups, but opportunity is not. Public education must give all students the opportunity to succeed: AP/college prep courses for gifted students; quality remedial programs for at-risk and new-to-country students; strong IT programs for students with those interests/aptitudes, and a quality student activities program
There must always be a time for the board to hear testimony and comments from the public prior to our meetings, as we have in the past. I will be open to discussing education policy with any community member at any time. It is important that each school building have effective communication strategies for hearing from parents with their thoughts and concerns. Finally, it is important for all decisions to be transparent and follow established procedures set up through board policy.
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