As was stated before I have three reasons for running.

1.  Parents

2. Students

3. Educators

 

Parents- I am running for parents because I believe parents have the right to know exactly what is going on in the school and district their child is educated in. ​

From the Federal, State, and Local levels I have watched parental rights be stripped away from them, especially by public institutions. If I am elected to the Grand Ledges Board of Education I will make sure that never happens. I want to begin a campaign to get more parents and taxpayers to attend more Board meetings. We The People need to be informed. 

If elected to the Board I will push for committee meetings to be open to the public so our constituents know exactly what is being said behind closed doors.

I will also take the initiative and ask that a summary of every Board meeting be sent to every parent in the district. Our parents deserve to know everything they want to know and more about their children's education. With me on the Board there will be no keeping secrets from parents, FOIA will be my favorite acronym!

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School Safety- Unfortunately in the world we live in today school can be a dangerous place! School safety is something I take very seriously! If elected to the Board I will work hard to make our schools as safe as possible. I will work with public safety officials, security, and whoever else is needed to make our schools secure. Schools should have one way in and out, and all other doors should be locked and watched on cameras. No child should ever fear coming to school, whether it is a school shooting they fear or their bullies. I was bullied in Elementary school, and unfortunately, most of the administration at my school failed me. No child should ever have to deal with being bullied and having no one be their advocate. When on the Board I will work to increase punishment for those who pick on their peers, teacher, student, administrator. It does not matter to me if you bully someone you should be punished! 

 

Mental Health- In Middle School, I started a Suicide Prevention Club. Suicide is something that plagues every generation especially those of the middle and High School ages. I will work with other Board members, administrators, and school counselors to find out how we can best serve the mental health of our students. I am a firm believer that mental health is important and that mental illness is a very real thing, I also know that sadly some students and adults use mental health as an excuse for bad behavior or a failure to do what is required of them. By no means will I ever turn down a person who asks for help, but I will refuse to allow people to make a mockery of real mental illness. 

 

Education and Discipline- Unfortunately in recent years we have seen education be replaced with indoctrination. While Grand Ledge does a fairly good job, lately it seems we care more about people's feelings than their education. We need to make it clear that while at school you are there to learn! Math, English, Science, and History should be what we are worried about most. Grand Ledge was once a top school in the state and I believe we can get back to that but we need to fix what is broken. We have a 64% proficiency in Reading, and 32% in Math, but a 96% graduation rate that is HORRIBLE! If only just over half of our students can read proficiently, and less than a third can do math WHY is 96% of our senior population graduating? 

Discipline is another place where we lack at some Grand Ledge schools. When a child breaks a rule they should be punished, not coddled. Especially when the rule they break is also a LAW. Between the use of drugs, smoking of electronic cigarettes, and blatant disregard for society some of our schools are a scary sight. If I was on the board I would request funds for more cameras, vape detectors in bathrooms, and additional staff to make sure we catch the criminals breaking the law. The students who come to school and work hard shouldn't have to put up with those who want to break the law. When we do catch them the rules need to be changed to where in serious cases it is 1,2,3 strike you are out, For drug-related issues the first time a student is caught they should be suspended for the maximum amount of time and sent to rehab, if they continue to use drugs on school grounds they should be removed from those grounds and made to find a new school. ​

If we can reinstall discipline and get back to the basics of education I believe we make Grand Ledge an even better place to go to school!

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I believe that we have great staff in our district, they do an amazing job and so many of them work endlessly to make sure our students have the best shot at success. When I am on the board I will do everything in my power to make sure our staff is taken care of. 

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Proper Staffing- Grand Ledge Public School has a student population of 4,923. Our teachers are at a 30:1 ratio. We need more teachers, admin, hall monitors, secretaries, custodians, and teacher assistants. 

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Contracts- If we are going to spend taxpayer dollars, then let's spend it on what matters. We need to provide a livable wage for all our educators. Years ago Grand Ledge had a 13-step contract, rookie and veteran staff alike were taken care of and provided for. GL now has a 26-step contract meaning it is almost impossible for new teachers to be able to live. This causes the district to lose out on good teachers and that is not fair to any

one. When I am on the Board I will make sure our staff is taken care of in contract negotiations.

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The MEA is an important institution, but unfortunately, it is now more about politics, power, and money than it is about teachers. I am willing to work with our local teachers union, but more than that I plan to be a voice for teachers outside and inside the organization!

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You will hear me say it a thousand times because it is true. The Board of Education works for the people, not the other way around. Without the people, the board has no purpose!

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