Priorities

1) Keeping Dollars Close To Scholars – This first priority emphasizes the main objective behind our campaign. As schools continue to receive inadequate funding year after year, it is imperative that we use our money as efficiently as possible. That means better pay for the staff working directly with students, keeping facilities well-maintained, and greater scrutiny on expenditures that fall outside of the classroom walls. And as instability and uncertainty hurts our scholars, we must work to retain the amazing educators that we employ so that learning remains uninterrupted. That means better pay, stronger support systems, and feedback loops that let us know what is going well and where we must improve. And as we grapple with tough decisions, our guiding question should always be, “how does this benefit our students?”.

2) Funding The “Extra” – Let’s face it, students are not always excited to come to school. That is nothing new. But what’s important is getting them to show up to school in the first place. Extracurricular activities, sports, clubs, field trips, and hands-on learning are just some examples of what makes school magical for our children and strengthens their overall engagement. As we work toward improving academic outcomes for our students, we should also focus on developing the whole-child, giving them the opportunities to discover their passions, develop confidence, build relationships, learn teamwork and leadership, and experience success in different ways.

3) Shrinking Our District Footprint – This goes hand in hand with our first priority of keeping our dollars close to scholars. As we work to right-size our district, we will undoubtedly be faced with difficult decisions along the way. However, in an effort to utilize our resources to the best of our ability, we must continue to consolidate buildings and programs. A smaller district footprint would make transportation, extracurricular programming, and athletics more manageable. Consolidation would also allow us to strengthen services offered by support staff, clinicians, social workers, and other student-focused professionals across our district.

1) Strengthen Partner Relationships – Many of us have heard it, time and time again, “GRPS doesn’t work well with others”. And I have seen firsthand how we sometimes get in our own way. We must work to foster and strengthen the partnerships that uplift scholar success. By approaching collaboration with openness and a willingness to improve, we can move beyond community perceptions and continue to build systems of support that our scholars deserve. 

2) Expand The Community School Model – Community School programs, such as KSSN, drive collaboration with stakeholders across our community, including businesses, non-profit organizations, churches, individuals, and others.  We must work to expand the Community School Model across our district to meet the holistic needs of our families. This, in turn, will begin to remove barriers, such as access to healthcare, food, and family resources, that often prevent scholars from attending school regularly and thriving academically.

3) Support Our Immigrant Community – As one of the most diverse districts in the area, we must work to ensure that our schools are welcoming and inclusive spaces for all. As a board member, I worked to pen a “sanctuary district” resolution that aimed to codify our current practices of protecting our immigrant community and I will continue to help lead that work.

Additionally, we must continue to strengthen our work with partners such as the Hispanic Center of West Michigan, the Literacy Center of West Michigan, Tree Tops Collective, and so many others that play a critical role in supporting our immigrant communities.

1) Model Courageous Dialogue – Many have described the GRPS School Board as a “rubber stamp board”. I, along with other colleagues, have worked to address this perception by  encouraging open dialogue, asking tough questions, and challenging the status quo. If re-elected, I will continue to work on making this a priority.

2) Increase Transparency & Public Trust – From our budget decisions, to building and program consolidation, to staffing, there is a lot happening in GRPS. We must work to increase transparency in these decisions so that folks are aware of our processes and, even when there is disagreement, understand how we came to the final decision. And when we fail to meet our commitments, we must hold ourselves and each other accountable. Only then can we build a strong foundation of trust with our constituents.

3) Speak Honestly About Our Challenges –  GRPS, like every other district, is not without its challenges. But the way we address difficult issues is important. We must not only speak honestly about the issues we face, but work to confront these issues with measurable solutions that are developed alongside our most important stakeholders, our families and staff.