Every child, regardless of their zip code, family background, or living circumstances, deserves equal opportunities for an exceptional and high-quality education.

My promise to everyone is that as we make those cuts and make those difficult decisions, we're going to center it on students and teachers.

Good leadership follows procedure and it gives every voice at the table an opportunity to be heard. I encourage everyone to listen, deliberate, and then present results.

I'm here to really just come and provide my qualifications here. I see how it's eloquently built to do reporting, whether it's financial or non-financial. I know how to assess risks. I know how to build out plans to mitigate that and address risks.

I recognize how vital it is for every family to feel like their voice is heard, valued, and respected. Experiencing inequity firsthand and seeing how that impacted my child's ability to get a free and appropriate education is what first prompted me to run for school board.

As a board member, one of my focuses is to ensure strategic financial priorities are set, monthly expenditures are diligently reviewed, and that our annual audits are without blemishes.

to be transparent, you have to be able to make a decision, explain why that decision was made, and what that means short-term and long-term for the district as a whole.

For me, transparency means open dialogue, active listening, and making sure that all questions are answered.

listening is the highest form of communication. And so, I think that deeply applies to transparency. I think that we need to include all voices that encompasses the entire community from diverse backgrounds.

I will be voting yes for the referendum because I believe that our kids deserve classroom environments and the support to learn and achieve to their fullest potential.

I am not supporting the referendum. My pushback on it is around financial accountability, community trust, and if building investments can solve the core challenges in our district.

I'll be voting yes... we can wait a couple more years to crystalize the plan and do more, but at the end of the day, that's going to cost us 50, 60, 70 million dollars more as inflation continues.

I am prepared to advocate for funding, to fundraise, to seek grants, to build out all that we can do to make sure that these students are still progressing in their education and their pathways.

We need to go back through our budget with our students at the core, along with those who work closely with the students, our support staff and teachers...We also need to think about adjusting the size of the administrative staff at the district office.

We're ultimately going to have to put everything on the table...We are at a $2 million deficit every year, and that's without inflation...So sitting back or waiting for something to happen is not an option.

school closures means erasing someone's community when you close them, and that's really heartbreaking...a lot of it is around trust...we need to know what will draw them here to want to stay.

I think the vision that we're going with right now, to make sure that all the school buildings are equitable...that in itself would draw families who are already in the district to allow their kids to attend our schools.

This can start with a true culture shift and a community that looks forward instead of looking back...The vision this administration has is to embed those magnet schools into every single school.

I believe that trust is a two-way street...On the board table, we should be talking to each other more...you should be able to hear dissenting opinions and make sure that alternative answers are always brought to the table.

the most important thing for me to define trust is making sure that we're following through on our promises...and also going above and beyond and really advocating for our community whenever we have the opportunity to do so.

Building community trust starts largely how my campaign started, as a kid who grew up here in this district. I'm now an adult that's come back here...you always have to start with your personal story.

As a magnet school parent whose program at FAIR was canceled, I take this very personally...I wish we would have gotten more clear answers...I wish there was more compassion for our family and other families as we went through this really difficult change.

I think what happened is we just looked at the financial numbers quickly and didn't take into consideration the non-financial impact that that could have on enrollment attraction and other factors that could drive enrollment in the long run.

some of the things that we missed before closing our magnet programs is looking at the human element of what was happening in those schools. Like how much the PTO contributed...how much the teachers were putting in.

Did the administration take steps to make sure that the mistake wouldn't happen again? I think the answer is yes. Did the board take steps to make sure that the mistake wouldn't happen again? I don't think they did.

I think addressing the SOD challenge...starts with reporting...I don't believe that in the current board performance, we are making the decisions that drive proactive measures to get simplified reporting to the board.

we need to really look at aligning our purchasing policy with what is said in SOD policy, and being more focused from a perspective that we're really digging through those financials.

In talking with the teachers union, they are very interested in moving forward as written. So, I don't think I would prioritize any changes.

One thing I would change about this plan is I'm not entirely sure about the logistics of the additions in the elementary schools...I feel like that's not promoting inclusion when you have a DCD wing at the other end of the school.

One of the concerns that I have is the growing frustration around the one high school versus two high school model...the fact that the community didn't have a choice in this decision.

As a board member, to make meetings effective, honest, and knowledgeable, you have to be well-informed...read the board packet, and if you have questions and need to communicate with anybody, please do so. That's how we get engagement, build consensus, and get to our conclusions before they're out in the open.

One of the things that we need to work on as a board is listening to other people's opinions even when they don't match our own...it is hard, um, to try to share your perspective that comes from your life experiences and then be interrupted.

Sitting at the board table is not a time to attack people with questions, not in my opinion, at least...I stay quiet, I listen, and then I vote. And I think if all the board members commit to doing that, we'll get rid of the negative press by next week.

They stay in their community with people they already know, with teachers they love and appreciate, with administrators and principals and support staff that these kids already know...not continuing to move students around creates a sense of stability for them.

As long as we're protecting the academic integrity of these programs and making sure that we have competent teachers to inspire our kids, I think kids will be fine.

whether it passes or not, we need to change the tone. We need to change the dialogue about the Robbinsdale Area School District. We need to change our culture to be one that is positive and hopeful and looks forward.

The schools that are currently closed, obviously, decisions were probably made prior to the final decisions for closure. The administration needs to be proactive in making sure those renovations don't continue because that's a waste of money.

The good news is the district already puts out a disbursement report every month...I pushed really hard last month to update the disbursement report so there's a code on there that says what fund it's coming out of...The question is, how do you present that information in a way that the public understands.

I think what happened in our $20 million accounting error and loss of trust was a breakdown of process...I'd like to dig into this board's reports...we have specific risks usually that are in those board reporting.

My commitment is to center student success, provide stable working conditions that allow our incredible staff to thrive, and expand true inclusivity so that every student, family, and neighbor feels heard and represented in our decisions.

our responsibility as a board is to build better consensus with the public, better consensus with the administration, and a much better consensus amongst ourselves, and move forward to a better Robbinsdale.

I think we've forgotten how to be hopeful here in our community. And I think it's time to change that narrative, because when we keep telling everyone in our community how bad our schools are, our children hear that.

Robbinsdale schools have provided the foundation for my career, and every student in our district deserves that same level of opportunity...everyone cares. Everyone wants to know their role in all of this and how they can enhance the magic that I think uniquely exists here in these cities.

I feel like I bring a different perspective to this board. I am a teacher, I am a union member, a very active union member, and I've held many leadership roles within the union fighting for what's right for students and what's right for our workers. And I'm also a mom, a mom who has struggled with her own child's education as well.

My job in the budget process is not to micromanage the leaders we've chosen, but to be a watchdog...We need to be steady. We need data-driven stability. I have shown that I will do the work. I will be present. I will make the votes that support our most marginalized cities and communities.