AURORA VOTE 2023 — Aurora Public Schools board

Aurora Public Schools Candidate Questions: 

● What makes you the top candidate for school board? 

My family has been living in Northwest Aurora for 14 years. My husband and I were intentional about our daughters growing up in a community that reflected our values of diversity and a sense of community. Our 2 daughters attend school in APS, a school that serves kids from 26 nationalities and a student population consisting of 80% free and reduced lunch. I have over 4 years of school board governance experience, serving a diverse student population, in particular under-served kids in Aurora. During the pandemic, it has given me incredible insight into what it takes to make tough decisions that impact our school communities.  

I have been an active member of the District Accountability Advisory Committee in APS for the past 2 years and it has given me the opportunity to listen to teachers, parents, staff from across our district and learn the organizations that make up APS. I work alongside community leaders advocating for our youth to elevate their voices. This year I had the honor of moderating this year’s AFRIK Impact Education Forum hosted by the African Leadership Group. I am a director at a healthcare organization with over 15 years of professional leadership experience that includes building, mentoring and collaborating with global teams. 

I am passionate about advocating for our youth, especially those whose voices can’t be heard. I am a leader that believes it takes a village for our kids to be successful and all of our kids deserve education excellence no matter where their story began. I believe that investing in our kids’ education and supporting our teachers should always be a priority.  

● What is the priority the school district faces, and how would you address it? 

Our students are struggling to read at grade level and meet proficiency in mathematics with our most vulnerable student population continuing to be negatively impacted the most. Our students’ academic performance has not returned to pre-pandemic performance levels.  

Support needs to be given at all levels throughout our district, starting with meeting the needs of our teachers for them to be successful. Our teachers are closest to our students, and we should continue to create spaces and platforms to listen to their concerns and their ideas on how we can support them and help them engage parents so they can regularly collaborate on students’ individual academic plans. We also need to trust our teachers and give them autonomy to be creative and execute their ideas. We cannot make progress unless we trust those who are closest to the work and create an environment for them to explore new solutions.  

The district needs to ensure resources and funding is given to those grades and schools with the highest need towards closing the equity gap. We should continue to work with our schools and administration on setting realistic and meaningful academic goals. It is also important that progress is regularly and closely monitored which includes analyzing relevant data metrics, ensuring we are focusing on the right things, understanding what is working and what is not and positioning ourselves to pivot if priorities shift. 

● How should the school district deal with bullying and discrimination? 

Hurt people, hurt people. Kids are not born as bullies or filled with hate. Today bullying and discrimination unfortunately takes place both inside and outside the classroom. With the introduction of technology cruelty happens online and 24/7. My daughter is in middle school and I have seen first-hand that the challenges and pressures they face are not what we experienced growing up. Oftentimes bullying is subtle but just enough to eat away at the other person’s self-esteem. 

Our answers should include both addressing bullying and preventing it, solutions that resolve the immediate issue and those that look at the root cause and how to reduce it from happening. Addressing bullying and discrimination would include reviewing and updating existing policies against bullying and discrimination as needed but even then, students who bully are kids acting out. In that moment they are not worried about policies or consequences. They are hurting and angry about something that is not in front of them and often a variety of factors outside of school. Acknowledging this is important for all of us in the district to understand. While it is important to have the framework of setting policies against bullying to set expectations of student behavior, to address bullying the district needs to continue to allocate resources towards social and emotional development and support. For example, school counselors, therapists and psychologists should be seen as a key resource of our school community and not something that is optional. It is also important that our kids and families are aware of the mental-health resources and support systems available to them, and they are both physically and financially accessible. 

● Should the school board publicly review allegations that some school board members made racist comments to former Superintendent Rico Munn? 

In any organization confidentiality is important, which includes sensitive topics that can harm the reputation of individuals or defame their character. Colorado allows executive sessions to be held for very specific reasons which includes discussing personnel matters such as hiring, promotion or discipline of employees, including elected officials as well as to discuss investigations into the conduct of specific employees or officials.  

Walking the line between confidentiality and transparency can be a challenge.  Our community deserves to understand the why and an explanation for the approach and factors taken into consideration that resulted in the board’s decision. I have found when there is a lack of information, human nature leans towards thinking the worst and the board should be about building a culture of trust across our district which starts at the top. Although details cannot always be shared, taking the time to explain what approach was taken to reach a decision can help build that trust and increase community buy-in.  

● What book should everyone read before they graduate high school? 

