Previous Offices Held
n/a
Top Three Priorities
A sustainable budget: our budget must meet both the needs of our students and our taxpayers. It must be a collaborative process planned thoughtfully in advance. Transparency: deliberations belong in public view, and decisions require evidence and data, not performance. Board members should act as the public servants they are. Keeping our teachers: manageable class sizes, competitive pay, and a board that seriously considers staff concerns and needs. Turnover costs more than retention.
Why are you running?
I am a parent and taxpayer who wants the board to focus on the actual local issues. I am running to bring transparency and integrity back to this board, and to build processes that seek out and listen to parents, guardians, teachers, staff and residents before making decisions. I want our resources spent on Winthrop's real problems: the budget, our schools’ buildings and programs, and retaining good teachers and staff; not on agendas with origins outside of Maine.
What is the biggest challenge facing your area’s schools? The biggest opportunity?
Our biggest challenge is funding. Last year, positions were cut while enrollment grew. This year, more cuts have been made, with enrollment projected to rise again. I plan to actually do the work of finding creative solutions that serve the needs of both our students and our taxpayers. Strong schools raise home values and draw new residents. Advocacy to the council and highlighting the true value our schools bring to the community are where a pragmatic board can make a difference.
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?
Our buildings have ongoing and unresolved problems. I will pursue every grant avenue available. Funding improvements and updates are only part of it. Every component should have its long-term maintenance cost accounted for with replacement and upkeep planned and budgeted for in advance. Deferred maintenance turns small repairs into costly emergency expenses. Long-range planning is work I already do serving on our town's comprehensive plan implementation committee.
Do you think the state government is too involved in local schooling? Not involved enough? The right amount of involved? Explain your answer.
Mostly the right amount. Statewide school meals are an incredible example of beneficial state support. Districts across Maine are passing policies that violate state law, and the most concerning gap is that no law allows the state, or voters, to hold board members immediately accountable. Board members swear an oath to uphold state law. Some break it, and risk local taxpayers absorbing legal costs. I have asked our legislators to improve accountability, including through statewide recall.