My experience as a parent and as a long-time volunteer in the Orange County School system has provided me with the opportunity to observe the various challenges facing our students and our schools. I believe there are workable solutions that can address these challenges.

My top priorities as a member of the Orange County Board of Education will be:

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• School and Student Safety:  I want to help create a safe, supportive environment where students can thrive, learn, and be themselves. We need to create policies that encourage non-discriminatory and nurturing practices and programs that are cognizant of students’ social and emotional learning needs. In supportive learning environments, bullying and harassment behaviors do not thrive, but rather are investigated, and students feel free to be themselves, to achieve, to make friends and to share concerns with staff. 

• Student Achievement: In 2020-2021, Orange County Schools performance indicated that only 40.3% of students were grade level proficient. Maybe some of this is Covid-19 related, we cannot let it continue. As a member of the school board I plan to work with other board members to create a community-wide shared vision. We need to set goals for how the district improves student achievement and create the conditions and direct the resources for accelerating improvement. We all need to hold the system accountable to high and equitable achievement for all students and communicate needs and progress of students to the community. An effective school board leadership significantly influences student achievement. We should provide training and leadership to raise student achievement and advocate for all the students in the district.

• Teacher/Staff Morale: Partially due to the Covid-19 pandemic, teacher morale is at an all time low. I believe that it is important to give teachers and staff a way to openly share their experiences and concerns—and to provide honest, helpful feedback. Teachers and staff keep our schools moving and our students learning. Now, more than ever, they need and deserve our support. When they feel appreciated, respected and happy, they will be more productive, effective and positive. These are the people we want in our schools teaching our students!

• Improved Communication with Parents: As a parent of 2 OCS students, I believe that it is important for school board members to listen to the parents and the community. We need to build a working relationship with members of the community. We should be communicating  actions with the community and advocate for the schools with the public. When board members recognize the value of parent engagement and its impact on student achievement and encourage that type of engagement, our students will benefit.

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School board members should not be using their position for any personal or political agenda. They should be focusing on the solutions that benefit student achievement! We need to get the political agendas out of the Orange County School System and get back to the business of making certain that our students have the best education possible.

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