• What encouraged you to run for the school board? 

Since leaving FHSD, I had considered running for the school board at some point, but I hadn’t really thought about when that would be. Then, a few days before filing opened, Dr. Pam Sloan, a previous FHSD superintendent whom I greatly respect, reached out and asked if I would consider running. If someone like Dr. Sloan believed I would be a good board member, then now must be the right time to step up.

I discussed this with my family and friends, as well as current and former FHSD staff, and everyone believed I had the knowledge, experience, and most importantly, the right qualities to be a successful board member.

• What are some recent decisions by the Board that you would like to change or that you disagree with? 

I’d like to preface this by saying that I am not privy to what is discussed in closed session, so there could have been discussions about this that the public isn’t aware of. That said, I was disappointed that certain actions were not taken by the current Board sooner, almost a year after the newest members were sworn in.

Book challenges continued to take up precious time from teachers and administrators and were discussed ad nauseam at board meetings. Even though the policy was updated in February, I wish that it had been done sooner.

I also would have liked to have seen some action on the anti-racism proclamation, with policies reviewed to ensure it isn’t just a sign hanging on a wall, but that those who engage in this form of hate are disciplined accordingly, and that victims are offered support.

Our community has felt stuck in time since 2020, with too many distractions, and showing the community that change had arrived should have occurred sooner.

• How will you ensure greater fiscal responsibility in light of the Dominguez scandal? 

As I mentioned in the previous question, I was not privy to what the board discussed in closed session, and I doubt we will ever have the complete picture due to agreements that were likely signed, which may include financial penalties if certain information were disclosed.

Was this hiring a huge mistake? Yes. Was this a fiscal matter? Possibly.

Clearly, something was missed during the hiring and selection process, and I hope that this error has been rectified so it never happens again.

For fiscal responsibility more broadly, especially as we enter an uncertain period for revenue, for every purchase being requested, I will ask myself two questions: “Does this directly benefit learning or support for students?” and “Is this something we absolutely need at this point in time?”

• Do you support the book challenges being made in the district? Also, what is your reaction to the current board’s change to the book challenge protocol? Please explain your answers. 

I support book challenges when they are made in good faith, when the challenger has read the book in its entirety and can articulately explain why the material is particularly offensive or inappropriate for student use at the school level where it was found, and why it should be removed for all students.

If I do not like a particular book for whatever reason, I, as a parent, have the right to request that my child not be loaned that book. But it is no one person’s right to remove that option from all students simply because they personally may find it offensive.

I support the recent change to the policy, as it demonstrated compromise but also common sense.

• With Senate Bill 3 in action, cutting down public school funding, how do you plan to improvise with our district’s budget?

April 7th is going to be a very bittersweet day if I were to get elected and Senate Bill 3, also known as Prop RT, passes. I, along with the rest of the board, would be placed in the difficult position of voting on what cuts need to be made to keep operations going.

It’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the district has had to look at cuts. We have had three failed tax levies, and each time, cuts were made. After previous failed levies, it was referred to as “cutting through muscle.” This time around, we may be cutting through bone.

I would need to work with a variety of groups to get insight and perspective on the absolute must-haves and make my decisions from there.

I also want to be very blunt: if Prop RT passes, students and staff alike will be negatively affected, possibly for years. Our community needs to understand the effects of this ballot measure and the ramifications not just for our schools, but for all entities that rely on property taxes.

• What are your top budgetary priorities, and what would you cut if funding fell short?

I stopped working for the district three years ago, and during my campaign, when coming back into buildings, there are so many people I don’t recognize because the people they replaced have moved on.

There are reasons other than compensation that have caused this, but uncertainty around pay increases plays a big part. Everyone has the right to be upset if their pay increase isn’t what they expected or hoped for, but not knowing from one year to the next whether a pay increase will come at all doesn’t make an employee feel secure in their position.

So staff compensation is a big priority for me.

The district recently announced plans to reallocate devices so we can begin the process toward a 1:1 program. Once this train leaves the station, it’s hard to stop, so I want to make sure the program succeeds and that as students progress through grade levels, they receive the same access that previous students had.

