My experiences as a professional in the educational field make me a strong candidate and a needed addition to the Aspen School District Board of Education.
I intend to join the current board’s mission to ensure ALL students are provided with meaningful learning experiences. My previous work in the Aspen School District, around the state of Colorado, and the country has shown me how to successfully facilitate and ensure a process in which ALL voices in a school community are authentically heard, valued, and utilized.
I will guarantee more voices in our decision-making process. I will continually ask questions and push for an authentic process to engage more stakeholders. Who have we not heard from? A few examples:
- The District Accountability Committee recently discussed moving Grade 5 to the Elementary School based on a few parent voices who attended the meeting during the school day. I agree this is an idea to explore; however, I would like to hear from more parents, students, educators (including district and school administrators), and staff on their thoughts, potential strengths, and challenges before making any changes to the location of our Grade 5 students.
- There is also a goal of housing 100% of our staff by 2038 as a strategy for recruitment and retention. Should this be our only focus for recruitment or retention? How do administrators, educators, and staff feel about this idea? What do our exit interviews say? Should we explore a living wage in our community to support educators in building their housing equity? What about staff who already have housing?
- What is academic excellence? Is an International Baccalaureate (IB) framework and Diploma program enough for ALL? What are our measures of success, and how are we regularly communicating them with students, families, and the community? Does our staff have the time and resources to support ALL students to grow academically and socially/emotionally to thrive?
My degrees in education, my understanding of educational policy, and my work in schools will help the board and community better navigate these issues (and many more) to find effective solutions.
I know and understand education policy and finance. As the former Director of Professional Practice for the Colorado Education Association, I supported over 39,000 teachers, support professionals, students, and retired educators in Colorado by elevating their voices, which improved outcomes in their local school districts. I have worked with the Colorado Department of Education on numerous projects and committees, such as:
- The Revision of the Colorado Math Academic Standards 2020
- The State Review Panel is charged with evaluating and providing recommendations to schools performing at the lowest levels in Colorado
- The Technical Advisory Panel on District and School Performance Frameworks
I have served on District Accountability and School Accountability Committees. I was called upon to testify to the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce to ensure the voices of educators are heard during the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
My undergraduate degree was in Comprehensive Secondary Mathematics Education, followed by a master’s degree in Social, Multicultural, and Linguistically Diverse Education, as well as a post-master’s program in Educational Administrative Leadership and Policy Studies.
My years as a classroom teacher and instructional coach made me passionate about serving students, staff, and the larger school community. I am deeply committed to education and the Aspen community, which I have chosen to make my home.
I currently work as the Senior Implementation Coordinator for ExploreLearning in school districts nationwide on Math and Science instruction. My work keeps me in the arena of the most current research-based programs and resources for students.
A vote for me means a voice for ALL on the Board of Education. A vote for me is a vote that supports the voices of educators – as I am the only candidate to be endorsed by the Aspen Education Association – and the only candidate with the experience that is needed to be on the Aspen School Board. I know education!
This content was originally published here.