I'll repeat a couple of those points though um but I'll put it in a broader context and by by that I mean we don't manage we govern we establish the policies that allow the superintendent or that drive and direct the superintendent in this ISD to create the working environment so that the teachers have the best opportunity to succeed.

We'd established an annual survey a few years ago to make sure that we're seeking input from staff, students, and parents and guardians. Um, this is part of I think this is important with part of my continuous improvement mindset that I have.

I think one of the biggest things, you know, as as a therapist that I have learned is we need to listen. Um, collaboration is key and we need to listen to our families. We need to listen to our kiddos. Um, and and just make sure that everybody feels included, everybody feels like they have a voice.

When I think about students and what we can do to help them to be successful, I think about how important it is that each and every student can bring their whole self to school every day depend independent of uh who they are or or how they carry themsel. They have to be able to come to school as their entire self and and uh have some voice and choice while they're here.

Our current financial picture in Hastings is actually very solid and it's thanks to an amazing finance team that we have along with a superintendent who are very fiscally responsible and have been for years.

If uh enrollment continues to shrink, that could eventually be quite problematic for the district. Um, fortunately uh money's been managed for those rainy days, but I have to put that in the context of our world today.

One of the in addition to declining enrollment, another thing that really keeps me up at night is the cross subsidy for special education, which means the cost of educating kids that require additional services is very expensive. And the state and certainly the federal government doesn't do an adequate job of funding that.

But the thing is for families that even don't have children in the school, they have people in their church and they have neighbors and they have grandchildren and they have different people that are impacted and I know that we all want the best for this next generation.

Education is common cause. Education is what we do not just for our own children. It's what we do for everybody else's children as well. And that's been true since all of us were kids.

I think that uh one of the ways actually that this board, the current board has done this, we've been really um passionate about the pathways program the last few years and we are building business partnerships with local businesses so that our students can get there and see what it's like in the workforce...

I will say that in a leadership role and I've spent the bulk of my life working in a leadership role. I've had to grow some pretty thick skin and um I think that has helped me to remain resilient in tough times. The other thing that I think has helped me is I don't sweat the small stuff. And by the way, it's almost all small stuff.

So one of the qualities that I have that I think is a very um advantageous as a board member is consistency. So I believe that our structures and our systems should consistently apply to everybody.

My final project was that I had to give a speech for 45 minutes in Spanish and then take 15 minutes of questions. Speaking in English after that is a breeze. Um, so how do you how do you process that? How do you work through that? Right? It's a mindset.

But I've always felt that a challenge is going to it's not just the end. It's going to present an opportunity. And it's at that point that you had to recognize that opportunity, grab a hold of it, and go forward fearlessly.

I clearly support more money for the schools. Um, it's been a fund that has been under um we haven't tapped into it the way that we could have or should have for many, many years now. And it would bring more money to it would bring more money to our per pupil formula without raising taxes at all for for our community.

In n in 1858, a an amount of land from every section from every square mile of property was set aside for an endowment where the money from that endowment goes to pay for public education. the endowment has been undertapped and underutilized and so it's grown at just this phenomenal rate...

My main concern was I asked actually if there's some sort of stop gap so we don't run out of money so we don't run into a situation to deplete that fund in a manner in which that it would be an issue. And in fact while there's not a stop gap there are tools in this legislation that will ensure that that fund remains viable uh in perpetuity.

as a school board member, it's important that we um keep our policies, our expectations, our procedures equitable for all students so that every student has the opportunity to achieve their personal best. So, I think it's important that we that we focus that way at each and every student that we're representing here in the district.

I think there is a real opportunity for us to try to utilize more of like a whole child approach. Um, for kiddos, there is a lot though that I will say that our school district is doing for families that need resources.

There's three groups that I I have a special place in my heart for. One is girls that have attention deficit disorder because it manifests itself...often it goes undiagnosed. The second one is LGBTQ plus kids. ...and the last one is kids who have autism spectrum disorder and they have a mental health need in addition to it.

The definition of equity we have is that we provide each and every student and staff member with the resources and supports they need to achieve their personal best. And I really believe that that is so important because everybody is we're not all on a playing a level playing field, right?

I think one of the best things that we have is our staff. I think they do a phenomenal job of educating our students, of making them feel welcome. Um, I think that we have tremendous opportunities for our students as well.

I've encountered a constant theme and that is a deep sincerity in wanting to see the students succeed. the um that desire shows a consciousness of of purpose and as a school board member I would seek to support those teachers in that endeavor because the teachers are in fact uh the conduit through which knowledge and wisdom flows to the children.

to know that my kiddo feels safe and and seen and heard and it's not just mine but others is so amazing. So, I have to say thank you to our teachers and our staff and our admin and all of them. They are just amazing.

The grooviest part of the Pathways program is that kids get voice and choice. They get to decide what they want to focus on based on what they think they might want to do throughout their life.

At our elementary level, we have our new um language arts curriculum which is we're already seeing positive growth in students in our fast bird results based on you know what they're learning for through their through their new language arts curriculum.