Values & Viewpoints

Experience

  • Locally I serve as Vice-President and board member of Foothills Kids.
  • I serve on the PEPSC Human Capital Roundtable Teacher Licensure Subcommittee for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
  • I currently serve as one of the state Board of Directors for the North Carolina Parent-Teacher Association, where I oversee all of the State Legislative work where I work directly with lobbyists and our state and federal elected officials.
  • I am the State Chair of Advocacy and Special Education for NC PTA. Past serving on governance, diversity, special education Inclusion, and the Internet task force.
  • I was appointed this past year by National PTA President King to serve at the National level on the National Legislation Committee. In this role, I work hand in hand with our elected officials in DC and also serve as a Federal Legislative liaison for all of Europe PTA, (US) Virgin Islands, Florida, Maryland, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.

Local School Mask Mandates

Simply put...I believe in the Freedon of Choice. Personally, I think that parents should have the Choice to send their children to school with or without masks at this point, along with those employed by their district. Looking at where we are now 2 years and several variants later, "if" I had a vote and had to vote today, my vote would be to do away with mandatory masking mandates and make it optional. The cloth masks as they are being worn now certainly don't provide the level of protection one would get from, say, an N95. Additionally, the NCDHHS has now stated that contact tracing can end starting February 22nd, and regardless of exposure, quarantining is no longer necessary. I feel that the data that I've been receiving from friends who work within the CDC and the state also clearly supports this.

I would like to state that I am a firm believer in elected officials listening to constituencies and, in turn, those elected officials voting with how and what the majority of their constituents who voted them into the office are voicing.

Common Core Standards

I do not believe in the Common Core Standards.

Testing

When school funding, salary, and career advancement are tied to student test scores, it’s inevitable that many teachers and administrators turn their focus to “TEACHING THE TEST” because they have to.

Students spend weeks practicing THE TEST and going over tips for taking THE TEST, leaving less time for exploring a larger variety of subjects or for developing different types of skills. Schools need to drop standardized testing. The practice of standardized testing is robbing students of self-esteem and a good education

Christian Values

I am a Christian. A Christian Wife, A Christian Mother. I live and raise my family with those same Christian Values.

Best For Our Children and Their Educators

Everybody elected to the school board should be making decisions based on what's best for our children and their educators, period!

Asking the Tough Questions

I will always ask the tough questions, speak my mind, tell the truth, and fight for our biggest stakeholders in CCS, our children, and educators!

Best for Our Students, Teachers, Staff, and Community

My decisions in matters relating to our schools begin and end with what is best for our students, teachers, staff, and community.

School Choice

I believe in school choice. All parents and guardians deserve to have options when selecting which type of education they want for their children. Every family has different wants and needs when it comes to deciding what kind of education they would like for their child, whether that choice is traditional public, charter schools, private, parochial, or home school.

Government Should Be Transparent and Accountable

My values are reflected in my belief that the government, including a county school board, should be transparent and accountable and not waste tax dollars.

Make School Division Policies More Sensitive to Students

I will work with the current board to make school division policies more sensitive to our students' needs. I will work to bolster our preschool and vocational programs and help our students become better prepared for various paths after graduation, whether that be straight into the workforce, serving in the military, attending a 2 or 4-year college, or career as tradesmen and tradeswomen.

Genuine Interest

I have a genuine interest in improving public schools and am sincere about helping local schools.

NOT a Career Politician

I am NOT a career politician or simply climbing the ladder to a higher office.

Every Child is Deserving of an Outstanding Education

I believe that every child is deserving of an outstanding education, no matter what school they attend, or the neighborhood they live in.

Time Commitment

I can make a FULL-TIME commitment to the school board and serving Caldwell County Schools and its stakeholders.

Putting Students and Educators First

I believe elected officials should be effective policymakers and craft solutions instead of blaming other governmental bodies or offering empty promises. I will always put students and educators first.

CRT (Critical Race Theory)

I don't believe that the CRT (Critical Race Theory) curriculum should be taught in K-12 education in our nation.

Effective Policymakers

I believe elected officials should be effective policymakers and craft solutions instead of blaming other governmental bodies or offering empty promises. I will always put students and educators first.

Informed Voters

I believe that voters need to be informed about each candidate and that each candidate running for the school board should be transparent in answering direct questions. We should be able to provide answers to the voters about our platforms. I believe that voters should vote in alignment with their own beliefs that are in the best interest of their families, rather than solely upon political affiliations.

Board Accountability

I believe in accountability across the board. The school board should be accountability driven and focused on policies to improve student achievement.

Collaborative Relationships

I believe a school board and its members have a responsibility to develop a collaborative relationship with staff and the community to establish a strong communications structure that will inform and engage both our internal and external stakeholders when setting and achieving our district goals.

Importance of Voting

I stand firm that voters must vote for people whose only agenda is the interests of the children and education in Caldwell County.

Fair treatment

I believe in fiercely standing up for the fair treatment of our students, educators, and staff.

Useful and Effective School Board

I think that to be a useful and effective school board, we have to align and sustain resources, such as professional development, to meet district goals.

Biggest Priority

I believe that our children are the biggest priority; they are our future parents, educators, and community leaders.

Budget

I believe that board members should be good stewards of our tax dollars: This is a very doable and easy actionable item by just ensuring a few simple tasks: Looking closely at where our money is presently being spent versus where the biggest needs are and also at line items and programs where we can save or modify spending. There are quite a few items and areas that I would like to see further information on and to look closer at concerning CCS

Leadership

To be an effective leader, one truly needs a firm foundation of core values that will drive that leader’s decisions. A leader must be able to maintain their core ideals while working collaboratively to solve both macro and micro-level problems

Listening

There is a great need that our school board starts listening more to the people who are in the schools cultivating our children’s love of learning and the families who are impacted by the decisions by the CCS Board of Education. We have to ensure that proposed solutions are actually solving the identified problem. We must rely on accurate data and be transparent with the reporting to make decisions that allow all students to achieve their potential.

Supporting Teachers and School Leaders

One of the single most important factors in determining a child's success in school is the quality of his or her teacher. Everyday we ask our teachers to perform miracles every day in our underfunded and overcrowded schools. To produce a highly competitive and innovative workforce tomorrow, we must attract the best-qualified teachers to our classrooms today. We must start attracting and keeping our talented educators in Caldwell County by offering a more competitive package. If we want our students to be the best they must be taught by the best.

Collaboration

Collaboration with parents, students, teachers, business leaders, civic leaders, and communities across North Carolina is essential when advocating for an effective education system that will prepare each child for productive citizenship.

Strong Public Schools are Essential

I believe that strong public schools are essential for strengthening our economy and maintaining the vitality of our local communities.

Sound Public Policy

I understand that sound public policy supporting public education must be enacted and funded by all elected officials.

Policies Critically Important for Public Education

As a mother and child & education advocate, I advocate for the enactment of specific policies and resource levels that are critically important for public education in NC both locally here in Caldwell County and statewide.

Educate and Inform Citizens Regarding Issues

I support the analysis of policies, legislation, funding, and outcomes to educate and inform citizens regarding issues impacting public education in NC.

Education Policies That Reflect Their Values

I strongly support the power of well-informed citizens to advocate for education policies that reflect their values and positions when engaging with candidates and/or elected officials.

Information of Candidates' Positions

I support the dissemination of information on all elected officials and candidates' positions regarding public education policies and funding.