What are the primary strengths and weaknesses of your district’s schools?  How can your district make public school a more attractive choice for local families?

The primary strength of D49 is the wealth and breadth of choices – early college, career/technical paths, etc. The primary weakness is our difficulties in attracting and keeping talent. The MLO is a crucial first step in fortifying that weakness.

Depending on the size of their district, School Board Members decide how to spend $10s of millions of dollars, or even $100s of millions, in taxpayer money each year.  How would you seek to prioritize the funds being stewarded by your district’s School Board?

My first and last priority will always be the well-being of students. Expenditures that can do the most good for the most students will take precedence. That will always be tempered with the fact that these are public funds, and we owe it to the public to be responsible stewards of their money.

In recent years, established freedoms, including that of speech, peaceable assembly, exercise of religion, and medical autonomy, have been impacted by various mandates adopted by schools across America.  As an elected representative of the citizens of your district, how would you seek to secure the Constitutional liberties of your schools’ students and staff?

As a Navy vet who reads primary-source US History for fun, defending the Constitution is of primary importance to me. The greatest threat I see to it in our schools is the attempt to indoctrinate our students into a false narrative of the US as a nation founded primarily by and for a particular flavor of religion, contrary to the historical record. The Establishment Clause protects us from these folks in the same way it protects us from Sharia Law.

What do you consider to be a parent’s role in a child’s education?  Do you believe that any information about a student should ever be withheld from a parent?

D49 establishes in policy the right for a parent to direct their child’s education, and I support that. As a former foster parent, I’ve also seen situations where parents are a danger to their child, and the child chooses to withhold information from their parents as a survival strategy. We must recognize that students have rights, too.

What are the primary strengths and weaknesses of your district’s schools?  How can your district make public school a more attractive choice for local families?

D49’s strength is its robust level of choice for families. From the highest rate of concurrent enrollment completion in the region for college-bound students, to trades, agriculture, aviation, medical, and business programs leading to industry certifications, students can find their path. The greatest challenge right now is staff retention. High turnover negatively impacts student achievement and wastes resources as we continually have to train new employees and lose those we trained. Stabilizing the workforce and ensuring we emphasize all the different programs that D49 offers will continue to attract families to D49 schools. These programs were developed by listening to students and families, and we need to continue to do that to ensure we are offering what current students need.

Depending on the size of their district, School Board Members decide how to spend $10s of millions of dollars, or even $100s of millions, in taxpayer money each year.  How would you seek to prioritize the funds being stewarded by your district’s School Board?

District 49 led the nation in the process of “backpack budgeting”, pushing student funding to the building level so decisions could be made closest to the students we serve during my prior service. We were recognized by the Independence Institute, and the Colorado Business Journal at the time for moving forward with this reform. Prioritization needs to be the classroom, because our business is education, and that is where we serve our students. Investing in staff retention and training to ensure our students are being served by highly qualified well trained teachers must be our first priority. Ensuring our students are safe, and that our teachers have the supports they need to handle the current education environment is also key.

In recent years, established freedoms, including that of speech, peaceable assembly, exercise of religion, and medical autonomy, have been impacted by various mandates adopted by schools across America.  As an elected representative of the citizens of your district, how would you seek to secure the Constitutional liberties of your schools’ students and staff?

D49 does not discriminate in these areas; it would be a violation of already established policy including our Cultural Compass. I would expect the district to continue to follow the policies we have in place protecting these freedoms.

What do you consider to be a parent’s role in a child’s education?  Do you believe that any information about a student should ever be withheld from a parent?

Parents are the first and primary educators of their children, know their children best, and our children succeed when parents and schools partner together to support and educate our children. Parents are the expert on their individual child and need to be respected; this is why parents are an essential part of the team in the development if individual Education Plans under IDEA, and applies to all children, not those with special needs. Parents are entitled to all information in student records under FERPA. The only information that can legally withheld from a parent is in cases of suspected abuse/neglect by a parent creating a situation where the school is the mandated reporter.

