The Goal

My ultimate goal is to help create safe, nurturing environments for students to flourish, and to create an environment where everyone feels responsible for and connected to our school system. I want to actively involve families and local organizations in our schools to enhance students', teachers', and parents' well-being and to foster among students and families a sense of community belonging and responsibility. By drawing on diverse experiences and creating spaces where every community member—parents, educators, and local organizations—feels they can contribute, we can not only address immediate challenges like school violence and academic stress but also create long-term resilience and innovation within our community. During the first 100 days of my term if elected, I will focus on the following actions.

The Means

I believe it's critical to begin any new position by listening, reading, and asking skillful questions. So that is where I will begin if elected to the school board. First and foremost, I will push to do a formalized assessment of our community strengths and needs in the following ways.

Listening Sessions, Surveys, and Focus Groups with Teachers

Teachers perform best when they are not overwhelmed by external challenges, so I would like to explore the needs for resource centers offering things like technological assistance and emotional support. With dedicated support staff handling administrative or community-specific issues, teachers can focus on honing their craft and engaging students more dynamically in the classroom.

With a background in qualitative research, I would love to lead listening sessions and focus groups with teachers at the high school, middle school, and elementary levels to hear about their challenges and frustrations with our school district as well as what they love about their jobs and the various supports they receive.

Accessible Town Halls, Surveys, and Interviews with Parents and Caregivers

In service of helping parents and caregivers to feel valued and empowered, I want to hear from parents and will push for town halls that are accessible virtually and in person, in the languages our families speak and in their home communities. I want to learn about parents' and caregivers' experiences with our schools, the everyday challenges they face as parents/caregivers, their support networks, and the places where they need additional support so they can be active participants in their children's education. I will ensure every voice is heard by providing multiple, convenient channels for feedback. And I will endeavor to talk with parents one-on-one to develop a more detailed understanding of the circumstances faced by our families.

Forge Partnerships with Local Organizations and Service Providers

From early childhood education to teacher training and mental health services, a robust support network creates a healthier learning ecosystem. I will facilitate a crowdsourced list of the various resources in our community—NIU, Kishwaukee College, local businesses, nonprofits, health services, and other educational amenities. And I will creatively recruit local artists to design infographics that chart these resources; this will give us visual tools to highlight both strengths and gaps for us to consider and act on. We have great knowledge and talent in our community; together, we can find ways to be of mutual benefit to our schools and our wider community.

Establish Regular, Inclusive Communication Channels

Consistent, dependable, transparent communication is critical for community engagement and change and is sorely lacking throughout D428, so I will push our leadership and board to develop a schedule for virtual town halls and local meetups along with adopting digital tools with embedded interactive elements (polls, Q&A sections) to facilitate ongoing constructive conversation. I will strategically incorporate feedback loops so our community can see that their input directly shapes school policy.