Bio

I have lived, worked, taught, and raised my family in Delaware my whole life. My husband and I, as well as all four of our children, graduated from schools in the district. I have taught in the district for over 25 years starting out as a teacher and  later serving as principals of elementary, middle, and high schools until I retired last year. I have a Doctor of Education degree and extensive leadership experience, as well as a thorough understanding of the district and the school board, having attended as many monthly board meetings as possible for the past 12 years.

What is the most important issue facing the school district? How do you plan to address it?

As a teacher, the most pressing issue I witnessed in the district was educational apathy among students. Following the pandemic, students just don’t see the point of school in the way that they used to. They think education is optional if not a complete waste of time. Before trying anything else, we need to do whatever we can to show students how much value there is in a proper education.

What kind of mental health support would you like to see in schools and how would you advocate for it?

I would like to see as much mental health support as we can possibly get. Part of the reason for the educational apathy I’ve seen the past few years is the quickly dwindling mental health of our student body. Students have been deeply and immeasurably affected by the upheaval of COVID-19 and the social isolation of online school and quarantine. In order to best support our students, I believe partnering with community agencies to help supplement school mental health services is of utmost importance.

How should the school board approach curriculum topics/books/materials that members of the community want removed?

To best handle questionable topics and materials, I think the school board needs to have a clear policy on reviewing curriculum that includes input from community stakeholders as well as those on the board. As a former educator myself, I believe materials must be thoroughly read and considered before making decisions either way. Therefore, I would not be supportive of adding or removing materials based solely on the opinions of the loudest voices of the community. School boards have a responsibility to look after the education of students, so I believe we should have a solid plan for evaluating curriculum in a balanced and fair way that ensures students are being challenged without being subject to materials inappropriate for them.

Do you support the passage of HB96, which would reduce the eligible voting age for school board elections from 18 to 16?

While I support this bill’s attempt to increase civic participation in young people and give students more of a voice on the school board, I do not think HB96 is the most effective way of achieving this end. Schools have a responsibility to prepare students to be engaged, thoughtful citizens, and I do not think we are currently meeting that expectation. I believe we should direct our efforts towards properly educating students in civics, and perhaps if we can meet that goal, then it would be a good idea to lower the voting age for school board elections.