Priorities
At its core, a quality education remains the greatest gift and most important opportunity we give our children. An excellent education is necessary not just so students can read and write, but so that they also learn to think critically and act responsibly, to create courageously, and to become our next leaders. With the goal of making PVUSD the district of choice for students, parents, and teachers, I remain committed to:
- Ensuring an engaging and exceptional education for all by continuing to offer programs that provide needed resources for each and every one of our students. We are seeing growth in student achievement as we implement our long-range strategic plan, which aligns curriculum, instruction, and assessment to maximize student learning and provides opportunities for meaningful collaboration among staff, students, parents, and community to reinforce a safe, robust educational environment in PVUSD.
- Continued fiscal responsibility and transparency through our pledge to put as much money into the classroom and lower administrative and other costs as possible -- and PVUSD is an acknowledged leader in Arizona in both. We need to dedicate heightened energy and innovation to attract and retain students as well as maximize opportunities for community partnerships and other areas to increase funding.
- Recruiting and retaining the highest quality teachers and employees by making our employees feel valued and supported in their work environment, responding to their passion for their profession with competitive salaries and benefits, appropriate and manageable staffing levels, dynamic professional development opportunities, and more.
- Advocating for education issues and funding at all levels by working with legislators and other policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels to increase spending and improve program and student resources, working with parents, teachers, and others in support of public education. Per-pupil funding in Arizona remains among the lowest in the nation, and we must all raise our voices to raise those levels.
More on Advocacy
When our oldest was in kindergarten, his teacher gave us one of the most valuable pieces of advice we have received about our children's education by reminding us that we must be our children's strongest advocate to ensure their educational experience will be the best it can be. Despite her years in education, she described a time when she did not step in on her son's behalf during a difficult period in elementary school and in hindsight, realized her son did not receive the support he needed in the classroom. As your Governing Board member, I pledge to advocate for all the children in our district to ensure that their educational experience is a true journey of excellence and discovery, one that unlocks a love of learning while preparing them for college, career, and life.