About Me
I am currently serving as the Vice President of the Adams 12 Board of Education and running for re-election. I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor who has worked in clinical and school settings during my almost 20 year career. I currently provide therapeutic services at our private practice working with adults with a variety of disabilities and/or within the judicial system. I'm a mother to four children, three of which are currently in the district, ranging from first grade to 7th grade. My oldest graduated from Thornton High School in May and will be attending the University of Colorado this fall. Having four children with a variety of needs and learning styles has helped me understand the importance of individualized ways to educate our kids.
My Values as a candidate
As a mother a child who has multiple disabilities and another son who is twice exceptional and two girls who are, and had been before graduating from Adams 12, identified as gifted and talented, I have learned the importance of identifying and understanding their strengths to help enhance their educational experience and opportunities. I have also learned they all have vastly different learning styles. As parents, we know our children and can be assets for their educational experience. We can help their teachers understand their learning styles and work collaboratively to identify educational needs. This can be done by increasing funding to help retain qualified educators and keep classroom sizes optimal for all students' learning. I want to work with other elected officials to prioritize educational funding to ensure students receive an equitable education that they deserve, while creating more opportunities for parent involvement to partner with their student’s educators so they thrive in the classroom.
My experience
I have had the opportunity to engage in many volunteer experiences within Adams 12 schools and district as a whole and within the community before being elected to the school board in 2021. I have served as my children’s elementary school PTO president from 2014-2022. I also served on the first cohort of the Adams 12 Leadership Academy during the 2015-2016 academic year. I was one of two parents, along with a district member, to develop and implement the Parents Leadership Action Network (PLAN) through the district. I served as a member of the District Healthy Advisory Committee. I volunteered with Adams 12 CAN to help support the bond campaign in 2016 and mil levy campaign in 2018 that brought additional funding, and increased educational opportunities, for our schools, students and educators. I volunteered as a professional to provide emotional/social services and support at an elementary school within the district for students identified of needing extra support. I am also a member of the Adams 12 GT Parent Group and have engaged in the Parent Advocacy Network through Colorado Association of School Executives to gain more knowledge about the educational needs of our students throughout Colorado. I have also served as a member of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado since 2019 and I am currently serving as president of Colorado Parents of Blind Children and a former board member for the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. I believe serving my community and giving back, helps build a stronger future for our youth.