Sally Goulet is a Florida State University alumna with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary social sciences (economics and history). She describes herself as a “stay at home mom” with two toddlers, a son and a daughter, who spend hours with their mom enjoying Aspen’s parks and trails. She spearheaded a new toddler story time,which she leads every Monday in the Basalt Library’s community room. She is an advocate of preschool education and leads an hour of learning for toddlers three times each month. She also manages the administration and accounting for her family’s small, local business.
She understands the sticker shock that educators and support school staff arriving in Roaring Fork Valley may experience when they shop for housing and other necessities.
“It can be difficult to thrive in this valley, and I believe we need to take care of those who care for our children,” Goulet told The Aspen Times. “As a parent, I understand that I am functioning at my best when I am supported and free from stressors. I wish the same for our teachers, that we can rally as a community to brainstorm ideas on how we can make our valley more sustainable and hospitable to our educators.”
She is concerned about bullying as a problem that could befall students at any age and is keenly interested in finding ways to prevent it and to increase children’s empathy for each other.
“I believe that is how change is made, by having an open heart and open ears to listen and appreciate differing opinions, while still pushing forward with what is right,” she said. “I am great at building new relationships and love talking to other parents. I see myself as a link between the community/parents and the board.”
She says that she’s also concerned about how some students scored on Colorado Measures of Success tests, which help evaluate students’ understanding of language arts, math, science, and social studies.
“We must support our hardworking teachers and staff, ensuring we are paying them a living wage while being fiscally conservative,” she said. “We must respect our parents and ensure they are partners in the education of their children. We must engage community members and ensure we all are working together.
Election day for school board is Tuesday, Nov. 7. There are four candidates vying for two vacant seats on Aspen’s five seat school board.
This content was originally published here.