Lansing Public School District

I would continue to prioritize active communication, building on tools like the ParentSquare app, which the district currently uses to send mass communications to parents and caregivers. To ensure these messages are reaching everyone and to truly engage our community, I would implement follow-up surveys to measure the effectiveness of these communications. These surveys would not only confirm receipt but also include opportunities for feedback, encouraging parents, caregivers, and even students to share their thoughts.

By providing a clear channel for feedback, we can ensure that their voices are genuinely considered in important decision-making processes, like curriculum development, budgeting, and district policy. This would create a more inclusive environment where everyone's perspective is valued, helping us make decisions that reflect the needs and desires of the entire community.

I've thought about the possibility of a monthly newsletter and email list that would allow for parents, caregivers, community members, and students to not only stay up to date on decisions the school board is making but also weigh in via polls or google form.

As I transition to door knocking (and if I am elected) I will be giving out my personal phone number and email to be as accessible as possible.

School Discipline is only as effective as students' ability to manage their emotions, trauma, and circumstances to adhere to school community norms. Schools are kept safe when there is fidelity in their restorative practices. Students must be guided toward reconciliation when they show non-examples of school behaviors. Moreover, they should be allowed to correct their behavior in an environment that teaches them how to apply examples of good citizenship in the world around them. Schools must partner with parents and community stakeholders to provide more presence in schools and more support options during the school day. This will foster positive relationships and offer protection for our most vulnerable students.

I have been an active participant in the district's Parent Community Advisory Committee (PCAC) and Superintendent's Parent Roundtable and would encourage people to attend and participate in these monthly meetings during the school year. I have participated in school improvement teams and family-teacher organizations at schools my foster and adoptive children have attended and will continue to encourage family and community members to engage in these groups. I would also promote school board and school board committee meetings for public comment. I'm also willing to meet with community groups at their request or host community forums to listen to questions/concerns and gather feedback.

I would engage parents, caregivers, community members, and students much like I did in the classroom by allowing for genuine conversation to take place IN the community; not waiting for a board meeting to take place. I would attend school parent-teacher conferences and events to speak with parents and students to dialogue with them about their child's education. I would also speak to other educators who are currently teaching in the district, and be a voice for them when it comes to district policy. I would invite to the table (much like I did in my classroom) to speak with me, and have conversations (two way dialogue).