1. Why are you running for the Stillwater Area Public Schools Board of Education? From your perspective, what is the most important role of a Board of Education member?
I have known for several years that serving on the school board was something I wanted to pursue, but I intentionally waited until I had the capacity to make the commitment—not only for myself, but for my family. If elected, I want to be able to give this role the time, energy, and attention it deserves.
I believe we are at a point where communities are increasingly recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach to policies, services, and systems does not work for everyone. When we design systems around an assumed “average” experience, we can unintentionally leave out the people whose needs, circumstances, or experiences differ from that assumption—often those who have historically been underserved or underrepresented.
For our schools, that means policies, programs, budgets, and systems should be informed by as many community voices as possible and should reflect the broad diversity of students, families, educators, and staff within our district. That does not mean every individual perspective can determine every decision, nor does it mean consensus will always be possible. It means we have a responsibility to listen broadly, seek out voices that may not otherwise be heard, use evidence responsibly, and be transparent about how we move from community input to decision-making.
I also believe elected leadership is about much more than exercising authority or making decisions on behalf of others. It is a responsibility to serve as a conduit for community voice and representation—both for the people we serve today and for generations to come. Some of the most consequential decisions affecting children and families are made at the local level, and those decisions deserve an engaged, informed, and connected community.
That, I believe, is the most important role of a school board member and that is the kind of school board member I hope to be: someone who listens before deciding, asks thoughtful questions, values both evidence and lived experience, understands the broader systems in which our schools operate, and communicates clearly about how and why decisions are made. I want to help create school board processes that are transparent, inclusive, and accessible—and that make people feel invited into the work rather than simply informed of the outcome.
Ultimately, I am running because I believe strong schools are built through strong relationships, thoughtful leadership, and meaningful community engagement. I want to bring my background in child development, education, policy, evaluation, leadership, and public service to the board while continuing to learn from the students, families, educators, staff, and community members who know our district best.
2. Why are you seeking our endorsement? What does the unions’ endorsement mean to you personally?
I see this union endorsement as more than an endorsement—it is an opportunity to build the foundation for a trusted partnership.
As a systems thinker, I believe every part of a system has an important role to play, and no part can reach its full potential without the support of the others. Our schools are no different.
I believe we have not yet reached the full potential of Stillwater Area Public Schools or the communities we serve.But I believe we can get there—by listening to one another, respecting the expertise each person brings, and working together toward a shared vision.
Students, families, educators, staff, school board members, union leaders, and community partners all play an essential role in the success of our schools. When one part of the system thrives, we all benefit. When one part struggles, we all feel it.
That is why I see this endorsement as an opportunity to begin building a stronger, more collaborative partnership—one grounded in listening, mutual support, and a commitment to helping every part of our school community thrive.
Together, we can build the schools and community we know are possible.
3. How has your racial identity shaped and informed your world view? How are you actively working to expand your own racial and cultural lens?
This is a big question—one that entire dissertations have been researched and written about. In fact, my own doctoral research examined how evaluation professionals account for context—including our own experiences, assumptions, and biases—throughout the evaluation process, and how we can hold ourselves accountable to ethical evaluation practice.
That work reinforced something I believe is essential to effective leadership: we cannot make good decisions by looking at data in isolation. Data can tell us what is happening, but it does not always tell us why. To make responsible decisions, we have to understand the context behind the data, recognize which perspectives may be missing, and continually ask: Whose experiences are reflected here—and whose are not?
Part of what drew me to this work is my own experience as an Indigenous (Ojibwe) person. Too often, Indigenous perspectives and experiences are missing from the data used to shape mainstream policies, programs, and decisions. But this issue extends far beyond Indigenous communities. It includes all those whose experiences have historically been pushed to the margins through inequities and imbalances of power—including other communities of color, LGBTQIA2S+ communities, people with disabilities and complex healthcare needs, and many others.
Those of us who have experienced being on the margins often develop a different understanding of systems. We know what it feels like to be on the outside looking in—to navigate systems that were not necessarily designed with us in mind, to encounter barriers others may never see, and to recognize when the “standard” way of doing things leaves people out.
That experience has shaped how I lead. It has given me a natural inclination—and a practiced skill set—for understanding complex systems: identifying their strengths and limitations, recognizing where they create barriers, and seeing opportunities for growth and improvement.
It has also required me to continually expand my own racial and cultural lens and has strengthened my ability to listen across differences, recognize competing perspectives and priorities, evaluate information critically, and work collaboratively toward shared outcomes.
4. As put forth by the Minnesota School Board Association, what does governance mean to you in terms of the work of a Board of Education?
As a governing body, a school board is one of the most important forms of collective leadership serving our communities. School boards are responsible for building and sustaining the policies, programs, practices, and conditions that make student success and wellbeing possible for every student.
