PRIORITIES
PRIORITIES
Let’s give our kids the schools they deserve
Before I became a mom, I was a teacher first. I loved teaching and so when my oldest started kindergarten five years ago it naturally followed that I would get involved in my kids’ classrooms. As I’ve become more involved in our greater school community, it has been through these lenses that I’ve been observing our school board and its relationships with the Beaverton Education Association, Oregon School Employee Association, students, and families.
Unfortunately, what I’ve observed is that many of the current school board members shy away from authentic discussion and oversight. Rather than holding itself accountable to the public, it follows the lead of our district management.
I believe that if we are going to provide our students with a safe, equitable, and quality education, it will only be through partnering with the folks who know them best: parents and educators. We need school board directors who will make themselves and their meetings accessible to parents; who are willing to see that change is needed; who invite educators, nutrition specialists, bus drivers, etc. to the decision-making table. We cannot make informed decisions about our schools without the folks who make them run. These workers deserve a family wage, affordable healthcare, and professional respect. If we want teachers and the rest of our education team members to act professionally, we need to treat them professionally. Beaverton School District used to be the best in the state. It supported and valued its educators, found innovative solutions to diverse student needs, and made sure that every student, no matter what school they attended, was valued. It’s time to bring those ethics back and I believe that all of us, together, can foster a better way for the Beaverton School District.
-
I know that I (or any individual) cannot possibly speak for the array of diverse communities in our school district. As members of a very diverse community, it is imperative that we identify marginalization, believe people when they say they are being harmed, and engage with them in the work of dismantling systems of injustice. It is not enough to say we value equity in BSD meetings. We must seek perspectives of marginalized communities, and join the work they are already doing to support their members.
-
Public schools belong to all of us. I am a BSD parent of four, a former public school teacher, and an active community collaborator. I want to commit to practices that will keep me accountable to the public as a school board director. We need school board members who will hold district management accountable in how they spend public funding, care for students of diverse backgrounds and abilities, and how well they partner with their employees and families in making decisions for our schools. I will regularly hold town halls, visit schools, and call on BEA and OSEA for their valuable perspectives.
-
We all want our children to come home safely each day and to be uplifted and safeguarded while they are there. I am committed to employing the latest research on how to effectively deal with mental illness, school violence, racism, and the school-to-prison pipeline.
-
The public deserves transparency on how and when district decisions to close schools are being made. We need school board directors who will hold district management accountable for how they are spending funding, how they are handling and tracking discipline, and why they cutting staff positions while paying exorbitantly for other costs, including police departments $750,000.