I am running for Aspen School District (ASD) Board of Education to work tirelessly to support students and teachers, improve education outcomes for all students, and maintain the excellence in whole child education in which Aspen excels. I have the experience, energy, and time necessary to serve the Aspen community on the Board of Education. I am a collaborative listener, critical thinker, and problem solver – ready to meet the challenges and opportunities for ASD ahead in the next four years.
As a parent of two students in the ASD, I am deeply invested in the outcomes of all students in Aspen. From educational excellence, to emotional well-being, to resilient life longer learners, I believe that the ASD can prepare students for success. I hope to give back to this dynamic community by serving our students, parents, educators, and community members as a member of the board.
I have been involved in volunteering in the school district through many capacities from the District Accountability Committee (DAC), to the School Accountability Committees (SAC), to the Aspen Education Foundation (AEF) board. In these school committees, I work with administrators, teachers, and other parents to identify issues, solve problems, and foster communication between stakeholders. The state-mandated policies in place that govern these committees are similar to those governing a school board, so I am familiar with how school decisions are made. Plus, I will bring my collaborative skills to the ASD School Board.
During the school board campaign, lots of focus has been on the challenges for the district in the coming years: teacher housing, school safety, failing test scores, and COVID learning loss, to name a few. The school board will have tough work and decisions to alleviate these challenges in the next four years. I have been hard at work trying to address some of these issues through the school committees I serve on, but the work is far from over. It is critical to elect candidates who are thinkers and analyze all aspects of a problem. It is also important to have listeners to all stakeholders, and those candidates who have a vested interest in the success of students in the school district.
While there are myriad challenges facing the school district, celebrating the successes is also important. My family chooses to live in Snowmass Village, and we choose to have our kids attend school in the ASD because we believe in the schools and this community. The ASD educators are fantastic: They are caring and approachable, as well as work hard to reach every child. The experiences of ASD students on their outdoor education and experiential education trips will grow them more as people than any classroom learning can. The opportunities that students have in Aspen are special (e.g. the aviation program, Sister Cities trips, Buddy leadership options, Aspen Words collaborations). We often comment about how lucky kids are to grow up in Aspen – not just because of the world-class skiing or the amazing mountain views, but also because of the opportunities they have in the schools.
Aspen is a work-hard, play-hard kind of place. It’s not an easy place to live, but those who choose to be here do so because they love it. This extends to our students. When I talk about improving educational outcomes, it’s knowing that our students can work hard. Raising the academic bar for the students to meet the challenge will help. The International Baccalaureate framework and unified curriculum adoption for core subject areas has started that work, but we need to make sure that what is being done is working, and that all students are being reached.
When my oldest child started kindergarten, I left my job as an environmental consultant in order to be a “mommy-in-the-crowd.” I have spent years volunteering in the classroom with students, running a social-emotional learning program for elementary school kids, sitting on education foundation boards, surveying parents, and continuing to learn about how public education works in America. I will leverage my knowledge and expertise to help make the Aspen School District the best that it can be for our kids.
Please vote for me, Sarah Daniels, for Aspen School District Board of Education.
This content was originally published here.