Where I stand
The issues
My efforts as a board member will focus on three main priorities.
“I believe our community has an obligation to deliver a high-quality education to all students. Our schools have an enormous, wide-reaching impact on families, children, and the community. We must prepare students to have the skill sets to achieve their dreams and enhance our successful community. The school board must be responsive to all stakeholders to achieve this goal.”
— Dr. Paul Bankes
Fiscal effectiveness
I will strive to promote a forward-thinking, fiscally responsible philosophy that ensures our District manages its resources wisely while continuing our commitment to educational excellence. This can be achieved by:
- Efficient resource allocation. Resources should be allocated in a manner that maximizes positive educational outcomes — prioritizing funding for essential academic programs, student services, and staff development, while minimizing overhead and administrative costs.
- Cost-effective operations. Cost-saving measures should be implemented without compromising quality education. This includes energy-efficient buildings, bulk purchasing of supplies, and leveraging technology to reduce operational costs.
- Investment in quality education. While being fiscally prudent, our District needs to invest in high-quality educational programs, modern facilities, and professional development for teachers. Financial responsibility should not come at the expense of educational quality.
- Adaptability and innovation. Our District should demonstrate adaptability and innovation in managing finances — seeking alternative funding sources such as grants and partnerships, and considering new ideas that can improve efficiency.
Empowerment of all stakeholders
Our District's Board of Trustees serves a broad constituency with overlapping and differing priorities and perspectives, and our entire community has a stake in the District's success. I define our stakeholders as students, teachers, parents, administrators, and taxpayers. I will empower all stakeholders, fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment that promotes the success and well-being of every student.
- Advocacy for all students. I will champion the needs of all students, ensuring policies and programs support their success and well-being — advocating for resources and support systems that address the needs of our whole student population, including those with special needs and those from varied backgrounds.
- Transparent decision-making. I will communicate openly about the rationale behind Board decisions and strive to make information accessible and understandable. This transparency builds trust and allows stakeholders to stay informed and involved.
- Community engagement. I will foster a collaborative environment where all stakeholders are treated with respect, working closely with school administrators, teachers, parents, and community organizations to develop and implement policies that benefit our District.
- Professional development. I will support and advocate for ongoing, high-quality professional development for teachers and staff. Empowering educators through training and resources is crucial to the overall success of our District.
- Accountability and evaluation. I will hold myself and our District accountable for meeting educational goals. Using data and stakeholder feedback to evaluate our performance, I will make informed decisions and improvements.
- Vision and strategic planning. I will work with stakeholders to develop a clear vision and strategic plan — setting long-term goals and ensuring our District moves in a direction that benefits all students and our community as a whole.
Instructional excellence
Through a strategic and collaborative approach, I will strive to ensure that all students receive a high-quality education.
- Setting high academic standards. I will work with educational leaders to establish rigorous academic standards that challenge students and promote critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. These standards should align with State standards and benchmarks while remaining adaptable to local needs.
- Hiring and retaining quality educators. I will support competitive salaries, professional development opportunities, and — most importantly — the most positive working environment possible, providing adequate support for and appreciation of our teachers.
- Curriculum development and review. Drawing on my extensive experience with curriculum development, I will strive to ensure our curriculum is comprehensive and regularly updated to meet the evolving needs of students. I support review processes that involve teachers, administrators, subject-matter experts, and parents.
- Data-driven decision-making. I will use data to inform decisions about instructional practices. By analyzing student performance metrics, attendance records, and other relevant data, we can identify areas for improvement, areas to celebrate, and effective ways to allocate resources.
- Creating a positive school culture. I will support a positive District and school culture that values academic achievement, fosters respect, and encourages lifelong learning — strongly supporting initiatives and practices that promote student well-being and a safe environment.
Deeper into the priorities
Why early literacy comes first
Everything in a child’s education runs through reading. Until roughly third grade, students are learning to read. After that, they are reading to learn — in science, in history, in math word problems, in every set of directions they will ever be handed. A student who arrives in fourth grade without solid reading skills is not just behind in reading. That student is behind in everything, and the gap widens every year.
The consequences are hard to overstate. Children who are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade are far more likely to fall further behind, to disengage from school, and to leave without a diploma — and that risk multiplies for students already facing economic hardship. These are not struggling readers who quietly catch up. Most of them do not. In effect, we make a decision about a child’s future in third grade and then live with it for the next nine years.