What are the primary strengths and weaknesses of your district’s schools?  How can your district make public school a more attractive choice for local families?

D49 has a wonderful and growing community! We have a variety of great school choices equipped with quality teachers to meet the right fit of our D49 families. D49 no doubt needs improvement in academic performance and proficiency. We want our families to feel good about enrolling their children in their local district schools. With academic achievement and proficiency, local families, new families, and community members will feel confident that our children are being equipped with the quality education and tools they will need later in life.

Depending on the size of their district, School Board Members decide how to spend $10s of millions of dollars, or even $100s of millions, in taxpayer money each year.  How would you seek to prioritize the funds being stewarded by your district’s School Board?

We should be sure to retain and attract high performing teachers, reward high performance, and make sure that we evaluate all activities to ensure return on investment for our community. Additionally, we should focus funding on specific performance goals.

In recent years, established freedoms, including that of speech, peaceable assembly, exercise of religion, and medical autonomy, have been impacted by various mandates adopted by schools across America.  As an elected representative of the citizens of your district, how would you seek to secure the Constitutional liberties of your schools’ students and staff?

Our constitution, and specifically our Bill of Rights, protects our God-given, unalienable rights. I will view policy decisions through this lens to ensure adherence, as well as ensure that the administration clearly sets this expectation throughout the district. There also must be a process for anyone in the district to bring forward concerns regarding these rights.

What do you consider to be a parent’s role in a child’s education?  Do you believe that any information about a student should ever be withheld from a parent?

I believe parents are our first and most important teachers and have the responsibility to oversee their child’s education. Parents should ultimately have freedom to make decisions and choices regarding their child’s education. I believe there should be transparency to parents in all things involving their child, including what is being taught in the classroom, or anything else pertaining to their child. Nothing should ever be withheld from parents.

What are the primary strengths and weaknesses of your district’s schools?  How can your district make public school a more attractive choice for local families?

I believe there are many good things about our district and our teachers care a great deal for the kids. However, I believe the four Zone model is flawed and results in duplicate expenses and a serious lack of accountability. Our special education departments are not serving students as they should. Much of the content of the Social programs (SEL) are hidden behind contracts that district leaders sign with curriculum companies that keep information from parents as “proprietary” or “copyrighted” material. Many lessons are done online, thus untraceable. We can do better.

Depending on the size of their district, School Board Members decide how to spend $10s of millions of dollars, or even $100s of millions, in taxpayer money each year.  How would you seek to prioritize the funds being stewarded by your district’s School Board?

We are growing exponentially in D49. We need to build schools. We are wasting money on 19 duplicate Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs. I would look at how many administrators we have compared to the teachers and para professionals who are in the classroom daily educating our children. Taxpayers are crunched right now and they do not feel that they are the school district’s ATM machine. We have to look hard at money to see where to budget better.

In recent years, established freedoms, including that of speech, peaceable assembly, exercise of religion, and medical autonomy, have been impacted by various mandates adopted by schools across America.  As an elected representative of the citizens of your district, how would you seek to secure the Constitutional liberties of your schools’ students and staff?

Free speech is the First Amendment for a reason. Currently I have a pending case against D49 regarding the violation of my constitutionally protected right of free speech. I am standing for the Constitution. I have found people who are on the side of promoting social justice to be vicious in their attempts to impose these ideas on everyone else. Bullies are here in our schools today, trying shut down free speech. They accuse parents of “scaring” or “threatening” them when they speak up following the DOJs example, which ended up being a hoax. I also believe that schools are overstepping the “mental health” and gender issues that are private matters for families to decide.

What do you consider to be a parent’s role in a child’s education?  Do you believe that any information about a student should ever be withheld from a parent?

Information should never be withheld from a parent. As the Supreme Court has decided several times, a parent has the right to direct the education and upbringing of their children. Parents should be able to opt in to programs they believe in. But they have to know what the programs contain first, and this is currently not happening. We must have transparency. I have visited several schools to see the curriculum and there are definitely things being withheld. Parents have the right to know what their children are being taught.