As your candidate for MMSD School Board Seat 3, I believe in transparency. While official questionnaires will be coming from various organizations, I want to share my positions broadly with our community. Here are my responses to common campaign questions:
Why are you running for school board?
Our schools work best when every student has the support they need, when we let teachers do what they do best, and when we use real data to make smart choices. That’s why I’m running – because getting these basics right matters for every kid in Madison. I have experience as both an engineer and a former teacher. It has shown me that the most effective solutions come from combining data-driven decision-making. They also come from a deep understanding of what happens in the classroom.
What are the three most important issues facing our schools?
- Building a Culture of Belonging
School safety and student success start with belonging. When students feel known and valued, attendance improves, behavior incidents decrease, and learning flourishes. The leaders and teachers at Cherokee Heights have proven this, with 90%+ attendance and dramatically reduced behavioral incidents. This requires investing in mental health support, building strong student-adult connections, and creating welcoming school environments. - Responsible Budget Management
As an engineer and project leader who has managed multi-million dollar initiatives, I understand the importance of strategic resource allocation. We must make sure every dollar supports student success by prioritizing classroom resources, reducing administrative burden on teachers, and maintaining transparent financial reporting to our community. - Building for the Future
We need progressive-thinking solutions that prepare our students for tomorrow’s challenges. This means investing in early intervention programs, expanding advanced learning opportunities, and ensuring our facilities and technology support 21st-century learning while remaining accessible to all students. We also need transparency in how the $500 million investment is being spent in the next phase of school construction.
How will you promote equity and support students living in poverty?
Equity must be at the heart of every decision. I’ll work to:
- Guarantee every child starts with a no-cost healthy breakfast
- Expand early intervention and support programs
- Make advanced learning opportunities accessible to all students
- Support wraparound services for families
- Use data to find and solve opportunity gaps
What’s your approach to school safety and discipline?
At Cherokee Heights, I’ve seen the power of restorative practices. Under Principal Moreno’s leadership, we’ve reduced behavioral incidents dramatically by focusing on reflection and restoration rather than punishment. I support expanding these successful programs district-wide while ensuring teachers have the support they need to implement them effectively.
How will you elevate diverse voices in decision-making?
As Cherokee Heights PFO President, I’ve worked to make parent engagement more inclusive through multilingual communication, flexible meeting times, and active outreach. I’ll continue this work district-wide, ensuring all families have a voice in their children’s education.
What are the largest environmental concerns you aim to deal with in office?
Schools play a vital role in environmental stewardship. I’ll focus on:
- Sustainable facility management and energy efficiency.
- Environmental education integration across curricula.
- Supporting student-led environmental initiatives.
- Ensuring healthy learning environments in all schools.
- Promoting walking and biking to school where possible.
What makes you uniquely qualified?
I bring a unique combination of experiences: engineer, former teacher (where I achieved a 100%+ increase in students passing state science tests), current PFO President, and community leader. I understand both the data-driven and human sides of education.
Final Thoughts
Every decision comes back to one question: What’s best for our students? When we focus on belonging, trust our teachers, and use data wisely, we create schools where every student can thrive.
Have more questions? Join our next Virtual Town Hall on January 16th at 7:00 PM. Visit Virtual Town Hall to register.