I struggled to answer this question, which should be one of the easiest, and after reliving every book I read in school and since, the first book that came to mind was the American classic, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Initially I did not understand why this book specifically resonated with me. Perhaps it is because it was the first time, I had a true awareness of racial injustice and discrimination and that the injustices outside my world were different. Growing up in the Caribbean, our impact and conversations around race and prejudice are quite different.   

In the end this story is filled with universal values and emotions, all of which are timeless. Set in 1930s Southern United States, we link can link our history of racial injustice and prejudice to the results of systematic racism seen today.  Recent events have brought these topics to the forefront and are not something we can shy away from. The story encourages us to be compassionate and empathetic through one of its main characters, Aticus, as he teaches his children to see the world through the eyes of others. It opens the relevant discussion of portraying the white male as the hero and the impact this narrative has on our society. Through the complexity of the characters the message of education is depicted to eradicate ignorance and create a more understanding and inclusive society. This coming-of-age story through the eyes of a courageous young girl stirs emotions that crosses borders and time. She is navigating harsh realities and trying to absorb the chaos around her while trying to find her own identity. 

No matter where we are in our journey these themes resonate with all of us. 

● Should books be banned in schools? 

Censoring information and censoring our teachers stems from fear. Fear should not be driving how we educate our kids.  We live in a world where information is available in all mediums and cannot be switched off. Whether we want to acknowledge this or not, our kids are consistently being exposed to information and new ideas and concepts outside of school because of technology!  

Education is about developing critical independent thinkers by providing facts, sharing stories and different experiences. We should be creating safe spaces for our students and educators to have difficult conversations and help our students navigate these hard topics. Sharing stories and experiences helps us develop empathy and connection, something much needed. For 4 years I worked at a job that gave me the privilege of working internationally with 50 nationalities and through this incredibly humbling experience of listening to their journey I learnt that we are more alike than we are different, and we all want to be seen for who we are and respected. Sharing stories and experiences, especially the most difficult ones, through books is a window into looking at life from someone else’s perspective. Books open a world. Those experiences of our past shaped our future and helped us understand our journey as an individual, a community and as humanity.  Banning books means stripping education of the most critical component and our purpose as educators. Students have a right to truthful, factual, and honest education. 

● What role do you think law enforcement should play in schools? 

Hardening schools with uniformed officers, cameras and metal detectors should be a last resort.  For those schools that it was determined the need for an SRO, the SRO should be embedded in the school community like other staff such as the school nurse and counselor and be held to the same standards of accountability. Their role should be clearly defined as someone who works with the teachers, staff and administration to keep our school safe and assist with mitigating or de-escalating situations. This involves them building trust with our students so that students do not feel intimidated to reach out to them. The role of SROs should not be to discipline or intimidate students or instill fear. They are part of the support system in our school community to create a safer environment. 

● How do you think the district should address student learning loss from the pandemic? 

As a district, we need to create spaces and platforms to connect and listen to our teachers, parents, and students. They are not only impacted the most but are closest to the challenges facing our kids and engaging them gives them the opportunity to be part of the solution. As Aurora school district enrollment declines and shifts, the needs of our students are diverse from one side of Aurora to another. Our communities’ needs may look different from one neighborhood to another, so it is important to understand what challenges each of our school communities are facing to address student learning loss. It must be a holistic approach and there are often different solutions. Support is multifaceted – shifting funding and resources to those grades or schools that need it the most, providing additional tutoring for students, understanding what obstacles might be preventing our students from participating in additional tutoring and providing training and resources for teachers. Most importantly, listening to our educators and giving them more autonomy to do what’s best for our students. Our teachers play a crucial role in helping us understand the needs of our kids and how we can support them for our kids to be successful. 

• What’s the role of the school board in regard to the current controversy over “critical race theory”? 

The school board has an obligation to be culturally responsive to our community starting with policies that explicitly take race into account towards creating a space that our black students learn and thrive. The school board’s role is to foster a culture where our students and teachers feel seen, included and respected. An examination of current policies and practices may indicate they are contributing towards racial inequalities in our education system and these need to be changed and determine which of these policies and practices need to be reviewed at both the school and district level. An example would be disciplinary policies and procedures. The school board can advocate for unconscious bias and equity training for all staff, including the school board directors.  

The school board’s role in making decisions about the school curriculum is to trust their leadership, review the curriculum, take their suggestions into consideration and verify the curriculum meets the needs of our students and is relevant.  The school board should foster a culture where we do not avoid crucial conversations, such as CRT but encourage open healthy dialogue and where topics are discussed in a way that is both respectful and meaningful.  Information should not be censored, and curiosity should be rewarded. 

