Do you support splitting the district, and if so, which option do you prefer? I hope to see the board put the split on the ballot in November. I think that voters should get the chance to vote. Ultimately whichever option is decided will be done by the current board. I can see many pros and cons for both staying as one district or splitting. Being on the east side, one of my main concerns about a split would be retaining and recruiting quality teachers. There will be hard decisions no matter what happens, and as a board member, it would be my responsibility to help foster an environment where we are able to move forward in a way that helps our community support our students.

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What is the role of the school board? I think there are 4 main roles of a school board member. Those roles are hiring of the superintendent and business administrator, policy approval, budget input and oversight, and advocating for constituents at the district level.

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What do you think are the top 3 issues Alpine School District is currently facing? I think the biggest issue the district has had to deal with is growth. But in our area, I think the 3 top issues are class sizes, social emotional well-being of students and teachers, and aging buildings that need renovations. Many Teachers are feeling burnt out because of the tasks they are asked to deal with and this usually comes down to large class sizes and trying to adequately meet all of their students needs.

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What is your philosophy with capital planning and how would you budget? There will always be recommendations for immediate needs. Those are important but we also need to look long term and not put off things that can be done today especially if it will cost the district a lot more by waiting.

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What are your thoughts about the lawsuit that was filed about transgender sports? I feel that allowing biological males to compete against biological females does a huge disservice to female athletes. We need to find a way to support all athletes, but we can’t advance one side at the expense of the other. We may need to look into expanding opportunities.

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What are your thoughts about HB 215 - Utah Fit's All? Parent choice is important. I do think there needs to be oversight and accountability if tax dollars are paying for it. If the interest from families is there, and there is accountability ensuring benchmarks are being met, then I think it is great to have expanded options. The role that ASD plays in supporting families is to continue to provide excellent educational opportunities in the public system so that parents have the best possible choice, while using funds in a fiscally conservative way.

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How would you preserve the role of parents in education? Parents are their child’s best advocates and schools benefit greatly from parental involvement. We need to be engaged with parents, PTAs and SCCs. We also need to encourage communication between schools and parents. I have talked with parents who feel like they are not wanted as part of the equation, that the school system is excluding parents from many of the decision making processes. This is heartbreaking. If there are issues at the school, then admin should be reaching out to parents so that parents aren’t hearing about it from their kids after the fact. I have also spoken with teachers who have expressed frustration that many parents are unable or unwilling to be involved in their students’ education. We have to find ways to encourage schools and parents to work together for the benefit of the children.

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How would you support all students? It’s important to be thinking about all students and their different learning needs. I think Alpine School District has done a great job with providing support for Special Ed teachers by providing resources and collaboration for teachers, and expanding programs and class options for students. In all of this, I hope we don’t lose track of the kids in the middle. I have a son who has an IEP and isn’t special ed, but at times it has felt like he is easy to lose track of.  It takes an extra effort on our part as his parents to help him and advocate for him. I want to be mindful of all students and help parents know what resources are available.

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June 2019 USBE model policy, no pornography. What will you do to ensure LEA’s follow policy?  If material violates the “bright line” it should be pulled. If materials are challenged as a violation of the model policy, then the district should follow the established policies and procedures for reviewing the materials and remove them if necessary. In short, policies should be established to follow the law, and those policies should be followed and enforced. I support local control but know that my job would be to uphold the law.

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How would you protect children from data mining and psychological surveys? I support parental choice and the ability to opt out. This is another area that I feel like communication could be improved. There needs to be adequate information given to parents about what the surveys are and when they will be given, so that parents and students together can make the decision if it is the right choice for them to take these surveys or not. Student privacy is important to Alpine School district and policy 7200 talks about measures that the district takes to help ensure that privacy.

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How would you work with local cities to support children? The school district and cities have a lot of overlap. Whether it is the people they serve, community collaboration, roads, land use for sports, etc. these areas of overlap make it vital to establish and maintain good relationships. Being proactive and collaborating together supports families and students. We live across the street from PGHS and we are amazed at how that place is always busy. It is an amazing community resource and is a great example of how districts and communities can come together.

