ACADEMICS
I believe in strong academics and have myself received some of the most elite academic distinctions in education. I love looking at academic data and often hear people say how much they appreciate me asking discerning questions, going out of my way to look at data from various sources, and not just rubber stamping things.
TECH IN THE SCHOOLS
I have long advocated against excessive use of tech in the schools and am currently in the middle of a tech usage audit as well as preparing to craft school district policy to further this cause. I have experience working in the field of computer programming, and I find that background very useful in our tech discussions. I fully supported the ban on student cell phone use during class time.
CONSERVATIVE VALUES
I uphold conservative family values and support following the state laws that require the removal of sexually explicit materials in our schools. School district leadership begged to have me be a part of the school board book appeals committee due to my legal background and understanding of laws that are somewhat complex and nuanced. Our district has been sued by groups who align with national organizations outside of Utah that accuse us of intentionally targeting LGBTQ+ materials and materials about minority cultures. Many in these groups are motivated to get me off the school board even though these accusations are unequivocally false. We have state laws we must follow, and we should uphold them and not let political agendas override following state law.
SCHOOL CULTURE
I advocate for teacher morale, lower class sizes, and strong administrative leaders who boost the morale of our schools and school district. A positive school culture is so vital for a successful school district.
COMMUNICATION THAT MAKES OUR COMMUNITY FEEL HEARD
I work hard for parents, employees, and students to have a meaningful voice in our schools. I have myself stood in positions where I have not felt heard, so I try to genuinely listen and be helpful even though I cannot always give people what they want. I have worked very hard in trying to improve mutual communication between our community and school leadership, including trying to improve our survey systems so that they allow for more meaningful feedback and a better understanding and connection with our school community. This is a challenge when we have a school district as big as ours with over 90 schools.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET
I believe in fiscal responsibility and have looked critically at Davis District's billion dollar budget to advocate for saving money and for moving money to where we most need it: at the classroom level. During my term as board member, I have advocated to reduce district-level administrative bloat, spending on one-to-one tech devices in the younger grades (a lot of the tech was paid for by Covid money which we no longer have), requiring competitive bids on services that weren't previously bid on, and have been instrumental in halting the unnecessary rubber stamping of giving tax breaks to entities that likely don't need it. Our precious tax dollars should go to our schools unless there is a truly justifiable net benefit.
I have also been working very hard to work with local legislators to mitigate some unfairness in the education funding process that is resulting in increased pressure to raise our local Davis County property taxes. If we can get this accomplished, this will be a huge benefit to Davis County residents and can capture millions for our schools while reducing the need to raise property taxes.
