Elevating Education to the Next Level

My vision for education in Aspen Peaks School District is to elevate it to the next level, taking all the good we currently have, and transforming it into something extraordinary. We do this by focusing on the very reason we have schools at all – to educate our children.

Centering Decisions on the Classroom

The classroom is where that education takes place, so it must be the lens through which all decisions are made. Let’s put our limited dollars where they will do the most good. Let’s support the teachers, who in some cases spend more waking hours with our children than we do.

Building Strong Partnerships with Parents

Let’s partner with parents. Naysayers like to assert that parents don’t care anymore, that they don’t want to be involved. As a teacher of 36 years, I can emphatically tell you that ISN’T TRUE. Parents care. They care DEEPLY. They WANT to be involved. Yes, they have varying circumstances and varying amounts of time to devote to education, but it is our job as educators to help them be involved in the classroom in ways that work for them. It’s win-win, all the way around.

Every day, every student has the opportunity to learn from the most influential teacher they will ever have – their parent. It doesn’t cost a thing, and yet it strengthens the very fabric of our society – homes and families.

Proven Results Through Meaningful Engagement

I have lived that vision, and successfully involved parents in their children’s education for 36 years. In fact, many of my volunteers are parents of past students who don’t live in my seat, but want to do whatever they can to help me be elected. That speaks volumes about the partnering relationships I have formed and will be a KEY part of my vision to move Aspen Peaks forward.

Learning from the Best

We must search out best practices in other districts. In my current role as education coordinator for a nonprofit organization in Salt Lake City, I serve as liaison with Granite School District. I am deeply impressed with their parent engagement program and would love to see it implemented in Aspen Peaks. They have hard data showing huge test score gains in schools that have been able to meaningfully include parents in ways that work for them.

Conclusion: Classroom-First Leadership

My vision of education is to focus on where it actually takes place – IN THE CLASSROOM. Let’s really hear, really listen, and spend our precious dollars supporting where education actually takes place – in REAL classrooms, with REAL teachers. Let’s involve parents every step of the way.