1. I believe I am the best candidate for a school board position this year in the Red Wing School district, because I am committed to putting students first, listening to our community, and making decisions based on what is best for the long-term future of our schools. I am running because I believe our school district can provide a higher quality of education while being responsible with taxpayers’ dollars, and communicate honestly with families and staff, while making sure every student has the opportunity to succeed.
2. My top priority is to achieve a higher quality of education; primarily by improving student performance in basic academics – reading, math and communications; specifically, to drill down into advanced computer skills to meet the demands of our modern-day needs, with an overall stress on promoting students and accomplishments, school spirit, and a sense of caring for all students, teachers and parents. I also want to stress a heavy oversight on the financial well-being of the organization.
! If I were elected to the school board and faced the difficult responsibility of cutting the district budget because of declining revenues, my strategy would be straightforward: protect the classroom, prioritize students, involve our community and make responsible decisions based on facts rather than politics. Budget reductions are never easy, but they can be managed thoughtfully and strategically.
4. I believe our district must also address racial and economic disparities in education. Every student deserves access to a high-quality education regardless of family income, background, or circumstances. Addressing disparities does not mean lowering standards. It means identifying barriers that prevent students from reaching those standards and determining how our schools can better help students overcome them. We should use reliable information and measurable results to identify gaps.
5. That is not only an educational problem; it is a moral and civic responsibility. If I were elected to the school board, I would address racial and any other inequities by holding the district responsible for measurable accountabilities.
I know that a child’s success can depend on circumstances far beyond the classroom: access to technology and transportation, the encouragement of a trusted adult. My goal is to ensure that students have the support, instruction/opportunities to succeed.
For 32 years, I loved, taught, and valued my students. I believe a high quality free public education provides the opportunity for ALL children to achieve their dreams. Those values and beliefs motivated me to run in 2022 and run for re-election this year. I have 4 years of experience serving on the RWPS School Board and the Goodhue County Education District School Board. I do my homework and have over 200 hours of board training. To serve the community, I need to know the people I serve. Attending school and community events is a priority so I can meet the families I serve. From the Flight Paths Capstone presentations to the High School Veterans Day Program to our many community celebrations, I am present in the community and our schools.
State Statute requires that our schools provide a high quality, equitable education for ALL of our students. In order to provide that education, we must attract and retain great staff in all employee groups. We do this through on-going training and continuous improvement on research based best educational practices. Fiscal responsibility is important. All decisions must be made with an eye on our strategic plan so resources are used to best meet the changing needs of our students.
RWPS is fortunate to have a superintendent who understands school finance and an excellent business manager. They meet with building principals to determine how and where we can save money to maintain reasonable class sizes while preserving programs that make our schools unique. We study their data driven recommendations, ask a lot of questions, and then consider how those recommendations align with the goals in our district strategic plan for student achievement.
IT STARTS WITH ME. I am continually educating myself on the issues that face the different groups in our community. I have to understand the history of Red Wing and how we have interacted with the Dakota People, and Black and Brown People. That means sitting with some uncomfortable truths about who was negatively impacted by the white settlement of Red Wing and how our town could go from being active in the abolitionist movement to hosting a Klan rally. Heal the past. Change the future.
I will continue to be present in school buildings and community events. Being on the Goodhue County Education District Board and serving as a board liaison to the American Indian Parent Council provides an opportunity to LISTEN and learn about the needs of those students and their families. I volunteer with Friends of Immigrants. I attend PRIDE and Juneteenth. We hold community listening sessions, but if I really want to find out what people need or want, I need to meet people and be visible.
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I believe I would be a great addition to the school board because I've been on all sides of things. A,staff,parent and I'm a community member! I have interacted with so many people and in my previous professional capacity I've worked with a lot of the families in town. Ihear and have heard their concerns and needs. I listen and I actually care.
1. A push to implement trade classed with conditions.
2. A quarterly survey or interaction with the community ie. Parents and students.
3. Making sure we as whole take time to be more invested in what goes on in our district and not only focused on finances.
I would really look at what's successfully and what's not! I would look at the needs of the district and prioritize what's important and what we could do without until better circumstances permit.
This is huge for me! I would like to face these disparities head on! No more sweeping them under the rug. We need to be accountable as a whole. I think we could add more classes that touch base with every ethnic group. I notice we ha e no Afro-American studies in this district.
As I mentioned above I think it would be a great idea to bring surveys back or loosen the reigns at the meeting when it comes to public comment. We need to check in with our staff as well. They are the heartbeat of the schools in the district.
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My background includes 25 years teaching in 5th grade, middle school, high school, and as a professor in a university. I earned a doctorate in education with a focus on environmental education. As a parent, while our three children attended ISD #256 from kindergarten through twelfth grade, I volunteered on district committees, in classrooms, and on field trips. I spent eight years on the Red Cottage Montessori School Board and nine years on the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center Board. I now serve on the Red Wing Public Library Board. Schools are facing unique challenges at this time; I am a strong candidate for school board as someone who understands those challenges and how systems in schools work.
Research reveals learning in nature improves mental & physical health, social skills, test scores, self-esteem, and emotional connections to each other & nature. Let’s expand nature-based learning on the district’s 342 acres with existing outdoor classrooms.
I support bringing cursive back to schools, as research shows it strengthens memory, attention, coordination, reading, and writing.
Every student deserves to feel safe, supported, and included, with access to high‑quality education.
District-wide fiscal responsibility conducted collaboratively helps stakeholders feel a sense of ownership. I would recommend each school form a budget committee of school and parent representatives and another committee that includes the superintendent, director of buildings and grounds, special services, food service, and parent representatives. Tackling budget reviews is complex, and all decisions must be made in the best interest of the students at all times.
Racial and economic disparities in the schools can be alleviated using culturally responsive pedagogy and the teachers’ ability to analyze curriculum materials to be inclusive and not exclusive, ensuring images, texts, stories, and histories reflect the experience of all in the student body. To help ensure that all students feel they belong and are safe in the schools, staff training may be needed to ensure employees can recognize bias in curriculum and themselves.
Any major change is better received when the stakeholders, teachers, and families are part of the decision making process. Therefore, it is important to ask teachers and families what they feel are strengths and positive aspects as well as areas to improve regarding the school district, from the physical spaces and school culture, to the individual needs of students. Communication can occur through surveys, newsletters, and public meetings for open discussion in school.
