Full Platform

We are in the midst of a housing crisis. Local, State, and Federal officials are not meeting the moment.

The mission of the Lansing School District is to provide a high-quality education in a culturally safe and nurturing environment that supports all students to live purposeful and fulfilling lives. Providing permanently affordable housing to Lansing School District families, teachers, and staff empowers this mission and contributes to the safe and nurturing environment we want to build.

As Board Trustee I would; collaborate with stakeholders in the interest of the Lansing School District building and acquiring units of housing to provide permanently affordable housing to Lansing School District families, teachers, and staff.

Lansing Board of Education committee meetings, and sometimes regular meetings, do not meet a 21st century standard for accessibility and transparency. We need to raise the standards we expect from our democratic institutions to meet the technology of today and lower and remove barriers to participation to welcome key stakeholders into the room.

As Board Trustee I would; work to ensure all meetings of the Lansing Board of Education, including committee meetings, are video recorded, accessible to the public online, securely stored offline, and offer public participation in-person and hybrid from home.

In 2018 I left the Lansing School District as an unretained teacher. I know what it feels like to fall through the cracks and given the opportunity to review current Lansing School District teacher retention efforts I can tell you where the cracks may still exist.

As Board Trustee I would; evaluate current district teacher retention efforts and collaborate with stakeholders to strengthen the programs that work and if the need exists develop or adopt new programs or strategies to retain teachers in the Lansing School District.

Regardless of advancements in Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) there will always be jobs we need people to do. We will always need carpenters, electricians, and plumbers. We will always need teachers and health care professionals. We will always need farmers, engineers, architects, professional hair dressers, mechanics, and firefighters. These are not just jobs, these are the very fabric that holds our society together.

As Board Trustee I would; collaborate with stakeholders to develop and strengthen pathways to apprenticeship programs for Lansing School District students and graduates and increase opportunities for Lansing School District students to learn about the wide variety of career paths and professions that the world will always need.

The district has done great work in recent years to invest in renewable energy, at the same time there are buildings in the district that still do not have a modern HVAC systems for heating and cooling. Earlier this Spring there were classrooms in the district that reached over 84 degrees because of outdated boiler systems not equipped for the dramatic temperature swings we experienced earlier this year.

Lansing School District students, teachers, and staff deserve a safe, climate regulated learning environment, powered by renewable energy.

As Board Trustee I would; advocate for modern HVAC systems in all Lansing School District buildings, support the ongoing work to build out secure entrances for all Lansing School District buildings, and support an expansion of the districts invests in renewable energy.

Humanity comes every which way. Who you are is who you are. Who am I to say?

As Board Trustee I would; affirm the lived and historical realities of all people regardless of identity, class, presentation, or ability. You matter, your voice matters, and the world is better because you are here.

The ability to read is an essential skill and changes lives. Early Literacy is one of the earliest measurable factors we have to determine a student’s learning potential. If a student is unable to read, or is unable to read at grade level, it impacts their ability to engage in their own education.

As Board Trustee I would; support existing early literacy efforts in the Lansing School District, monitor and ensure report backs on early literacy data, and strengthen the districts early literacy programs whenever possible.

A new State Law bans smart phones in the classroom during instructional time with limited exceptions. Students at J.W. Sexton High School are piloting Yonder pouches as part of the Off and Away All Day initiative by the District. I’m of the opinion that something like this was a long time coming.

Working as a teacher I know smart phones are a distraction and negatively impact student learning. I don’t know what the answer is long term but I know any true solution will require community buy-in and support. We need to change the culture around what a phone is for.

As Board Trustee I would; listen and work collaboratively with community stakeholders to address smart phones in the classroom in a way that centers student learning and values community voice.

February-May of this year I was an active member of the A.I. Working Group in Eaton Rapids Public Schools. As part of that experience I learned a lot about what A.I. is and what it isn’t. As part of our work we developed a principals document for the district that centers student learning, agency, integrity, literacy, and responsibility as well as a informational guidelines document for students, teachers, and families.

I’m personally of the opinion that no student should engage with A.I. in any way before the 6th grade. If we were living in China in the 9th century we would not let children play in black powder. At the same time, I believe if a tool exists and can be used against you than it is in your best interest to understand the tool.

As Board Trustee I would; advocate for a literacy first approach to artificial intelligence and the adoption of district principals, guidelines, and informational materials for Lansing School District students, teachers, families, staff, and board members.

I’m a firm believer that every incident of gun violence is preventable. I think it starts with talking to each other more, I think it ends when people’s needs are met.

I applaud The Village Lansing and the Lansing Empowerment Network 360 meetings for their work past and present to address gun violence in our community in a serious and meaningful way. I also applaud the Board for the introduction of the Safe Homes, Safe Schools, Safe Kids initiative which offered free gun locks at every school in the district as well as an educational piece to send home to families.