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How could you help students decrease suicidal thoughts and improve mental health? Mental health concerns and suicide are absolutely heartbreaking. I feel like there are 2 areas we could improve on and focus on to help with these concerns. They are connection and prevention. I think it is so important for every person to have meaningful connections with others. Think of the good we could do if every district employee made a conscious effort to connect with a fellow employee and a student. I also love the work that is happening with prevention. Communities that Care has been wonderful and I think it is important for schools and cities to continue to work together to educate. Parents, students and teachers need continued support.

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If budget was no concern, what 3 things would you tackle? Smaller class sizes, increase teacher compensation, and social-emotional wellbeing for students and teachers. As I regularly talk with teachers, I realized that many of them are feeling burnt out. This is largely due to class sizes and many behavioral or mental issues that teachers see and deal with. If budget was no concern, I would advocate for additional psychologists and counselors in schools. Anxiety, depression, and other social and emotional challenges should not be the responsibility of the teachers to handle. Teachers also need to be given the support they need (whether it be additional prep time, time off, aides, etc) to meet their social and emotional wellness so that we do not have teachers getting burnt out and quitting. 

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Do you support social or political display of flags, etc or only allow the United States Flag? Policy needs to be followed. I do not agree with classrooms feeling like jail cells, and think teachers should be able to express themselves and interests. However, political views do not belong in the classroom. We want our students to learn how to think and not what to think.

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What is your philosophy and how does the voice of the people play into funding projects? How do you consider the people's voice when building a school? It is the duty of a school board member to be fiscally responsible. As an elected official, you need to listen to the voice of the people as well as consider the capital needs; both short term and long term need. There are times when hard decisions have to be made, but they should only be made after careful consideration of how people vote as well being fiscally responsible.

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Is it worth it for ASD to receive federal funding (approximately 10%) even when there are strings attached? Those federal funds are primarily used for Title 1 and food services which are both great programs. It is a small portion of the budget and is primarily used for students who need extra support. Sometimes there are strings attached and before just accepting money from the federal government, board members need to consider the pros and cons and make sure those benefits outweigh the cons. If it is not beneficial to the student, takes away local, control or has extreme political agendas attached then I do not think it would be worth it. 

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Do you support an office for DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) and do you support DEI being taught in the classroom? I do not support an office for DEI where it is based on ideologies that are politically driven. I do support all students getting the support that they need. Every student deserves to feel included, supported, and to have a safe learning environment with equitable learning opportunities. Racism of any kind should not be tolerated in our schools. 

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Do you believe administrative costs are too high, and if so, what are some measures you would take to decrease them? I think that administrative costs is something that needs to be continually looked at. If there are ways to consolidate administrative functions or leverage technology for increased savings, then it is important that the board identifies and implements those cost saving measures. Alpine school district's administrative costs do run lean, but that doesn't mean that it is perfect and doesn't need to be looked at consistently.

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If the district stays together, are you for or against adding school board members? I would be in favor of adding additional school board members to have a total of 9. This would help areas and schools have better representation and it would allow the school board members more time to be in each of the schools that they represent.

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What is something you like or admire about each of the other candidates?

John Gadd - I love how  much John cares about people keeping their hard earned money and wanting Alpine School District to be responsible with their budget.

Alicia Alba - I admire how much Alicia is willing to dive into data and find out information before making decisions. She wants to be wise in her decision and it shows in everything she does.

Mark Clement - I love how much Mark cares about education, especially the STEM programs. He has been and big advocate in Alpine School District for increasing technology to enhance learning experiences and I know he wants students to get a good quality education.

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Why are you running for school board? After spending time being very active with the Lindon Elementary PTA, I learned that public education operates at its best when people get involved. The recent events regarding school closures showed me that stakeholders need choices, and that we need someone to represent the Lindon/PG/AF area who understands our schools and our issues. I have 5 children in all three levels of schools in the district. I have “skin in the game,” and I want to be able to be a voice for not only my children but all the students, parents, and teachers in our area. I want others to know that they can come to me and that I am willing to listen. I am willing to put in the work, share information as I receive it and keep constituents in the know about what is going on with the board and district. As we work together we can build strong schools and communities.