Commitment to students and their families

We have a quality education system in Oelwein and It is my personal goal to maintain that quality because our students deserve our best.

Thirty-year resident who cares about the Oelwein Community Schools and the community of Oelwein

Service on the board of education is a way I hope my experiences can be put to use for our students and our community.

I've lived here for 30 years and hope to live here another 30. During my years of teaching, I was pleased to have the opportunity to participate in many varied activities in the school system. I was able to do this because of securing grant funding for the school. The activities ranged from early childhood, technology, school-to-work, tech prep, career ladders, learning styles, curriculum, data organization and collection, reading, parent involvement, creativity, staff development, drug-free schools, project SAFE, talented and gifted, the high school IowA+ initiative to developing the school web site. You can do a lot in 30 years!

Commitment to listening to school district residents

No matter how well I think I understand an issue, there are always points of view that can be inadvertently overlooked. Listening to others is iimportant to me. I welcome your thoughts.

Believes service on the Board of Education can have a strong positive impact on students, families, and the community

School board policies have an impact on educational programs, on students and families, and even the economic health of the community. They need to be forward looking if we are going to do our job of preparing students to be good citizens and live productive lives. We are looking at constant changes in technology, in the seamless transition between high school and college, in the way we are concerned about the early years of a child's life, and at many other issues.

Believes all students can learn

Given the right conditions, all students can learn. Monitoring the achievement of all groups students in order to ensure funds and programs are in place where needed is an important function of the board of education. The board does not create programs or design initiatives...that is the responsibility of the professionals on staff. The board supports student learning through provision of adequate staff, staff development, and funding.

Believes that past knowledge isn't sufficient.

Because of my background in education, I am aware of teaching and learning issues and continually monitor web sites of Iowa Association of School Boards, the Iowa Department of Education, and Iowa State Education Association as well as other profressional web sites. Information is ever changing and I understand my responsiblity to base decisions of current, not past, information.

Believes data should be used in decision making

The board does not see individual and confidential student achievement results, but it can see group data. Before decisions are brought to a vote, comprehensive data needs to be presented to the board for their discussion and review. Because board votes can determine which programs are funded, how the Instructional Support levy is used, and the percent of the school budget that is allocated for instructional issues, board decisions are very important to all members of the community in terms of education, tax rate, and jobs. The responsibility to make decisions based on data is clear.

Believes the board can help create a supportive workplace for staff

While the legal responsibilities rest with the administration recommendations and board decisions, the best ideas for improvement of instruction often come from the people who work directly with the students. Board support for shared leadership and shared decision-making involving administration, faculty, and staff creates a supportive work environment where morale and productivity are high.