As Board Trustee I would; collaborate with community stakeholders in the interest of the Lansing School District meeting the needs of our community in every way it can. Ending poverty is the ultimate first step in ending gun violence as we know it today.

I support Restorative Justice in our schools. Working as a teacher at J.W. Sexton High School I know the transformational power of Restorative Justice in mitigating harm, navigating conflict, and building relationships that create a safer learning environment for everyone (Go J.Dubbs).

As Board Trustee I would; support the continuation and strengthening of Restorative Justice programs in the Lansing School District.

Lansing Promise and Lansing Save are two amazing programs that offer financial, education, and career support and are accessible only to Lansing School District students and graduates.

As Board Trustee I would; advocate for the continuation and strengthening of both the Lansing Promise and Lansing Save programs.

History reminds us how we got here, culture reminds us who we are. All students deserve to see themselves in the curriculum, all students deserve to see themselves as agents of history and as creators of culture.

As Board Trustee I would; advocate for a multicultural history curriculum and support multicultural initiatives throughout the District.

Growing up I trained in tae-kwon-do, played baseball, acted in plays and musicals, and I was an alternate on a single episode of Quiz Busters. I was able to do all of those things because they were offered through my public school and/or my parents had the money to pay.

I recognize the value in extracurricular activities of all stripes. In the Lansing School District though extracurricular opportunities can vary from building to building. In April Interim Superintendent Jessica Benavides advocated for mapping out opportunities across the district both to communicate to families but also work to build a district where all extracurricular opportunities are accessible to all students regardless of which school in the district they attend.

As Board Trustee I would; support Interim Superintendent Jessica Benavides in her efforts to map extracurriculars across the district.

In April of this year I attended a community meeting hosted by Interim Superintendent Jessica Benavides where the need for school building consolidation was discussed. The Lansing School District does not have the student population it once did but consolidating schools and selling school buildings runs the risk of the buyer opening a charter school and becoming a direct competitor.

As Board Trustee I would; work proactively to gather community input on the consolidation of school buildings and work to ensure Lansing School District buildings are retained by the district or another public entity for use as mixed income social housing and community resource hubs.

In any crisis the best thing you can do is be prepared in advance. There already exists a Tri-County Hazard Mitigation Plan however the Lansing School District is not mentioned a signal time despite the fact that Lansing School District buildings are already centered in our neighborhoods. In an emergency or crisis situation brought on by hazardous weather conditions, prolonged power outages, or organized extremist groups, Lansing School District buildings are the most prepared to serve our community across counties.

As Board Trustee I would; work collaboratively with stakeholders in Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton County toward a more comprehensive emergency preparedness plan that recognizes and respects the unique position and role of the Lansing School District.

Spring Picture Day was cancelled this year after news broke of the Lifetouch photo company’s connection to the Epstein Files.

As Board Trustee I would; encourage the Lansing School District to build a vetted network of local artists, teachers, and photographers to assist the district and students in the creation of an annual year book and photo packages for interested families. Lansing can and will do it better.

In addition to welcoming all students, staff, and their families regardless of legal status the 2025 LSD Welcoming School District Resolution calls for the district not to engage with federal civil immigration enforcement in any manner that could adversely impact students or their families. This resolution also calls for the district to establish procedures to restrict access to Lansing School District buildings should federal, state, or local immigration authorities seek entry without a specific lawful federal criminal warrant.

I reached out to the Superintendent’s Office on May 12 for an update on the District’s compliance with this resolution and have yet to receive a response.

As Board Trustee I would; reaffirm the values of the Lansing School District and work to ensure the district is operating in compliance with all Board resolutions. Lansing is a home for everyone no matter where you come from.

After reviewing the 2024 Insulin Litigation Resolution I have to be honest and say that I believe this represents an improper use of the Board’s resolution power. The board does not need to pass a resolution in order for the Lansing School District to enter a lawsuit against an entity that may owe damages to the district.

If the there was any intent to make a statement about the price of insulin or healthcare in America today this resolution fails to do so in the written text.

As Board Trustee I would; understand the Board’s resolution power as the voice of the board and I would wield that voice with purpose, discernment, and critical review.

Libraries and Librarians are an essential part of any educational environment.

As Board Trustee I would; reaffirm the 2024 Library Resolution as it is written and (if it is not already the case) I would support a collaboration with Capital Area District Libraries to allow Lansing School District students to use their Student ID as a library card.

The Farm Workers Movement of the 1960s and 1970s is a historical and cultural landmark that deserves to be celebrated. Cesar E. Chavez was a central figure and leader in the Farm Workers Movement but recent revelations of sexual abuse tarnish his name and legacy.

History is not a story about great men. History is a story about workers, about resources, and about the struggle to bring them together.

As Board Trustee I would; seek to amend the 2024 Cesar E. Chavez Resolution to celebrate the Farm Workers Movement more broadly and change the name of the holiday in the same light.