Every child deserves to feel safe, respected, supported, and welcomed at school. Unfortunately, I believe one of the major challenges facing our district—and one of the issues that has motivated me to run for the Board of Education—is the epidemic of bullying in some of our schools, the continuing rise in mental health challenges among students, and an increasingly hostile climate toward LGBTQ+ students.

 

These issues cannot be treated as isolated incidents. They are about the culture and climate of our schools and whether every student and family truly feels that they belong.

 

We can and must do better.  For starters, we need more kindness in our schools.

 

Every child should be able to walk into a classroom, cafeteria, hallway, athletic field, or school event without fear of being bullied, targeted, excluded, or made to feel like they do not belong. Marginalized students and their families should feel like full and valued members of our school community, not guests who have to continually defend their right to be here. 

 

The Board of Education has an important role in setting the tone. Board members should regularly and publicly call attention to bullying, mental health, inclusion, and school climate during public meetings. We should also be present at events and throughout our schools and community, listening directly to students, parents, educators, and staff.

 

The Board must regularly and publicly communicate to the Superintendent that these issues require a renewed sense of urgency. We need to know what is being done, whether those efforts are working, and where additional resources or policy changes may be necessary.

 

That means asking for meaningful data and accountability around bullying reports, disciplinary responses, student mental health supports, school climate, and the experiences of marginalized students – while protecting individual student privacy. We need to be sure that school administrators are not simply checking boxes on forms. 

 

Most importantly, students and families need to know that their concerns will be heard.

 

If elected, I will be vocal about these issues. I will listen to families, ask difficult questions, and insist that the district meet its obligations under the law and board policy. I want families of marginalized students to know that they have someone on the Board who will stand up for them when they feel their voices are not being heard.

 

Our responsibility is to create schools where children can learn without fear, develop empathy for one another, and understand that every member of our community has value.

 

Empathy, equity, and accountability must be more than words. They must be reflected in the way we address bullying, support student mental health and protect LGBTQ+ students, and create a school climate where every child knows: you belong here, and we have your back.

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