Putting Power in the hands of Families, Teachers and Taxpayers
Experienced teacher, dedicated to keeping Sioux Falls schools great
Teaching runs in my blood. I have a wide array of education experiences that qualify me for a seat on the Sioux Falls School Board. Growing up, I attended public school in New York and a private boarding school in England. I graduated with my undergraduate degree in Geology from Rice University in Texas, and later I earned a Master’s Degree in Special Education.
My experience includes teaching English as a Second Language for eight years in Taiwan, a stint as a stockbroker and 15 years of teaching science in New York City schools. I educated my three children through a combination of homeschooling, charter schooling and public schooling. I believe there are benefits to various educational delivery methods.
Committed to letting teachers teach
For a number of years, I taught science in a high-poverty Brooklyn school where 25 percent of the students were homeless at some point in the year. The students’ proficiency scores were in the bottom half of all NYC schools. Two years later, in 2019, my students scored in the top 6 percent of all NYC students on the Earth Science Regents.
My approach to teaching included experimenting, testing and reapplying methods that I found worked with my students. I was grateful that my principal gave me the autonomy and freedom to teach the way that worked best for my students.
As a Sioux Falls School Board member, I will be committed to empowering teachers in the same way. I have a plan to identify and utilize highly effective educators as trainers. Professional Development (PD) should not just focus on administrative functions. More importantly, PDs should provide curriculum support. My plan involves conducting teacher surveys to tailor professional development to what teachers feel they need.
Committed to representing all families in education – public, private and homeschool
Student success, particularly proficiency in reading, mathematics and science, are of utmost importance, not only to our City, but also to the State and to the Nation. Unfortunately, student proficiency in the Sioux Falls School District in 2022-2023 was just 43 percent in mathematics, 48 percent in English Language Arts, and 45 percent in science (see Report Card, SD Department of Education). While our numbers are not as bad as some in the state, they are nonetheless an astounding indictment of the management of public education. We can and should do better by our students.
