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?

District 11 suffers from being centrally located in Colorado Springs and therefore does not readily benefit from new development and expansion. D11 therefore needs to work hard to offer a compelling product to parents as families can easily choose schools in the surrounding districts.

I believe that in the wake of the COVID pandemic and the fallout from ideological conflict, public schools need to work hard to regain the trust of parents and families. School Boards need to make it crystal clear that their job is to optimize academic achievement and work for what is best for students while respecting parental rights.

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?

One issue that I have heard repeatedly while campaigning is whether or not public schools are acting as wise stewards of taxpayer resources.

Colorado Springs has passed two Mill Levy Overrides in the last few decades and there continues to be a perception from voters that taxpayers are getting little for their money, given D11’s poor standing in state student assessments.

I have little appetite for increasing the burden on taxpayers in Colorado Springs and would prefer to take a hard look at what we are currently getting for our money – and whether there are smarter ways to spend it in pursuit of academic outcomes. I would much prefer to invest in teaching staff, for instance, then technology or administration.

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?

My full-time job is teaching at the USAFA Preparatory School. I vividly remember a briefing on Religious Respect, co-taught by a military lawyer and chaplain, where they pointed out that freedom to practice religion is a right enshrined by the Constitution that service members have fought and died to protect.

While I want public institutions to operate free from ideological pressure, I also want to protect the Constitutional rights of individuals. I also know as a government employee myself that certain rights are voluntarily traded away when working within a public system.

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?

A parent is the first educator and primary educator of a child until such time as they leave the household. Information about a student should never 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?

The most prevalent issues in the district are underperformance in achievement and fiscal irresponsibility. The strengths are phenomenal educators and a responsive community. CSSD11 can make public school more attractive by creating an environment that supports all students; cultivates an outstanding educational experience by providing educators and support staff with the resources they need to effectively teach; and increasing parent involvement.

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?

Funds come from public tax dollars, it is mandatory to be transparent about expenditures; every expense should be made to better the educational experience of students in the district, as dictated by members of the community.

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?

I believe in the Constitution and the freedoms expressed in the Bill of Rights and would protect them as such.

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?

Every parent/guardian has expansive rights in their child’s education and I would encourage every parent to get involved at their child’s school.

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?

D11’s primary strength is that we take all students. Regardless of who they are or where they live, we do not discriminate. Our biggest weakness is a lack of consistent and sustainable funding. In my next 4 years, I’d like to build partnerships between parents, teachers, and the community to increase cohesion and work with legislators to increase funding sources.

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?

I will prioritize school funding according to the recommendations set forth by the executive team. Those decisions are made by contracted professionals in cooperation with the Superintendent. I support policies that put tax dollars closer to the students in schools.

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?

I support the Constitution and will follow it as a School Board Member.

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?

A parent’s role in education is to support their students, partner with teachers and administration, and help teachers understand their students better for more success throughout the entire K-12 experience. Teachers should share information to parents about their students in accordance with confidentiality laws that are in place to protect student-teacher communications.

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?

Strengths: D11 has a tight knit and engaged parent community, and highly qualified educators. I believe that the relationship between the district and its families is strong and getting stronger.

Weaknesses: Overall, student outcomes are poor. Our academics, while improving, need to be significantly better for our kids. But even beyond that, many students are apathetic, unfocused, and struggle with behavioral issues. I believe the district can and must do a better job improving student outcomes across the board.

D11 should continue its current trajectory toward improving academic achievement and community.

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?

I would ensure that money is as closely tied to the needs of individual students as possible.

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?

One of the roles of the school board is to keep kids and staff safe, but boards must stay in their lane.  Mandates are not acceptable, in my opinion. I have a deep appreciation for our Constitution – I taught

it for 27 of my 30 years in the classroom. The Constitution must be followed.

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?

Students whose parents stay involved in school have better attendance and behavior, get better grades, demonstrate better social skills and adapt better to school. I believe parental involvement more securely sets students up to develop a lifelong love of learning. 

When this happens, the motivation, behavior and academic performance of all children at a particular school improve. Simply put, the better the partnership between school and home, the better the school and the higher the student achievement across the board.

I do not believe it is the place of the school to keep information from parents, unless there is a direct threat to a student’s safety. If that is the case, there are safeguards already in place for that.

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?

We have lost our ability to locally transport all students. We need to work with our transportation department to ensure available buses for all families and adequate staffing to accommodate those needs. We must have excellent academic instruction at all levels and in every classroom. That means staff development must be a priority.

If we can provide safe effective efficient transportation and best first instruction at every level in every classroom District Eleven has the ability to become the highest quality educational institution in Colorado.

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?

Funding must be directed towards School Safety and Academic Rigor. Those will by my guiding principles.

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?

The Constitution is the founding ideals and freedoms of our nation. That is why i swore an oath to defend it from threats both foreign and domestic.

This is a simple matter of protecting or enacting policy that reflects these protections for all.

