Previous Offices Held
None
Top Three Priorities
1. Building a stronger support structure for our educators 2. Creating more opportunities for our students 3. Maintaining strong education without taxing my neighbors out of their homes.
Why are you running?
The current school board cut a mental health position and had to establish a pay-to-play fee schedule for sports because the City Council cut the budget. I think we can do better allocating the funds the city allots to us and I would like to be part of the discussion on how our money is spent. Fiscal responsibility while maintaining and awesome school system is an important part of why I chose to run.
What is the biggest challenge facing your area’s schools? The biggest opportunity?
The biggest challenge and opportunity is after graduation opportunities. We need to work with city, county and statewide businesses to create a network of regular jobs that are looking for new workers to train. Not every kid is going to go to college or trade school. We need to support those kids that are going right into the work force.
A top issue for many parents is the age of Maine’s school infrastructure. How would you address this issue locally from your position on the school board?
Augusta doesn’t have the funds to do a lot to improve the infrastructure, so I would start by urging the rest of the board/superintendent to apply to as many county and state-funded capital improvement and infrastructure programs and funding tracks in order to secure the money. Failing that, I am willing to go business to business to secure donations.
Do you think the state government is too involved in local schooling? Not involved enough? The right amount of involved? Explain your answer.
That’s a complicated answer, as it depends on what area of schooling you are addressing. The city/county should have more control on the direct curriculum while the state should concentrate more on overseeing school access and fiscal responsibility with state funds.