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Education: ASU graduate with a Masters of Elementary Education, NAU graduate with Master of Education Leadership
Career: Educator
Political experience: Advocated and collaborated with state leaders to support education.
Years as an Arizona resident: 16 years
Family: Mother of three children Tatiana, Jonathan, and Rebekah who attended Deer Valley School District.
What are the three most important issues facing your district?: The three most important issues facing the district are state funding, working conditions, and teacher retention.
How will you address budgetary issues facing the district?: Districts in general had faced challenges the past couple of years on budget cuts from the state. This has affected the cost to maintain buildings, technology, classroom resources, and school buses. I will address budget issues by being involved in the district’s budget committee to oversee their budget allocation. I believe it is important to be transparent in the decision making. As an educator I also value the importance to put our students first and to support teachers. When allocating the budget we need to focus on what is in the best interest of our students and retaining our teachers.
What resources are needed to ensure safe, healthy schools during the pandemic and how will you advocate for those resources?: The resources that will be needed in the schools to ensure safety are mental health, safety procedures and sanitation, and personal protective equipment (PPE). I will advocate for these resources by making sure the district provides funding.
What will you do to ensure schools will not become overcrowded, and how will you try to alleviate overcrowding at schools already at capacity?: I will be looking at the district budget and how funding is allocated. Decision making should be in the best interest of the students.
How will you deal with inequities and other systemic barriers that keep low-income students and students of color from thriving? How will you strive for equity in the school system?: I will strive for equity in the school system by making sure districts are accountable to provide and support students equally. Students have different needs and may need resources and intervention to better support their educational goals.
What ideas do you have for retaining teachers in the district?: Evaluating working conditions and salary increase will retain teachers in any district. As educators we understand the challenges we are facing. We are willing to work in a district as long we are given the support, treaty with respect and opportunity for job advancement.
