What’s your “WHY”?
We should all be proud of the Northville community. With friendly residents, safe neighborhoods, and world-class public schools, my family is thrilled to make this community our home and send our children to Northville Public Schools.
Despite the school district’s many successes, I know we can be better and do better for our children. When my daughter moved from the early childhood program at Old Village School to Winchester Elementary, I was shocked by the number of students in her kindergarten class. Twenty-five kids to one teacher. A classroom full of 5- and 6-year-olds who cannot tie their shoes, miss their moms and dads, and are at various levels of academic preparedness. Although our teachers are phenomenal, I couldn’t help but think this is not an ideal situation for the educators or the children. I reached out to Winchester staff, district administrators, and our state representatives to advocate for our children and gather ideas on how to best address the issue of large class sizes. From there, I gathered a coalition of more than 70 first-grade Winchester parents who, like me and so many other parents and community members across our district, wanted to do all they could to support the schools and our students. The coalition sent a letter to the administration and spoke directly to the Board of Education at several public meetings.
Although our efforts to reduce class sizes are not finished, I am happy that we brought awareness to this issue, and I will continue to push for what is best for students and teachers.
This is one of the many reasons I decided to run for the Northville School Board. I will work hard, bring people together, and keep our children at the forefront. I hope you will join me in building an even better future for our schools.
Why should Northville vote for YOU?
With a proven track record of working hard, bringing people together, and keeping our children at the forefront, I am the right candidate to provide the thoughtful decision-making needed to ensure Northville Public Schools remains the top-rated school district in the state. I have spent years developing a deep knowledge base of our district’s inner workings and policies, familiarizing myself with its successes and challenges. I have met with teachers and administrators, held positions on several district and school committees, urged lawmakers to act on critical school-related issues, and volunteered directly with our students. Leading with integrity, I will work in partnership with our schools and community to always do what is best for our students.
How do YOU combat chaos and misinformation in the community?
I know that we all want the best for our kids and the NPS community plays a vital role in the success of our schools. With this in mind, when an individual comes up to speak to me with misinformation, I first ask questions and listen to seek out their “why,” as it is important for me to understand where they are coming from. Usually the person is looking to have a respectful dialogue that begins with openness and empathy and we generally can find common ground, with both of us satisfied with the conversation. Understanding differing points of view is critical to serving a large community and allows me to grow as a person and become a more effective leader. I believe when we all remember we are neighbors and treat each other accordingly, chaos and misinformation will lose its power.
With the recent flurry of divisive and negative campaign tactics, is there anything else you want to share?
I have faith our community sees right through the divisiveness and negativity. Northville and Novi have incredibly smart and thoughtful residents. This is a huge reason why the school district is ranked #2 in the state of Michigan. Even though we see the manipulation and can dismiss it as such, these tactics still have negatively affected our community and teachers. As I have been door-knocking this campaign season, I have come across many voters who are dismayed that some campaigns are willing to hurt our students, districts, and community as a whole. I have personally overheard educators in the elementary school ask, “Why would someone say this about our district?” and say “I work so hard to ensure my kids are educated and loved.” This is why I penned
my Love Letter to the students, educators, and administrators of Northville Public Schools. I wanted to change the narrative and show gratitude for all the wonderful people in our district.
