Every community member deserves to be heard and the concerns of the community are my paramount interest.
I am running for a seat on the Board of Education because I am passionate about serving our community and creating a positive impact for every student, family and tax payer. I believe CUSD200 will benefit from my strong voice, willingness to challenge the status quo, and commitment to listening deeply to the concerns of every community member.
There is always room for growth, and I am committed to continuous improvement in pursuit of our shared goals. I advocate for a balanced Board—one that reflects a healthy diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds, cultures, and skills—working collaboratively with kindness for the benefit of our schools. My priorities include advancing safety policies for students and staff, improving academic outcomes, and ensuring fiscal conservatism by questioning unnecessary expenses and directing resources to areas of true need.
Together, we can build a stronger future for our students and community.
Our community deserves leaders who truly represent its diverse voices and perspectives. It's clearer than ever that political affiliations alone do not guarantee principled, independent advocacy for our constituents. I believe the CUSD 200 Board of Education should mirror the diversity and balance of the community it serves, and I am committed to being a voice for positive change in our schools within the current landscape.
As a candidate, I pledge to uphold a commitment to all members of our community, free from allegiance to any individual, group, or organization. I promise to be accessible, communicative, and transparent, within the role’s bounds, and to bridge the gap in communication between the community and the Board of Education. My goal is to address the longstanding pattern of missed connections by listening to and amplifying the voices of those who feel unheard. Together, we can build a Board that truly serves every member of our community..
Despite community pressure to monitor guests electronically and enforce volunteer background checks, CUSD 200 remains nearly a decade behind many neighboring districts and national best practices in safety and security measures. I am committed to working cooperatively with our existing District Safety Committee (to whom I am most grateful) to update our schools' systems and policies to exceed legal minimums, ensuring that we are proactive rather than reactive.
I will advocate for increased resources and comprehensive safety assessments to be conducted by third-party experts in order to identify areas for improvement and implement meaningful changes. Our students deserve to learn in an environment free from the threat of predators and gun violence. Safety must be a top priority, and I will work tirelessly to ensure that CUSD 200 provides the highest standards of protection for every student and staff member.
Additionally, I will urge CUSD 200 administration to prioritize further promoting media literacy and protecting students from cyber-bullying, online attacks, and harassment, fostering a culture of respect and empathy in shared digital spaces. This will require strengthening policies, procedures and resources to address harmful behavior. If elected to the Board of Education, I will work toward a district culture that expects responsible online communication and provides support systems to ensure a safe and inclusive online environment.
Over the past 15 years, CUSD 200 experienced a steady decline in student proficiency. However, recent improvements in ELA proficiency are encouraging and may be a direct result of CUSD 200's move from whole-language learning back to a more science-based approach to reading instruction, for which I have been a long time advocate. As a Board of Education member, I will continue to push for science-backed teaching methods as well as advocate for higher academic standards by raising expectations for students, supporting more rigorous curriculum, and holding district leadership accountable for hiring the most qualified educators.
Additionally, I will work to ensure that district-wide standardized testing is administered in such a way as to produce accurate and reliable data that directly benefits students, parents and educators.
CUSD 200 has struggled with unchecked spending, administrative bloat, inequitable funding across schools, and deferred building maintenance. As a Board of Education member, I will advocate for a bottom-up budgeting approach, ensuring every dollar is spent thoughtfully and with clear purpose.
Public funds should directly benefit the community, especially our students. I will push for greater accountability in spending, a higher annual allotment for facility maintenance, and a shift away from the pattern of perpetual debt. Our district must make responsible financial decisions that prioritize long-term sustainability and meet the needs of both students and taxpayers.
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