​ Q: Why did you note "No" to the tax increase last fall?

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I voted "No" because I felt we could adjust the levies associated with the capital fund. The levies associated with teacher pay and student resources we ALL agreed to protect and fund. The levies I disagreed with were for "saving for the future" or "checking account" levies (depending on how people viewed those). The district let us know that the teacher and students would be taken care of whether we kept those levies the same or lowered them-that was ESSENTIAL. I had a lot of constituents contact me, and we heard from hundreds of community members at the public hearing, that they were struggling and if we could provide any relief it was needed, so I voted "No".

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Q: How do you plan to support me as an educator?

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I am a firm supporter of ALL teachers at ALL levels of education! A huge part of supporting teachers, is listening to teachers and what they need. I have been reaching out to teachers, asking what they need in terms of support as a parent for years and will most definitely continue to do so regardless of this election. I want to make sure teachers are being listen to when they need classroom supplies, calendar issues, or more work days. I will protect teacher benefits fiercely because that is the last thing a person should be worrying about while sick. I am very pleased with the strides that have been made to fairly compensate our teachers and staff, and provide a comprehensive compensation package. Filling in the "gap years" on the pay scale was a goal of mine and I am extremely proud that this board saw the value in this and it was accomplished. We needed to provide incentives for experienced, talented teachers to be rewarded for staying in the classroom and this really helps with that!