About the Candidate

I’m a parent of two school-age children and want to support our schools, including students, teachers and staff, and the community in general.

Education

Degree in ecological horticulture

Previous campaigns and elected office(s) held

None

Top three priorities

1. Student health and safety

2. Faculty/staff support

3. More/better cohesion between schools and the community

Why are you running?

I am running because it feels time for me to be of service. I want to give back and help support the schools that have so supported my family. I would like to be a further liaison between the town/district and people who feel they don’t have access to the goings on in the schools.

What is the biggest challenge facing your community? The biggest opportunity?

Our town has a fairly limited budget, and, as in all municipalities, taxes are going up, which results in residents having strong feelings about how the budget money is spent. I would hope for more transparency, interaction in the process and understanding, for the benefit of all.

If you could change one thing about how the town/county functions, what would it be and why?

Did not respond

Do you think the state government is too involved in local schooling? Not involved enough? The right amount of involved? Explain your answer.

The amount of involvement that the state government currently has in our public school systems feels appropriate. I believe it’s very important to have basic statutes and guidelines in place so there’s no ambiguity about what is expected, allowable etc. I also believe there should be flexibility in the ways local schools operate and administer the statutes and guidelines in place based on local communities; for example, a high school in Aroostook County will likely operate in a different way than a high school in Portland will with regards to budgetary specifics, academic instruction, staffing, athletics, extracurriculars and so on.