I currently live in Cheyenne. I returned to Wyoming earlier this year. I am a 3rd generation Wyomingite. I was born and raised in Cheyenne, and lived here until leaving for college.

40

I have always been proud of my Western roots, and consistently came back to Wyoming throughout adulthood, and fostered continued relationships with local leaders doing important work, including keeping a finger on the pulse of Wyoming politics and governance. In my time out of state, I obtained three degrees (BS Biochem, NMSU; MA, Human Genetics, Johns Hopkins SOM; MS, Law, Northwestern) and worked for a variety of education-focused nonprofits. I have led classrooms at Georgetown University's SOM, developed validated, tested science curricula for middle- and high-school students, and researched how law schools could better support their students in the classroom, on the bar, and as attorneys.

My top priority as superintendent would be to elevate and advocate for public schools in Wyoming. I aim to elevate public schools in Wyoming to a standing where parents no longer seriously consider alternatives because their local public school is the best choice, not the only choice. This means advocating for educators across the state, creating environments that foster learning, and addressing the educating whole child through meaningful opportunities.

While I am pleased that the Legislature acted to remedy the recent underfunding of schools in Wyoming, I agree with Governor Gordon’s action to allow the bill to become law without Executive signature. Similarly, while I agree with the concept of “progress over perfection” I was disappointed that the educational funding recalibration bill, while moving in the right direction, was not moving Wyoming forward as far as I would have liked to see. However, I trust in the 2-year adjustment and 5-year recalibration process that we have mandating that public school funding is reassessed regularly, and that changes are made in an evidence-based and data-driven manner.

Simplifying Wyoming's progress in education to test scores is reductive and unfair to the efforts and achievements of students and educators alike. Wyoming consistently ranks in the top 10 states regarding 4th and 8th grade reading and math. While meaningful metrics are necessary to measure progress, I see student test scores as a piece of a much more complex and multifaceted endeavor. In addition to test scores, my offices would also include measures of community strength, teacher retention, disciplinary reports, college and career readiness, among others to gain a full picture of educational efforts and potential gaps in the services we provide the state.

I agree with the WEA’s position that funneling public, taxpayer-funded monies to private entities undermines public education systems. Again, my top priority as Superintendent would be to create a top-tier educational environment in Wyoming whereby the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship program is essentially unnecessary - because our schools are so vibrant, so successful, and so easily the natural choice for all parents. While I understand that some parents and caregivers might want to educate their children outside of public schools, I hope to elevate Wyoming’s public schools - all of them - to a place where parents no longer seriously consider alternatives because their local public school is the best choice, not the only choice.

I would work to advocate for teachers regarding the issues that affect their ability to teach. I would work with local and state governments to put a priority on education, including school safety, healthy learning environments, appropriate funding and budget management, and ensuring the focus is on student learning and growth. Additionally, I would support efforts from these same entities to raise the quality of life in Wyoming regarding job growth, safe neighborhoods, reasonable housing costs, and community building.

The board should coordinate with local communities, including giving citizens the ability to give opinions to local and state governing entities - including many formats for collecting these contributions, not just in-person meetings. I welcome and encourage communities to work with leaders to create plans and initiatives based on shared goals and values.