1. Tell us a little about yourself including why you are running and what goals you hope to accomplish
I am a graduate of Nitro High School and have my BS in Psychology. I am a certified Christian Life Coach, Crisis Counseling, and Positive Behavior Support Specialist. I currently reside in Cross Lanes along with my husband and our three sons. I have a strong passion for public education. I am an advocate for all students. I have always had and will continue to be committed to KCS students, KCS families, and KCS staff. It is my goal to continue to work alongside KCS to offer educational opportunities for all students to become successful adults.
2. What do you see as the role of a Board of Education member?
It has and will always be my honor to serve, however the key word being “serve” and always stay focused to remember I was chosen to sit on KCBOE to serve our students, their parents, our staff, and our communities. I believe in working with all school communities to learn firsthand the struggles, the needs as well as the successes. I volunteer and/or attend as many school functions as possible to show my commitment and support for all students in all schools. I believe my “hands on approach” allows everyone to witness my commitment to KCS.
3. What qualifications and attributes lead you to believe you would be a good Kanawha County Board of Education member
Prior to becoming a board member, I was a parent assistant and an Autism Mentor at KCS. I am involved with local and state agencies which allows me to suggest recommendations. I am easily accessible to the public, staff, and students. I do my best to volunteer in schools whenever needed. By doing these things, it allows me to learn by doing. When I know there is an area of concern, I work as an advocate to find solutions. I will continue to work with others to determine any changes needed to strengthen current practices to see continued successes.
4. For Incumbents, what are the greatest accomplishments of the Board during your term of service?
Prior to becoming a board member, I was a parent assistant and an Autism Mentor at KCS. I am involved with local and state agencies which allows me to suggest recommendations. I am easily accessible to the public, staff, and students. I do my best to volunteer in schools whenever needed. By doing these things, it allows me to learn by doing. When I know there is an area of concern, I work as an advocate to find solutions. I will continue to work with others to determine any changes needed to strengthen current practices to see continued successes.
5. Kanawha County continues to face declining enrollment. What considerations should be given in terms of school facilities and infrastructure spending?
I feel a very important aspect of my role is to support a balanced budget for the entire system. Closing or consolidating schools is never popular, however, we all need to realize that the student population in KCS has been declining. I will support working with the Superintendent on developing a plan of action should a school close or consolidate due to overall low school enrollment and or the condition of the school building. KCS has developed a Comprehensive Educational Facilities Plan (CEFP) as required in WVDE Policy 6200. This plan uses data (facility information, project costs…) to make decisions on future school facilities. I strongly believe relying on data driven decisions established in the CEFP will allow our school system to operate in an efficient manner. Consolidating and school closures are inevitable in our district due to declining enrollment and the current condition of some of our school facilities.
6. What are your views on the impacts of the pandemic and what would you do to close the learning gap created by this crisis?
I plan to continue to trust our school administrators, teachers, service personnel and parents to work together to promote learning. Our schools should continue to monitor where and what the learning gaps are and work diligently to close those gaps. The learning gaps happened over time, so it will take time to close those gaps. We must continue to use ESSERF monies for extra learning opportunities such as summer school, after school tutoring, credit recovery, etc. We must address the “whole child” and their needs from a social and emotional standpoint to their educational needs. Parents and our school communities must realize the importance of daily school attendance and communicating with one another about what can be done to move every child towards academic success. We all need to be partners in helping our students succeed in our entire k-12 system.
7. There are many ongoing pandemic-related challenges facing education, including teacher fatigue. How would you address these issues?
The pandemic has certainly changed the learning environment and learning outcomes for many students. We must focus on addressing student needs both academically and social /emotionally.
There are many factors that play into WV teacher shortage. Factors such as low pay, lack of respect, and continual legislative sessions that attempt to pass so many policies that negatively impact the teacher profession all create adversity for those in the profession or those choosing teaching as a career. As a board member I will work with the district on focusing on academic and social / emotional support for students and staff.