ABOUT

What Will I Do for DSISD?

1. Honest and Transparent Communication

In a time of such great uncertainty, we all just want to feel like we have some control in this current environment. Parents feel as though they have been left out of the conversation this year--and they literally have been left out of school buildings this year. And communication in general has felt stiff, corporate, and detached. Even after hundreds of parents voiced concerns over mask mandates and safety protocols, leadership has remained bureaucratic at best, and dismissive at worst.

What I Will Do:

• Bring board meetings back in person with guests present- This is one small step that helps parents and attendees feel heard and included in these difficult conversations.

• Validate the struggle- I won't dismiss the struggles that are plaguing schools and the community right now.

• Include parent and community feedback- I won't forget that I represent YOU and that my voice is your voice. As an elected official, I report to you.

2. Post-Covid Return to Normal on Campuses

My hope and dream is that our schools will return to a traditional normal, the way things were before the shutdown in March 2020. It is becomingly increasingly clear that the healthiest option, mentally and physically, is for children to be in school. It is obvious to me that masks and social distancing measures are not to become the new normal. Proper childhood and adolescent development requires the seeing of faces and unhindered social interactions. We must begin accounting for the risks involved with health protocols and begin transitioning back to a normal environment in the safest way possible.

What I Will Do:

• Keep schools open and prioritize in person learning- It is abundantly clear that children thrive best when learning on campus. Schools should not be shut down and there should be no threat to schools shutting down.

• Make a plan to return to normal- We must survey the current and future needs of students and create a protocol for reopening the schools to full functioning capacity.

• Allow for parents' freedom in determining optimum health measures for their children- There are many conflicting opinions, even among medical professionals, regarding health and safety protocols. It is our responsibility to equip parents, staff and teachers with the right information so that individuals can make health decisions for themselves and their families. 

3. Attention to Mental Health Needs

My expertise and passion is for mental health. DSISD had increasing mental health burdens even prior to the pandemic. While DSISD has done projects in the past to improve mental health awareness, it is obvious that the pandemic has brought additional, intricate challenges for the current and future mental health needs of our students and staff. We need better measures for tracking and identifying mental health needs in our students and staff. We need to validate current mental health needs and work to dismantle system-wide issues that are harming our students and staff alike.

What I Will Do:

• Complete mental health needs assessment- Any effective improvement in mental health will begin by actively identifying the extent of the problems that we face both now and in the future.

• Identify the functional underlying issues that are affecting mental health- All the access to mental health services does nothing if we don't work to understand the underlying drivers of soaring mental health problems in our district.

• Work to dismantle system issues that are exacerbating mental health issues- Once we identify the problem and what's causing the problem, we must work to undo these systemic problems.

4. Transparency in Fiscal Spending

As our district expands and changes rapidly, we must address the elephant in the room: money. Parents and community members invest several thousands of dollars a year in tax dollars. Where does this money go?  DSISD must improve transparency around fiscal spending. 

What I Will Do:

• Make budget conversations available to the public- Any conversation about spending should include you, the taxpayer.

• Continue to address the allocation of resources- Allocation of resources is a dynamic, ever-changing

• Communicate clearly regarding allocation of resources during the pandemic- It is no secret that schools have had unique financial challenges throughout the pandemic. We must communicate clearly to help improve morale in our community.

5. Parents' Choice in Curriculum and Health

There are many concerns for the next few years. Sex education curriculum and vaccines in children are two of the most controversial. For such sensitive, personal decisions, parents must have complete freedom to make their own decisions without restrictions from the district.

What I Will Do:

• Prioritize parents' choice in sensitive curriculum- Controversial and sensitive content should be at the discretion of parents, with their inclusion in the discussion from beginning to end.

• Fight for a partisan-free school environment-  Public education should remain nonpartisan in nature. Any politically divisive content should be at the discretion of parents and students, not driven from a district.

• Prioritize parents' choice in health decisions- A school should never be making medical decisions for children. Parents should have ultimate authority over their children's health. Regardless of that decision, they should have unrestricted access to public education.