I have worked with Ridgeline, Timberline, and Lone Peak High School PTA/PTSA for the past 23 years in every position, and served as secretary for the Lone Peak PTA Council District (which represents all schools that feed into LPHS). I have seen what dysfunction can destroy in a committee and what true collaboration looks like.

I have learned in my fifty years of life how to be quiet, how to listen, and how to observe. I am not hasty in my judgements and I know how to work with people of different opinions, backgrounds, and emotional temperments. I am not afraid to ask questions and listen to the answers. I am open to changing my mind. I want everyone to feel heard and seen and validated, and I am willing to sacrifice my "rightness" to make sure they feel important. 

I am not afraid to roll up my sleeves and get dirty when something needs fixing or healing or mending. I believe the world is a good place where good things happen and, if you ask, people will most often say "yes." 

I have masters degrees. I have five chilren. I have a thirty year marriage and a list of callings in my church. But most of all, I have my friends. I believe that this life isn't about getting ahead; it's about getting to know our fellow human beings and making sure that they're ok. In my years working in schools, I've gotten to know the people who work there. They're not just staff or teachers or admin or school board members or politicians. They're people working hard to make the world a better place. They are my friends. 

I care about what happens during this shift from Alpine School District to Aspen Peaks, and if that means hours of meetings and getting to know a whole new set of friends to make sure that we have a smooth transition, then sign me up!

I have several strengths that I believe make me a great candidate for school board.

• I love to collaborate with people and solve problems

• I know how to work quickly and efficiently

• I like to laugh, and I'm also not afraid to tackle serious or sensitive situations

• I am not easily offended--a skill that allows me to remain calm in even the most challenging situations

• I am a skilled community builder, and in my time in PTA, I strengthened the ties between our teachers, staff, admin, students, and parents. 

• I really care about education, and I want to make sure that every constituent is represented in this time of transition

1. SALARY & BENEFITS: 

I want to make sure that teachers, staff, and admins' salaries and benefits are kept the same, and, if I can have any say, to raise salaries and benefits to be more competitive to the country and area.

2. SUPPORT:

I want to make sure that both the schools and the students feel supported with all their various needs (Special Education, ESL, mental health, advocates for struggling students, and enrichment programs for advanced students) and have everything they need to succeed. I also want parents to be well-informed about all resources available to help their children thrive.

3. INNOVATE:

I want to plan for the future with AI and the changing world, helping the students and educational community stay cutting edge and abreast of all the changes and developments in our world. I want everyone to be ready to succeed in whatever area they choose to study and teach.

Other than the obvious hiring of the superintendent and setting the tax rate, I see it as a marriage between meeting the needs of the teachers/admin/staff of the schools and the needs of the students. It is essential that as changes happen, we open channels of communication with the community. The school board members work with the educational community today and meet their needs and look towards the future educational needs of the school district of tomorrow.  

Most of all, I think it's a position of trust--both from our community members and the public education programs--to make sure everyone is represented and thought about in every situation.

The way to address differences of opinion on the school board or between the board and the administration is to carefully listen to both sides and weigh what will be best for both the community and the education of the students, as well as staff, teachers, and admin. I think by listening, we can often come to a consensus and, though everyone may not be happy, there will at least by accord and understanding.

I do not actually believe that the school board should be involved in the day to day administrative decisions. We are not there and don't know the intricacies that they are dealing with or why they make the decisions they make. I believe that trusting our adminstrators is one of the best ways we can support them. I am in favor of leaving management to the managers.

Distrust and conflict. I worry that the teachers/staff/admin will feel underrepresented and that the parents/community will be deeply concerned about the future of their children's education. I worry that neither will feel like their voice and opinions, their hopes and dreams and goals for the future will be realized. I think it's a delicate process and needs people who are willing to work together, to listen and think through the complicated situations and make careful assessments of the needs of both parties. We need people who will communicate openly and, with open minds, alter or change course if the decisions don't properly represent either party. It's a delicate balance, but I believe one that can be achieved. 

1. Salaries: Making sure teachers/staff/admin are properly compensated for their time and expertise

2. Support: Making sure all the diverse populations (standard students, special education, ESL, gifted and talented, etc.) are properly supported by grants and supplemental funding

3. Funding the arts and sports: Making sure there is funding put aside for the support for visual, performing, and musical arts and that the sports programs have what they need to succeed and grow. These students need their programs to thrive.

4. Future eventualities: Making sure we have funding for future school buildings and upkeep, and for potential developments that would hinder, if not properly considered, the efficiency and sustainability of the Aspen Peaks School District.

This is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. I have talked to so many advocates, mental health specialists, and the administrators about how to improve our schools so that everyone feels safe, validated, heard, seen, and important. It is a suprisingly difficult task. Right now, I don't see the funding allocated to the research and solutions yet in place. I would like to see monies allocated to finding out what is most effective in our schools, be it more councilors, safe rooms, comfort rooms, more peer tutoring, mental health monitoring and education, or parental mental health education--or potentially a combination of all of these.

My son was part of Hope Squad all through middle school and high school. I was amazed at how well educated these students were at looking out for other students. They were the "eyes and ears" of the students for the administrators and teachers. Over and over again as I visited the schools, I watched these Hope Squad members smile and wave and call our people's names in the halls. I saw the recipients' responses of surprised smiles and sometimes laughter. Programs like this, though seemingly simple, have a big impact. I would love to see more programs like this in every school. 

Mental health is one of my top priorities, and I hope it will be important for other board members, as well.

I love this question. I would have the same one if I lived in these neighborhoods. And it turns out... I did! And some of my very dearest friends live here still. My children attended Legacy, and they loved it! 

There is no rivalry with me. I want us ALL to win!

I plan to visit all of these schools to ask them about their concerns, advice, and greatest hopes for the new district. 

Between our schools in Aspen Peaks there is only collaboration and cheering each other on. We are a team, and we all need to work together. 

I promise to set the ground work so that I know what attributes, skills, and talents we need in a Superintendent so that ALL the schools that our Highlanders attend can THRIVE!

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