School should be a safe and secure place for kids to learn and staff to work. The feeling of safety on a campus includes students not having to fear for their lives each time they step on campus, wondering if they’re the next victim of a school shooting. It also means LGBTQ+ students and staff should be able to express their truest selves without fear of discrimination or harassment. In my first term, I was able to get a Pride month statement turned into a Pride month proclamation where the board voted to re-affirm our support and protection for LGBTQ students.

Supporting also means re-investing and re-allocating resources into mental health support as kids navigate through the uncertainty of the world today. I was outspoken when LMSV’s mental health grant was revoked, advocating for funding at the federal and state levels. I believe we need to keep finding ways to help educators feel equipped and supported to handle what the world brings, on top of an already demanding job. And for families, support means finding ways to support an expansion of before- and after-school childcare, including making it genuinely affordable and accessible.

A good education means an honest, modern and inclusive curriculum. In my first year, I helped to pass a state-compliant comprehensive sexual health curriculum which included grade-appropriate, evidence-based instruction. This past year, we passed a new math curriculum that will help to meet students where they actually are academically, so we can start to close the achievement gap instead of just naming it.

Educating also means investing in our educators. I’ve been a champion of LMSV’s first of its kind paraprofessional to education specialist (special education teacher) pipeline, giving paraprofessionals a paid path to their credential instead of an unpaid one. I would love to see additional pipelines like this one where we can continue to grow educators and staff within our district. Our Community Schools program has also become a real vehicle for family and community education recognizing and helping to build the kind of village it takes to raise a child.

Good policy comes from listening to the people living with its outcomes. That’s why I like to be on the ground at school events throughout our district. Budget constraints aren’t new for La Mesa-Spring Valley but that’s exactly why I’ve worked to build a relationship with our LMSVTA to understand how policy actually plays out in our classrooms. Educators are experiencing unprecedented burnout and funding cuts with increased expectations make it even harder for them to catch their breath. I’ll keep advocating for funding to fix that at every level of government.

Collaboration also means working directly with our community. I serve on the Facilities and Operations Subcommittee, asking questions tied to Measure V bond program because our schools deserve investment across the whole district. As the board representative on the La Mesa Environmental Sustainability Commission and La Mesa Community Police Oversight Board, I’ve also had the opportunity to bring this collaboration to the greater La Mesa region, not just within our district.