Communication

A district does best when it is open and honest and shares its struggles and triumphs with parents and staff. Bloomington Public Schools works hard to make sure they are transparent with their process and data, but still there are places where communication (specifically between parents and administration) could be improved. Earlier communication with parents about upcoming decisions, costs, and changes could alleviate a lot of the tension between the administration and the community.

If elected, I vow to have monthly office hours where people can come ask questions and share their frustrations. I will make sure to understand where we store our data and show parents and community members how to find that answers they’re looking for. I also will take any feedback I get back to our administration so they have access to day to day concerns from the community.

Academic Success

Our curriculum and how it’s delivered it at the heart of our school. The main duty we have to our students is teaching them the skills they need to succeed in a way that they understand and master them. As a member of the Pathways curriculum committee and a parent in our district, I have witnessed first hand the care and consideration this district puts into every single area of our curriculum for our students.

What sets Bloomington apart, however, is our innovative and exciting educational programming. From Hillcrest, an Artful Learning school, to Indian Mounds’ computer science immersion program and New Code Academy’s fully online school, Bloomington gives students a variety of ways to learn. Our programming around after-school options is also top notch, giving choices to students from the trades to college with strong community partnerships.

Student engagement is the number one predictor of student success and meeting kids where they are at with curriculum based in their interests is a way to do just that. I support the expansion of innovative new programs to help increase student engagement and performance.

Accessibility

We have a legal, moral, and ethical responsibility to give every single child a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. As a mom who has two children that have been in special education, I trust our staff to look for new and innovative ways to both include kids in the general education classroom as much as possible and make sure they have a meaningful time in school.

But these programs and rights are under attack. I will fight against our district initiating or joining any lawsuit that looks to overturn or weaken protections for our students with disabilities and I support putting in place school anti-ableist policies that codify the rights of disabled students even if those protections are removed at the federal level.

Our buildings are aging and its important to be diligent that we not only make accessibility improvements that we are legally required to make but also go beyond the floor of the ADA to true inclusive and welcoming architecture and refurbishment. I will only vote for plans that take into account the needs of our students and ensure they can live as full members of the school community with dignity.

LGBTQ Rights

Everyone deserves to be comfortable and supported at their school. Children should not be unable to play sports with their peers, use a bathroom that makes them comfortable, or display flags and images that show pride in their identity.  I support the Gender Inclusion Policy and materials review process that was passed by the school board in 2024 and would stand against any efforts to restrict, remove, or stigmatize LGBTQ students or remove books and other learning materials from libraries. Full stop. This is personal to me as a member of the LGBTQ community and a loving relative of many trans and LGBTQ family members.

Safety

Your (and my) children are entrusted to the school district for 32 hours a week, their number one duty is to keep kids safe. In order to do that we need to ensure our buildings have complete and updated safety plans, students are given access to supports they need (including mental health services in schools), teachers and staff take bullying allegations extremely seriously, and parents are educated on the importance of safe gun storage. Also, it is our responsibility to make sure children are educated and live the values of inclusion and care so as to not make the schools hostile or alienating.

Our Teachers and Staff

We owe it to our teachers to give them the resources they need to do their jobs. From particularly tailored professional development to protecting their prep time and keeping their class sizes small, the policies our district has can make or break a teacher’s career. Para professionals, lunchroom staff, janitors, and bus drivers along with all the other support staff in our district keep the lights on and the kids learning. Without them, children couldn’t participate in classes, have a clean and safe environment or have access to school transportation. It is important that these staff feel appreciated, visible, and supported. I support unionized labor and am proud that our district has so many unions represented.

I will always listen to the voices of teachers and staff and promise to review any contract placed before me for a vote from the point of view of teachers and staff. I will only vote for policies that increase the ability for our teachers and staff to do their jobs.

Anti-Racism

In order to have an inclusive, positive place for students to learn, we must eliminate racism from our schools. Culturally relevant educational materials, teachers trained to engage students from all backgrounds, and a firm and consistent bullying policy that has a zero tolerance policy for hate speech are all important steps we can take as a district to make our schools feel safe for all students.

It is also extremely important that we keep recording data on suspensions and discipline by infraction and race. There is a much higher rate of discipline in BIPOC students than white students and we need to interrogate why that is and what we can do to stop it.

Similarly, how we talk about our schools matters. The tone people take with the east side schools is one that perpetuates and obfuscates racism. The district can do so much to uphold the accomplishments and learning happening in the east side schools while also pushing back against the racism that impacts the way people see them and decide whether to attend them.

I will do everything in my power to eliminate racism from our buildings and district and will always take the time to explain or educate when I think I see something racist happening around me.

Funding and advocacy

We need full funding from the state and federal government to deliver the best education for our children. What does fully funding mean? It means funding the promised that were made so that schools can use their general fund as they see fit to improve their districts. Special education, for instance. The federal government has promised to pay 40% of special education costs, however it has never paid more than 20% at the very most. The state knows that we carry a “cross-subsidy” or special education funding we have to pay out of our general fund, but they do not close it.

I will advocate at the federal and local level every day to make sure we fund and support our schools so that our children can learn and our district can allocate resources to innovating and expanding our educational opportunities