Why I’m Running
I want to do all I can to make sure every student in our county gets a high-quality education. Interacting regularly with parents and educators in this official capacity would allow me to achieve that goal. When it’s time to VOTE, I hope you will give me the opportunity to serve you, our community, and our students.
To ensure a high quality education for all, I believe these four things are essential:
Parent Involvement. Educators must connect regularly with parents to understand what matters to them and to enlist their support in making schools successful for their students.
Engaging Classes. There is no better way to help students learn and thrive than through carefully designed, engaging instruction.
Support for Teachers. Teachers can be successful only if they are well-supported if they have a say in how schools are run, and if they have ongoing opportunities to improve their craft.
Support for Districts. District leaders require the necessary resources, guidance, and assistance to ensure their teachers and students can be successful.
About Me
I’ve lived in Placerville since 1976, when I became a teacher for the Rescue Union School District. I have since dedicated my entire career to the profession that I love. I devoted 20+ years preparing teachers at Sac State; I led a national school turnaround center for WestEd, a national non-profit education organization; and, I created EduCorps, a statewide teacher recruitment program, to reduce the state’s critical shortage of teachers. All of my children attended public schools in El Dorado County and I am proud to say they all received an excellent education.
Currently, I help lead “Bridging Divides – El Dorado,” a non-partisan, non-profit project designed to promote healthy interactions and to unite our community.
I also host two education podcasts. One of them is “Teacher Stories,” which I launched in 2018 to remind us of the profound difference teachers often make in our lives and communities. I, myself, would not have accomplished what I have were it not for countless teachers who inspired me to learn and to make a positive impact on my community.
In 2022 I started “Courageous Conversations about our Schools” to help educators, parents, and students have better, less contentious conversations about complex issues affecting our schools.
If I am elected I will do all I can to promote civil dialogue, to bridge our divides, to honor our teachers, and will seek a unified commitment to work together on behalf of all of our students.
