Occupation: Lead preschool teacher/curriculum coordinator

Relevant experience: Over 20 years teaching experience in preschool and early childhood education. Certified K-8 instructor, w a BA in elementary Ed. / Endorsement in Child Psychology from Western Washington University.

What standards would you use to assess whether the Aberdeen School District is succeeding, and by those standards, how is it doing?

Some obvious ways to measure the success of a school district, on paper, are test scores and academic achievements. Some of the less obvious ways to determine the success of a district, is by the climate of the relationship between administration, staff, students, families and the community. How well is the district serving the students and supporting the families in its community? Is its mission reflective of the needs of the people it represents? How well-supported are the educators in the district? Is the district making choices that are in the best interest of the expanding opportunities and providing the best learning environments for our students . There is possibly room for growth in this area, as the population of the families that we serve is changing, the needs of our families and students change, and the district should be responsive and sensitive towards that.

Additionally, working toward continually supporting the staff in Aberdeen, making sure that they feel recognized and valued, can only build an environment that is built on trust, transparency and respect. Working together, we can only get stronger and better.

In terms of priorities, what direction would you as a school board member, give to the superintendent?

Being completely new to this type of environment, I really am unsure of all of the definitive priorities regarding budget, salaries, timelines, etc. I am eager to learn about all of those aspects, but I would think that the first, and most important priority of the superintendent would be to foster a relationship of trust and mutual respect, between administration and staff, students and community members. In other words, a number one priority would be creating stronger relationships and partnerships based on mutual respect, trust and transparency of goals and vision for the direction of the district.

Collectively, the Legislature takes the position that its new funding methods satisfy a state Supreme Court order to adequately fund basic education. How do you see it?

I guess I feel strongly that just meeting minimum requirements of “basic” doesn’t satisfy what I consider a quality education or learning environment for mine, or any other student, for that matter. The quality of output directly correlates to the amount of energy/resources that are invested. If strictly minimum requirements are invested, then you can expect minimum, or basic results. Who is willing to say that that is good enough for our kids and future leaders? I think they deserve better. I think collectively, as a school district, as a community, and as parents, should strive to seek out opportunities for grants or other additional funding to make it possible to supplement our children’s education, and make it as authentic, enriching and valuable is it can possibly be. Our children should leave school wanting to be lifelong learners and leaders.