Supporting students is a stated priority of GUSD, and yet we see children each and every day who are not getting the services they need. I support student-centered teaching and learning across our schools.

What does this mean?

It means putting the student first when setting Board policy or working with our unions. I will think about how decisions I make as a Board member will impact students. I will ensure that our existing programs have the tools and staff they need to succeed, rather than relying on volunteers to fill the gaps. For example, parents should never have to hire outside advocates to ensure their child’s IEP is adequate. Parents should not think that a paid tutor is their only option to support their child’s academic progress. I have left IEP meetings feeling unheard and alone - no parent should experience this frustration.

Parents should not be fundraising for books, art supplies, or staffing. Teachers should not need to do Donors Choose projects to create lessons.

I will keep the teachers in the classroom. Too many teachers are pulled out of class to do professional development training during the school day; substitutes are filling in long-term instead of fully credentialed professional teachers as exhausted teachers take leaves of absence to care for their own families.

I know precious class time is eaten up by standardized test practice instead of exciting, relevant lessons. I will work with our expert teachers to ensure that any redundant or useless testing is eliminated in order to maximize the time students spend actually learning in school.

To put students first, GUSD’s Board must prioritize competitive compensation and maximize teaching and learning time.

We can eliminate tedious paperwork that eats into time teachers should be using to actually teach. I will make it easier for teachers to orders supplies they need to teach.

I will ensure that we have the best teachers for our students, and will work to restore the relationship with organized labor that has frayed during the pandemic. I will work to ensure that GUSD remains a competitive employer in public education; I have long supported our educators’ plans for adequate compensation and benefits. Teacher and staff turnover leaves our schools struggling to provide even the most basic educational experience, short-changing our students.

Students thrive when their classes are interesting and engaging. I served on and support the Culturally Relevant and Responsive Education work group action plans drafted by GUSD - I am running to make sure these plans are implemented District-wide. I was proud to work with Black in Glendale and the GUSD Board in 2020 to pass the Black Lives Matter in Schools Resolution.

Everything taught GUSD (standards, materials, textbooks ) is already approved at the state and local level. We don’t need to waste time restricting curriculum or debating settled or misunderstood content standards.