● What do you think should be done to close the achievement gap for students of color? 

Listen more. To address the achievement gap for students of color we need to look at all the factors that potentially impact academic performance.  If we are advocating for our students of color, we need to reach out and listen with intent to understand what is preventing them from progressing.  

For example, analyzing data correlates low school attendance with low academic performance. Are there outside factors preventing them from attending school? Do these students have more responsibilities at home such as taking care of siblings or extended family. Do they have to work to help to support their family which prevents them from completing homework or assignments? This can be an opportunity to revisit how we manage situations when our students failed to submit assignments or meet the deadline. Instead of giving them a zero they can be given the opportunity to take make up assignments and review topics with the chance to redo the areas they failed in or missed. Education is about giving our kids every opportunity to learn and not about punishing them for falling behind or not being able to keep up. 

Similarly, a review of our data and disciplinary practices indicates that our students of color are being removed from the classrooms more than other students. On the other hand, are we engaging with these students as much as others within the classroom? Are we calling on them to answer questions or be part of the conversation and challenging them as much as other students? Failing to do so can also be part of the problem. 

There might have been huge changes at home or challenges within the family dynamics. A lot more listening needs to be done to understand what outside factors are preventing them from engaging and being present – struggles at home, not feeling safe in their neighborhood or schools and other external pressures. We cannot control outside factors, but we can put more resources to provide the social and emotional support and development that can help them navigate these difficult situations. 

Boredom. How many times have we heard our kids say school is boring. The district can look at reviewing the curriculum and look for opportunities to introduce more stories and characters that our students of color can identify with and mirror their experiences. The district has a responsibility to attract and retain teachers of color because representation matters. Having strong role models that advocate for these students, teaches them how to use their voice and empowers them. They feel seen and respected, and this results in increasing student engagement. Our students are exceptional and when we start to see each of them this way, we should be excited and do whatever it takes to ensure they reach their fullest potential. 

● Do mental health issues among students in the district warrant spending additional funds to address them? How much more? 

Research indicates that the mental health issues of our students continue to be negatively impacting our kids.  For our students to thrive, their mental health needs to be taken into consideration. We should continue to invest in social and emotional development for our students which includes continuing partnerships with organizations that can provide long term or extended mental health services. The district also needs to invest in training for our teachers and staff to see the signs of high-risk students and define processes that can ensure they get the support they need before a situation develops. Our solutions should consider the number of social workers, therapists and psychologists needed to support our students across the district and allocate appropriate funding to those schools that need it the most. The goal should be to have a dedicated therapist in every school.  Investing in the mental health of our students is an investment in these kids that we cannot take for granted. 

● There has been a great deal of controversy with carrying out the Blueprint APS plan. What changes, if any, would you make if you were in control of it? 

Some of the feedback received regarding the APS Blueprint is that there was not sufficient community involvement in understanding the needs of our school communities and their voices being part of the solution. Overall community engagement is one area the district has room to grow in.  Not only engaging them in discussions around the APS Blueprint but to help them understand how decisions made by the district impact their schools. It is a recurring theme heard across our community both from our teachers and our parents. Our teachers are struggling to be heard and they often feel decisions are being made without their input – decisions that impact them and our students.  

With the introduction of magnet schools’ hard decisions were made to close or repurpose neighborhood schools. Often these schools are being closed in the most vulnerable communities. Any strategic plan that results in repurposing these schools needs to include a strategy that these neighborhoods are not losing accessibility to key resources and support systems which only places them at a further disadvantage. The APS Blueprint needs to evolve to meet the diverse needs of all of our students across our district and be agile enough to pivot to meet the growing needs of our diverse community. 

● What is the relationship between you, as a school board director, and the superintendent? 

The sole direct employee of the school board is the Superintendent. A school board director’s responsibility is to support the Superintendent and leadership team to be successful in carrying out the vision of the district and ensuring they have the resources needed to execute the district’s strategic plan. The job of the school board directors is also to ensure policies and processes are implemented which align with the district’s vision towards high academic achievement and education excellence for all our students.  

There needs to be a relationship of trust between the superintendent and the school board directors. The board should set clear expectations on how they will work and define criteria on what information is needed to ensure decisions are fiscally responsible, data-driven and more transparent so the school community feels confident in the district’s decision. Often the school community understands what the district’s decision is but lacks an understanding of why or how the decision was made.