(4/2022) I’m running for the Board of Education because our children deserve top-notch schools that prepare them for the future by giving them critical thinking skills, a knowledge of history that lets them learn from and build on the past, and an appreciation for the many differences that make up our community.

I moved to Mount Airy over 15 years ago with my husband and two toddlers because Maryland schools were among the finest in the nation. My children received an excellent education and were blessed with a supportive community throughout their FCPS years. In gratitude, I want to help ensure that our schools continue to provide a successful path for every child.

Our school system serves a large county with varied needs but lacks flexibility to meet them fully. We need to address our staffing issues, ensure that our schools represent our community, and offer a path to individual success for every student.

My experience as a human resources manager has taught me that all successful organizations must have a successful retention strategy for great employees. Recruiting and retaining an energetic and talented staff to teach our children should be a top priority. The administration and those who work at our schools create the environment in which our children learn and thrive – schools are just buildings until educators do the work. We should be just as creative in researching innovative ways to ensure that our great educators want to stay in our schools and can afford to live in our community.

Role models are an essential part of every child’s life, and teachers often fill that role for our children. Our children can better imagine their own success when they see successful adults with whom they can identify. Frederick County is a large, thriving, diverse community, and our lives are enriched when we share perspectives and experiences that are new or different from our own. Perhaps even more important, exploring these differences often leads to the discovery of what we have in common.

Schools that reflect our community can better anticipate its needs. Children differ in many respects; they learn in a variety of ways, and they have an array of abilities. My children benefited from having choices at different stages of their education. They attended magnet, classical, home school, virtual and AP classes as well as regular general education. By offering children a choice of options and paths, we give them the opportunity to find the ones that fit their needs, ensuring small victories along the way that encourage them to reach for their own goals.

Schools are preparing the adults of tomorrow for a world that is quickly changing. I had the benefit of being able to volunteer as PTA treasurer and president, and to work as a substitute for general and special education at my children’s schools. It gave me keen insight into the work, patience, and heart and soul needed to create an environment that fosters respect, learning, and self-acceptance. We need strong, reliable staff to achieve our goals.

Our children deserve to be part of a community that fosters growth and achievement. They deserve an education that includes a diversity of thought, including learning how to disagree. I am running for the Frederick Board of Education because I’m a problem solver and I have the background and experience to ask the hard questions, consider the answers, and work to develop the best possible solutions for our community. I recognize the importance of our schools and would be honored to serve on the Board of Education.