Regarding cuts, it comes back to “What are our must-haves?” We need teachers and staff. We need safe buildings. We need utilities.

Everything else would have to come into consideration. Our mentality would unfortunately shift to “What can we do without that, while painful and difficult, still allows us to keep the lights on and provide education?”

• How do you plan to help lower-income students?

Schools receive federal funding to assist students who need help. While there are processes to apply for this funding, I would like to review those processes to see if there is unnecessary red tape that could be removed so students can get the help they need faster.

The recently announced 1:1 program will help with access to technology at home, but some students may not have internet access. I believe the Learning Commons still lends out hotspots, and I would like to see if the availability matches the demand.

If it doesn’t, we have a lot of large companies within our district boundaries that I would want to approach to see if they could help their neighbors by donating additional resources. For students who are food insecure, if programs like Mobile Market, when I was there, are not in place any longer, I would like to see what options the district has in bringing in something similar.

• How do you plan to address the educational gap and income inequalities among students?

I believe that all students deserve the same educational opportunities regardless of their financial circumstances. Unfortunately, there are factors outside of the school environment that can make that difficult to fully solve, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do everything we can to close the gap.

The move toward a 1:1 technology program will help bridge a major gap by ensuring every student has access to the same tools for learning. But access to devices is only part of the equation. We also need to make sure students have access to internet connectivity, tutoring resources, and academic support programs when they need them.

My focus would be ensuring that the resources the district already provides are quickly and easily reaching the students who need them most and that we are continually evaluating programs to make sure they are effective. We also need to bear in mind that our district covers 150 square miles, and an approach that works in one part of the district may not work in another, so these resources also need to be looked at through the lens of people familiar with the families attending that school.

• How do you make sure that all community members feel heard and trusted in the district?

Personally, I aim to reply to every email I receive, even if I can’t answer the question if the information is protected. I want to be an approachable board member where everyone feels comfortable expressing a concern, a question, or a suggestion. What’s important, though, is the follow-through. You’ll only gain someone’s trust if you do what you say, and if I respond to someone saying I will look into something, I will do just that and get back to them. 

The district, over the years, has hosted learning events for the community to come hear straight from the district on issues that affect them. Recently, there were Citizens Roundtables on school finances. This shows transparency from the district to show how money is received and how it is spent. Unfortunately, despite multiple sessions being offered across the district, interest was so low that some sessions were cancelled. We should still continue to offer these events and heavily promote them, but we need more of our community to show continued interest, so when something big comes along, like Prop RT, we have a well-informed public that has the understanding of what is happening that will affect them. I would like to see these topics being filmed and produced in a way that they are accessible and easy to watch and understand at home, so those who want to learn but can’t physically attend still have access to the material.

• If you lost the election, what would you want the winner to prioritize?

Student learning and supporting teachers and staff. Without excellent teachers and staff, you can’t provide excellent education.

• Why should students trust you to make decisions that affect them?

I worked for FHSD for over 10 years, supporting teachers and staff from my position within the IT department. All the decisions I made were student and teacher-focused. There were times I had to say ‘no’ to some requests due to financial or logistical reasons, but I made sure I fully understood the situation first. As an example, a teacher once asked if the SMART board in her room could be moved. This isn’t as easy and cheap as it seems, as the projector, cabling, AV boxes, and power would also have to be moved. But, during one of her music classes, I sat ‘criss-cross apple sauce’ on the floor next to the students to make sure I understood the reason for her request. I would apply the same mentality to when a student approaches me with a concern: listening to understand, and if appropriate and/or possible, seeing the issue myself so I can better understand.

My wife is a teacher in the district, and my kids attend the schools. I also work in the community, so I have a vested interest in seeing our district succeed. I aim to make myself available to students, as it is them I am here for, and I would encourage any student, regardless of grade level, to reach out to me to discuss their concerns. Actions speak louder than words, and I would hope that I can build trust through my actions.