Through collective governance and decision-making, a school board helps set the direction and trajectory of an entire school system—and is ultimately accountable for the outcomes and impact of those decisions on student achievement, wellbeing, and readiness for life beyond graduation.
But governance does not mean governing in a silo.
As I shared, I believe school boards have a responsibility to listen broadly, seek out voices that might otherwise go unheard, engage with evidence thoughtfully, and be transparent about how we move from community input to decisions.
Good governance is not about having all the answers. It is about asking the right questions, listening to the people closest to the work, weighing evidence and perspectives, and making decisions with a clear understanding of who will be affected and why.
When we do that well, we build something stronger than policy—we build trust, shared ownership, and a school system capable of reaching its full potential.
5. What has been your personal involvement or knowledge regarding unions and collective bargaining? How would you, as a school board member, interact with union leadership?
My first experience with unions and collective bargaining came when I began working for the State of Minnesota in 2022. Since then, I have been an engaged union member and have made a point of continuing to learn about the collective bargaining and negotiation processes.
As a union member, I have seen firsthand the work, preparation, and commitment that union leaders and members bring to the bargaining table. I have also experienced the real-world impact of collective bargaining through stronger worker protections, rights, and benefits. During recent tumultuous times in state government—including federal mandates and funding restrictions—I witnessed the power of unions to stand up for workers and help protect them during periods of significant uncertainty and hardship.
While these experiences have given me firsthand evidence of the power of unions, they have also reinforced something I have long believed: every person deserves to feel safe, valued, supported, and protected in their work. That is especially true for the people we entrust with one of our communities’ most important responsibilities—caring for and educating our children.
Unions and their leadership are an integral part of the broader system in which our schools operate. Their knowledge, experience, and perspective are essential to understanding how decisions will affect the people doing the work every day.
As a school board member, I want to help create governance processes that are transparent, inclusive, and accessible—and that make people feel invited into the work, rather than simply informed of the outcome. That means engaging union leadership early and consistently, creating meaningful opportunities to share perspectives, and listening to concerns before decisions are finalized—not after.
That does not mean every decision will be one that union leaders or members agree with. Partnership does not require agreement on everything. It requires trust, respect, transparency, and a genuine commitment to understanding one another’s perspectives.
I believe our schools are strongest when the people closest to the work have a meaningful voice in the decisions that shape it. My goal is to help build a culture where educators, staff, unions, families, students, administrators, and the school board are not working in separate corners of the system, but working together toward the same goal: helping every part of our school community thrive.
6. Share examples of systemic and institutional racism that you have experienced or observed in Stillwater public schools. How will you work toward dismantling those barriers?
As an individual and family who are relatively new to the district—we have been here for seven years, and my child has only accessed district services through special education early intervention for the past two—I want to be honest about the limits of my firsthand experience. I have not experienced enough of the district’s systems to personally speak to specific instances of systemic or institutional racism within Stillwater Area Public Schools. That does not mean those experiences do not exist.
My personal and professional lens is that systemic and institutional racism are embedded within the broader education and social systems in which our schools operate. As Minnesota’s oldest school district, Stillwater Area Public Schools also exists within a long history of policies, practices, institutions, and systems that have not always served all communities equitably. I believe it is our responsibility to examine how that history—and the structures that remain today—may continue to shape people’s experiences in our schools.
Minnesota presents what is often described as a paradox: a state that ranks highly on many measures of quality of life, while experiencing some of the nation’s most persistent racial disparities in areas such as education, health, housing, and economic opportunity. When we see persistent achievement gaps between students of color and Indigenous students and their white peers, we should not simply ask what is different about the students. We should also ask what barriers within our systems may be contributing to those outcomes.
That is where I would begin: by asking difficult questions, listening to the people experiencing those systems, examining the data and its context, and identifying which policies, practices, structures, or assumptions may be creating or sustaining inequitable outcomes.
As someone who has personally experienced what it means to navigate systems that were not always designed with people like me in mind, I have developed a strong inclination—and skill set—for recognizing how systems can unintentionally create barriers. I also recognize that my own perspective is only one perspective. Doing this work well requires humility, a willingness to listen, and a commitment to continually expanding our understanding.
As a school board member, I can help create space for those conversations, ensure that we use data responsibly, seek out perspectives that may otherwise be missing, and ask where barriers exist and how we can dismantle them. Equity work cannot be a one-time initiative or a statement of values. It has to become part of how we examine problems, make decisions, measure outcomes, and hold ourselves accountable.
I believe meaningful change happens when we build a culture where examining and dismantling barriers is not exceptional—it is simply part of how we do the work.
7. How do you think decisions should be made that impact curriculum, assessment, staffing, and school management? role of Teachers role of Paraprofessionals role of Administration role of Board of Education
I believe I have shared a bit about this in each of my other responses, but want to reiterate that each of these groups have an important role in each of these areas. While the board is responsible for the ultimate decision-making, those decisions should not be made in isolation and without the input of these groups. This is not to come to an agreement on the decision to be made, but to ensure there is a meaningful process for contribution and idea-generating.
