Hire and train qualified classroom aides. In classrooms that are crowded, or have students who need extra assistance, another qualified set of hands would free the teacher to do their job. We have a district-wide problem staffing one-on-ones for students with IEPs, and elementary school classrooms that would benefit from a TA have to go without. That’s why as a board member, I would advocate for better pay, training, and retention for classroom aides. Listen to our teachers and our union. I would invite teachers for a seat at the table for input on decisions that affect the classroom, working conditions, and working with them on salary and retention pay. As the community and collective voice of our experts on the ground, they deserve to be heard. Unions matter for stronger schools! Support and mentor our new teachers. Let’s make Peoria a place where burnout isn’t the norm for new teachers. As a board member, I would look into balancing placements and leveraging more support for those starting out a career with PPS. Protect funding for classrooms. In our precarious funding landscape, I believe we really must be proactive and forward-thinking about finding sources of funding to staff our classrooms.
Lift up our differently abled students. As a special ed mom, I am very passionate about this! Children with special needs deserve to learn in a classroom like any other, and as a board member I would never let resource funding for our SPED services lapse. Look out for our English learners. Peoria is a community with diverse needs, but our demographics are shifting. We have a growing population of students learning English as a second language and this trend is expected to continue. Shoutout to the Multicultural Dual Language Academy for meeting this need! Expand access to gifted and AP programs at our schools so gifted students everywhere are challenged. Build on our after-school programs, clubs, and other forms of enrichment for our kids. I’m so happy to see more programs on offer than when I was a student. Let’s keep it going! Apply evidence-based solutions for closing the achievement gap and raising reading and math proficiency. I would also like to look into possibilities for tutoring solutions and bringing back specialized roles such as interventionists.
Early intervention is critical. We should be proactive about setting kids up for success when they’re young, not reacting to undesirable behavior when they’re older. Targeted supports for young kids and families is key, and we can lean on community partners for this. We need to invest in proven programs guided by data to improve student outcomes. Keep students on the right path. For example, increased involvement in extracurricular opportunities is a positive bulwark against falling into a less ideal lifestyle. We need to expand offerings to make them available to kids at every school. Academic interventions bear repeating here because there is an undeniable positive effect of student achievement on student behavior! Build on efforts to engage families early and often. Remove barriers to parental involvement so as many as possible can participate in their child’s development while our educators have the latitude to dictate needs. Make sure that our schools are staffed with social workers and trained specialists to support our kids’ mental health and deescalate issues when they arise. Revisit school discipline policy and discipline committees. When there are areas for improvement, we should work together as a team involving teachers, parents, admin, and community programs to meet the needs of the student.
Ensure our curriculum is evidence-based and effective for our students, especially in the areas of early literacy and math. We should check in with teachers and use data tools at our disposal to make sure it’s working. Teachers deserve to give input on any curriculum changes, and to be properly trained and supported in their implementation. Prepare our kids for the real world. I would love to see a curriculum that encourages critical thinking and media literacy. I also strongly believe that representation is huge. Our kids deserve to see themselves and others in the material, as it creates well-rounded, empathetic humans who can meaningfully engage with the world for life. Education isn’t only a mental exercise, but a moral one.
Transparency is Key, I aim to be the board member I want to see as a parent, and that’s someone who is clear about decisions made on the board. When possible, feedback should be sought from parents. Plainly worded communications and updates about developments affecting the school district would be key Parental advocacy improves outcomes. I want to ensure that parents across the district feel heard and are allowed to participate collaboratively with the board and teachers over their children’s education. That includes advocating for adequate trained parental advocates. Collaboration with local PTA’s and Neighborhood Associations to ensure that children that live in a schools region are allowed to go to the school their parents likely moved into that neighborhood for. While boundary waivers can deeply affect student outcomes, we have to ensure the families of our respective districts are taken care of. Becoming a Bridge for the teachers union, parents, and local labor groups. I want to approach this position with my eyes and ears open to the problems everyone sees and ensure that you are heard and what matters to you, matters to me. The only way we can work forward toward a better tomorrow is together!
Have questions or suggestions? I would love to hear from you!