My Goal: Expand the range of choices available to Jeffco parents so they can find the best fit for their children.

Jefferson County families make extensive use of choice. Over 40% of Jeffco students don’t attend their neighborhood school. They may be attending a different neighborhood school, or a charter school, or a private school, among other options. Nevertheless, they are using some form of choice.

One thing I’ve learned from raising four children is the importance of a good fit between a student and a school. Choice enables families to find those good fits. So I strongly support parent choice, including having district-run schools offer a wider variety of programming: e.g. Career and Technical Education (CTE) options, Center programs (like Autism, Deaf, Significant Emotional Disorders (SED), Gifted), and alternative academic pathways.

Choices in Jeffco also include: Jeffco’s option schools such as Manning Middle School or D’Evelyn Junior/Senior High School, one of the state’s highest performing schools. Other choices include our charter schools with academic offerings that are not available in district run schools such as Waldorf and Classical curriculum options, or Arts Integration.

As a board member on a Jeffco charter school I know first-hand these are public schools governed by passionate parents, teachers and community members. I will work to ensure Jeffco maintains a variety of school choices to ensure every student has access to a Jeffco public school option that meets their needs.

My areas of focus:

• How do we break down barriers that prevent families from accessing the public education choices their children deserve?
  

• How do we ensure all families, no matter where they are in the district, can access the wide variety of choices we offer?
  

• What are the costs and return on investments all schools provide?