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?

No. There is no situation that information should be withheld from a parent. In the cases of child abuse or neglect the sharing of information regarding a court order is still appropriate.

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?

Our strengths in D11 are the quality neighborhood schools that so many of us enjoy! Unfortunately, this is also our weakness as we look ahead to the district’s demographics and under-utilized buildings in some parts of our community. While we have more to do in making D11 more attractive, we are finally on the right path with academics, enrollment, and leadership to take D11 back to the top!

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?

Our board spent close to 20 hours of the past two years in reviewing the D11 budget. Line item by line item, we determined the validity, purpose, and measurable outcomes that would be obtained by spending each budget item. In my first term, we terminated the continuation of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office and re-allocated those funds to better compensate our school security officers, who keep our students safe. Through that reform and many others, we ensured that every dollar was put toward improving student outcomes. If re-elected, I would maintain that scrutiny and commitment on the next board.

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?

The constitution must be respected. Our board would renew an emphasis on these liberties, reviewing policy and procedures to ensure that our students, staff, and community are able to enjoy these to the fullest extent possible through our constitution.

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?

We as the current board recently passed a new policy, The Parent Promise, that enshrined and rejuvenated the strong roles our parents and guardians have in their students’ lives. We must remember and respect that parents and guardians entrust their students to us for the sole purpose of educating their child, and nothing more. Anything that pertains to a student’s education and well-being in our buildings and campuses should be transparent to the parent and guardian to build and retain trust in our school systems.

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?

District 11 is steeped in rich traditions and bursting with a culturally diverse student community. The district is as old as the city and is rooted in excellence since its inception. It offers a wide array of programs and services, including the most pre-K openings and opportunities for high school students to find their excellence though college credits and industry certifications.

Despite significant progress over the last year, data shows that 70% of D11 students are not grade level proficient. Those are sobering and unacceptable statistics that must be addressed with urgency and intentionality. By restoring the focus on excellence in education for all students and competitive staff investments, D11 will become the premier destination of choice in this region.

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?

In order to earn the trust and confidence of the community, it is crucial that school boards are responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. During my first term, I prioritized investing D11’s limited financial resources closest to students in the classrooms. As a consequence, the Board was able to deliver historic pay raises for all our staff, including increasing starting teacher salary by over 20%. The board also approved better healthcare plan with increased benefits and cost-savings to all employees. Starting this year, every D11 graduate will receive a full-ride scholarship to Pikes Peak State College. I will continue to put the interests of students and staff at the forefront of all critical budgetary decisions.

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?

I fully support the Constitutional liberties of our students and staff. Through policy and governance, I will ensure those liberties are protected.

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 that parents are the child’s first and most important teacher, and as such are essential partners in their K-12 education. Parental involvement in schools is a catalyst for improving academic growth and achievement. As the Board President, I championed Parent Partnership which the board adopted as a foundational board policy that recognizes parental authority and the importance of parental involvement in schools. Consequently, parents now have a clear voice and choice in their child’s education. Except in cases of abuse, I do not believe student information should 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?

District 11 is challenged in much the same way as many schools in Colorado. Recruiting and retaining teachers is the challenge facing these districts. We have to be able to hire quality teachers and retain quality teachers. We can do this by competitive pay and also by supporting teachers as they do the very toughest and most important job.

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?

I would assess the needs of the district considering enrollment, infrastructure and educational programs. I would help create a comprehensive budget that outlines all resources. I will engage with stakeholders to identify priorities. I will ensure that funds are distributed in a fair way and address all disparities. Budget decisions are tough ones and it is important for the board to work together as a team and listen to the stakeholders in the district.

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?

Securing constitutional liberties in schools is a balance between protecting individual rights and maintaining a safe and productive learning environment. We must keep this in the forefront when faced with issues such as, conflict resolution, promoting inclusivity, bullying and harassment, accommodating disabilities and freedom of press among other things.

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 as partners with schools is their most important role. Students thrive when schools and parents work together for the betterment of education. Parental engagement is key to success for students.

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 D11 are the resources, wealth of knowledge, and talented individuals that we have at our disposal to teach our children. At the same time, our primary weakness is the mismanagement and failure to capitalize on these. We must utilize them properly and not focus our attention on unrelated matters like the current School Board has. The more we focus on the core values associated with education and improve student outcomes, the more attractive our district will be to local families.

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?

I will prioritize the funds in a manner that maximizes student outcomes and preparedness. This entails seeking and considering the recommendations of professionals with a track record of building solid programs and curricula, while at the same time ensuring the views of parents and citizens alike are taken into account.

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?

I will rely on established norms and procedures to ensure the School Board does not violate individuals’ Constitutional 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?

Parents play a vital role in their children’s education. The school system is most effective when parents, teachers, and administrators are aligned in their goals. With that in mind, I believe teachers should be free to relay information to parents provided they do not violate any confidentiality laws.