8. How do you define collaboration? What does collaboration look like to you among your fellow Board of Education members?
This is a theme woven throughout my other responses because it is at the core of how I aim to lead.
As I’ve shared, collaboration—or partnership—does not require agreement on everything. It requires trust, respect, transparency, and a genuine commitment to understanding one another’s perspectives while working toward shared goals.
For a school board, that shared goal is clear: the success, wellbeing, and long-term flourishing of our students and their families.
We will not always agree on the best path to get there. But we can commit to listening to one another, engaging honestly and respectfully, and making decisions with a shared understanding that we are all working toward the same ultimate purpose.
Partnership is not about always agreeing. It is about building the trust necessary to work through disagreement together.
9. What steps would you take to actively work on trust-building with each of these groups? District Administration (superintendent & administrative team) District Staff including paraprofessionals, custodians, food service workers, counselors, school psychologists, school social workers, secretaries, school bus drivers, early childhood educational assistants, community education staff, technology support staff, nurses, teachers District Students/Families, including racially, culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse students and families Fellow Board Members Community at Large
As I share in my campaign materials, I aim to lead through love, partnership, and transparency, grounded in trust, accountability, and data. To me, these values are deeply interconnected—and they all begin with listening.
I see students, families, educators, staff, administrators, union leaders, community partners, and school board members as integral parts of a well-functioning, successful, and sustainable education system. Each group—and each individual within those groups—deserves meaningful opportunities to be heard and to participate in the processes that lead to decisions affecting their lives.
But listening alone is not enough to build trust. Trust is built through timely communication, transparency, consistency, and follow-through.
While there will always be circumstances where a decision needs to be made quickly, whenever feasible, I believe the school board should engage those who will be affected before a decision is made. That means creating meaningful opportunities to share perspectives, asking questions, understanding concerns, and considering what we hear as part of the decision-making process.
It also means communicating clearly about how decisions are made, translating complex processes and information so they are accessible, and following up afterward to explain what was decided, why it was decided, and what happens next.
The reality is that school board decisions will rarely align perfectly with the priorities of every group or individual. Good governance does not mean everyone gets their preferred outcome. It means people have a genuine opportunity to contribute, their perspectives are taken seriously, and they are given an honest understanding of how and why a decision was reached.
For me, that is what partnership looks like: not agreement on everything, but a commitment to listen, understand, communicate, and remain accountable to one another throughout the process.
10. Describe 2-3 current and future strategic directions that you feel are priorities for our district.
The three areas that rise to the top for me are trusted partnerships, strong and equitable school finances, and student mental health and wellbeing.
I have shared at length in my previous responses about the importance of trusted partnerships and meaningful collaboration. I believe building those relationships creates a strong foundation for addressing the priorities and challenges that inevitably arise. Challenges are rarely created in isolation, and neither should the solutions we develop to address them.
Amid a tumultuous economy, abrupt federal funding cuts, and competing fiscal priorities, strong and collaborative partnerships are essential to building and sustaining a school finance system that is both strong and equitable—and resilient enough to withstand these challenges while minimizing their impact on students, families, educators, and staff. Good financial stewardship requires more than balancing a budget. It requires understanding the needs and realities across the system, using data thoughtfully, being transparent about difficult choices, and working collaboratively to identify sustainable solutions.
And at the center of all of this are our students. Students are the reason we do this work, and addressing the growing challenges related to student mental health and wellbeing must remain a priority. We are seeing increasing evidence of the connection between mental health, wellbeing, and student outcomes. Supporting students cannot be separated from supporting their ability to learn, build relationships, and thrive.
The question I keep coming back to is: How can we work together—as school board members, educators, staff, families, community partners, and a broader community—to create the conditions students need to thrive mentally, physically, socially, and academically?
For me, these three priorities are deeply connected. Trusted partnerships help us navigate challenges together. Strong and equitable finances help create the conditions for sustainable solutions. And prioritizing student mental health and wellbeing keeps us focused on the purpose of the work: helping every student thrive.
11. In the next five years, there are bound to be greater economic challenges facing public education in Minnesota and in our district. How do you propose to address these challenges?
I want to first build a stronger understanding of our district’s economic situation—past, present, and potential future scenarios—before leading with specific solutions. Good governance requires understanding the context, the data, and the factors shaping our current financial realities before deciding what comes next.
At the same time, I am confident that strong, trusting, and collaborative partnerships will be essential to navigating the ongoing economic challenges facing public education, particularly here in Minnesota. We will be better positioned to weather uncertainty when we work together, communicate transparently, understand the tradeoffs we face, and draw on the expertise and perspectives of people across our school community.