The good news is that we know what works. The research on the foundations of reading is settled.
- Phonemic awareness. Hearing and working with the individual sounds in spoken words.
- Phonics. Connecting those sounds to letters, taught explicitly and systematically.
- Fluency. Reading accurately and smoothly, so the mind is free to focus on meaning.
- Vocabulary. The word knowledge that makes comprehension possible.
- Comprehension. Actively building meaning from text.
- Higher-order critical thinking. Teaching students not just to decode a text, but to question it — to ask what the author is claiming, what evidence supports it, what is being assumed, and whether it holds up. This sixth element is my own addition to the five research-based foundations, and it is the one closest to my life’s work.
The first five get a child through the door. The sixth is what makes reading worth doing.
The reach of early literacy extends well beyond reading class. When we get this right, the benefits compound across a child’s education, their working life, and the community they grow up to join.
1. Foundation for future learning
- Academic achievement. Early literacy skills are the building blocks for everything that follows. Proficient reading in the early grades predicts later success across subjects — math, science, and social studies included.
- Cognitive development. Early literacy builds critical thinking, problem-solving, and memory. Those cognitive abilities are essential to learning in every area.
2. Language and communication skills
- Vocabulary expansion. Early exposure to reading dramatically expands a child’s vocabulary and grasp of how language is structured — the raw material of clear communication later on.
- Oral language development. Reading aloud and talking about books strengthen speaking and listening, which matter for both social interaction and academic performance.
3. Social and emotional development
- Self-esteem and confidence. Children who read well are far more willing to raise a hand, join a discussion, and take on hard work. Children who struggle learn early to hide.
- Social skills. Literacy activities involve working alongside peers and adults, building cooperation, sharing, and empathy.
4. Long-term educational and economic outcomes
- High school graduation. Early reading proficiency is a strong predictor of graduating from high school and going on to further education or training.
- Economic opportunity. Literacy is a threshold skill for economic success. Adults with strong literacy are more likely to be employed, to earn more, and to keep learning throughout their careers.
5. Reducing educational inequality
- Addressing disparities. Strong early literacy programs are one of the few levers that reliably close achievement gaps. A strong start mitigates the effect of a child’s circumstances on their outcomes.
- Opportunity for every child. Making sure all children learn to read gives every student a real chance to succeed, regardless of the advantages they arrive with.
6. Lifelong learning and adaptability
- A love of reading. Success early on turns reading into something a child chooses rather than endures — and children who enjoy reading keep seeking out knowledge for the rest of their lives.
- Critical thinking and creativity. Engaging with a wide range of texts develops judgment and imagination, both essential for navigating a complicated world and a changing workforce.
7. Health and well-being
- Health literacy. Reading skill translates directly into the ability to understand health information and make sound decisions for oneself and one’s family.
- Stability and connection. Early literacy experiences usually involve time with a caring adult, and that bond supports a child’s emotional development as much as their reading.
8. Community and societal benefits
- Informed citizenship. Literate citizens are better able to understand civic issues, weigh competing claims, and participate meaningfully in self-government.
- Stronger communities. Communities with higher literacy rates carry lower social costs and produce a more capable, self-reliant workforce. Investing in early reading is an investment in Cheyenne’s future.
Early literacy success is fundamental both to the individual child and to the health of the community around that child. By prioritizing it, our schools set students on a path toward achievement, personal fulfillment, and independence.
I have led this work before. As a principal, I helped three high-poverty, academically challenged schools reach state-recognized levels of achievement, and reading instruction was at the center of it every time. It is not mysterious, and it is not optional. It takes commitment, good instruction, and the will to hold ourselves accountable for results.
Public schools and parental choice
I believe in our public schools. They are one of the best things a community builds together — the places where our children learn to read, to think, to work hard, and to become the kind of neighbors and citizens we all want to live alongside. Our community and State rely upon a well-educated, capable workforce with strong character and the ability to reason through challenging problems, and our public schools are where those citizens are prepared for the future.
I also believe parents know their children best and are the primary decision makers for them. Strong support of our public schools and parental choice are not at odds — but we have to be honest that they can be. When school choice pulls funding and families away to the point that our public schools can't do the job we are counting on them to do, everyone loses. I will always work to protect both: honoring what families need, while keeping our public schools strong, well-funded, and able to serve every child who walks through the door.