Together we will…
A Teacher for Life
I am the oldest of five children in my family. I knew that I wanted to be a teacher when I was four years old. My earliest memory was setting up a school in my bedroom with a real chalkboard to teach my younger siblings. This set me on my path to be teacher, then a principal, and then a leader in the second largest school district in California. Later in my career, I saw a need for better leadership in education and went back to school to earn a doctorate in Educational Leadership. Education and improving the educational experience for each student is my passion. I want to know every child and every parent in our district because I know this makes a difference. Reach out to me with any questions or if you ever want to talk. Together we can make Alpine schools better.
Becoming an Alpine School Board Member “The Why”
I dedicate time every week to meet with parents and community members in Alpine to talk about our schools. The most common question that I get asked when I tell people that I want to become an Alpine School Board member is “Why”? The simple answer is that we all want the best education for our children, and I am no different. I’ve spent over 20 years in education, from teaching students to becoming a principal, before moving on to lead a team of over 400 teachers, principals, and superintendents in the San Diego Unified School District, focusing on creating better education for children. As a team, we focus on how to improve and provide the best education for students. This is a passion for me and has given me experience to clearly understand what is important for successful schools.
Alpine is Community “The Why” Part II
The most straightforward answer that continues to explain why I want to be an Alpine School Board member is that I love Alpine. I have dedicated my life to educating children. Committing time to the children in the town I love is the best thing I could do. I have worked to improve education for children by listening to parents and collaborating with teachers and staff that play a key role in children’s education. This is what I do as I work with children and parents to improve students’ education.
Leadership is Responsibility
I have learned what it means to be a leader from being a teacher, a principal, and as a Director in the second largest school districts in California. I have also gained important insights about leadership from watching and listening to my husband as he navigates leadership as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy. It is easy to be proud of him as a leader. Among the many things I have gained from his experience is that leadership means finding a way to accomplish what is truly important. For me, what is truly important is working to find ways to constantly improve our children’s education.
Becoming an Alpine School Board Member “The Why”
I dedicate time every week to meet with parents and community members in Alpine to talk about our schools. The most common question that I get asked when I tell people that I want to become an Alpine School Board member is “Why”? The simple answer is that we all want the best education for our children, and I am no different. I’ve spent over 20 years in education, from teaching students to becoming a principal, before moving on to lead a team of over 400 teachers, principals, and superintendents in the San Diego Unified School District, focusing on creating better education for children. As a team, we focus on how to improve and provide the best education for students. This is a passion for me and has given me experience to clearly understand what is important for successful schools.
Challenging Problems
I began my career as a math teacher and later became a school principal. For most students, math is a challenging subject. There is memorization and rules and students must practice to be proficient. When one or more of these is compromised, the student faces one or more challenges. Over the years, I watched many students develop challenges. When a challenge arose and it was addressed effectively, the student made progress. When the student or teacher did not address the challenge, over time it turned into a problem. Once the challenge was established as a problem, it took significant effort to overcome it. Working with students and helping them with challenges and difficulties showed me that most problems arise as one or more challenges are not effectively addressed. The challenge is ignored or dealt with ineffectively, becoming greater and greater until it becomes a significant problem. The longer the problem exists, the more difficult it is to resolve.