We cannot have a world-class school district without world-class educators — and we cannot expect world-class educators to work for less than they’re worth.

• A Competitive, Living Wage Compensation Plan

  Our teachers should no longer have to work two or three jobs to make ends meet and our dedicated paraprofessionals should not have to endure food stamps and homelessness because they want to work in this field that much. I’ll vote to direct the superintendent to propose a comprehensive living wage compensation plan that adheres to the principles of financial responsibility.

• A Better Contract in the Next Bargaining Round

  I’ll work with my fellow Together Forward AAPS candidates to direct the superintendent and leadership to negotiate the next contract in good faith with members of the board at the table. We must work to prioritize competitive salaries, reasonable workloads, planning time, and better classroom conditions.

• Putting Money into People, Not Unnecessary Contracts

  My Together Forward AAPS slate members and I will demand a review of outside consultants, purchased services, administration initiatives, and other discretionary spending to identify funds that can be better directed towards our schools.

• Accountability for Educator Retention

  Myself and the members of the Together Forward AAPS slate will push for monthly public reporting on teacher vacancies, employee turnover, and classroom staffing so that we know whether our employment policies are actually working. If educators continue to leave, we’ll push for a comprehensive exit survey program to find out where we went wrong.

Our students with disabilities shouldn’t have to fight for the education they’re already guaranteed by law. Moreover, parents, caregivers, and students should not have to devote every fiber of their being in an attempt to be heard.

• A Comprehensive Review of Special Education Administration

  I’ll propose a board-directed review of how disability services are managed, how families’ concerns are handled, and whether required services are delivered consistently.

• More Qualified People Serving Our Kids

  I’ll work closely with my fellow Together Forward AAPS candidates to prioritize recruitment and retention of special education teachers, paraprofessionals, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, school psychologists, and social workers. We’ll fill vacancies and increase retention through paying these critical employees the living wage they’re owed.

• A Stronger Voice for Parents and Caregivers

  My fellow Together Forward AAPS candidates and I will work with the Ann Arbor Parent Advisory Committee for Special Education and other key stakeholders to establish regular opportunities for families to advise the board on disability services and needed improvements. Some of the greatest improvements to disability services in our district may come from a board that’s willing to listen.

• A Culture of Listening, Not Defensiveness

  I will demand — as my fellow slate members will demand — that the superintendent establish clear expectations for timely, calm, and respectful communication between special education administrators and the families who rely on them. Special education families will always be greeted by me with listening ears and with an unwavering willingness to take action for our kids.

The people of Ann Arbor deserve to know where their money is going, why it’s being spent, and what their children are getting in return.

• A Citizen’s Budget Advisory Committee

  I’ll work with my fellow Together Forward AAPS candidates to propose an independent advisory body of parents, staff members, and community residents — with relevant financial experience — to examine district spending and provide public recommendations. Countless Ann Arbor financial professionals have indicated their willingness to advise this district for free — it’s time we start to work more collaboratively.

• A Comprehensive Review of Purchased Services

  I’ll demand a public accounting for our outside contracts, their costs, their purposes, and the evidence that they’re providing value for our students. If continuing relationships with private contractors does not yield the benefits the people of this district deserve, I would work with my fellow Together Forward AAPS candidates to seriously explore deprivatizing these services. Let’s focus on subsidizing a world-class education for our kids and not the private profit margins of contractors.

• Long-Term Financial Planning

  My Together Forward AAPS slate members and I will make it clear to the superintendent that long-term financial planning is a non-negotiable priority for both our board and the people who sent us here. For over 250 days, our union educators rallied for a fair contract partly under the banner of asking the board to “plan for us.” It’s time we listened.

• Protecting Frontline Services

  I will insist that any proposed cuts be evaluated for their effect on classroom instruction, disability services, school staffing, and educational equity before the board takes action. I was appalled at the reports which targeted several Title I elementary and middle schools for closure. The most vulnerable students amongst us must not be forced to suffer even more burdens.

Too often, the people of this district have been left feeling their decisions were made before they ever had the opportunity to speak. Parents, students, and staff members deserve more than a chance to comment on a foregone conclusion.

• Major Decisions Made with Meaningful Public Input

  I’ll work with my fellow Together Forward AAPS candidates to ensure that significant policy changes, consolidation proposals, and major spending initiatives receive public discussion, written justification, and opportunities for affected stakeholders to be heard before going to a vote. We must not allow a repeat of the Policy 5011 debacle in which a majority of the current board amended our district’s protections for transgender students with no public announcement, no comment, and without collaboration with those directly affected.

• Meeting Accessibility

  I’ll advocate for holding all meetings at locations accessible by public transit, including district high schools or the downtown library, while maintaining live stream and remote viewing options.

• Public Accountability

  I personally pledge to hold regular public office hours and town halls, answer questions directly, and make myself available to the people I represent. I’ll fight to reinstate affinity group presentations to the board — by rebuilding relationships that were needlessly broken we give the community more opportunities to hold us accountable.

• A Student Representative on the School Board

  Too often student voices are forgotten when the big decisions are made. I will work with my fellow Together Forward AAPS candidates to establish a nonvoting student representative position on our board with the same speaking rights as our superintendent.

• A Change in Culture

  A current board member once said that school board meetings are “in the public, not for the public.” This arrogant contempt for the people of this district is emblematic of why people don’t trust the current school board majority. My fellow Together Forward AAPS candidates and I will ensure that the change in culture comes from the very top.

The civil rights of our children are not optional. They are not bargaining chips, and they do not disappear when defending them becomes politically inconvenient.

• Protecting Vulnerable Schools and Communities

  I will oppose school closure or consolidation plans that disproportionately burden low-income families and historically underserved students without a compelling educational justification, a full equity analysis, and meaningful community consultation.

• Effective Anti-Discrimination Training and Accountability

  I’ll support professional development addressing implicit bias, disability rates, bullying prevention, and non-discriminatory discipline, accompanied by measurable changes in school practices. No child should suffer discrimination at the hands of their own district.

• Protecting LGBTQ+ Students

  I’ll advocate for legally sound policies that protect the dignity, safety, and educational opportunities of transgender and other LGBTQ+ students — no matter what the willfully cruel administration in Washington thinks.

• Greater Transparency About Educational Disparities

  I’ll push for more frequent reporting on differences in academic outcomes, disciplinary actions, access to advanced courses, and student support across all demographic groups.

Our children cannot learn when they’re hungry, overwhelmed, frightened, or struggling without the support they need.

• More Human Support in Our Schools

  This district recently moved to cut behavior intervention specialists at many schools and I would move immediately to reinstate these positions. Without these specialists, some of our district’s kids are not getting the treatment they need simply by virtue of attending a school whose specialist was cut.

• A Full Review of Digital Mental Health Contracts

  I’ll work with my fellow Together Forward AAPS slate members to demand evidence of effectiveness, student privacy protections, and clear costs before the district expands or renews technology-based mental health services. Digital tools must never become an excuse to eliminate essential human support. Our kids deserve to have real people help them through their problems.

• Better Prevention and Early Intervention

  I’ll continue to support evidence-based bullying prevention, behavioral supports, and school climate programs that help students before a crisis occurs.

• Protecting Free School Meals

  I’ll fight to preserve no-cost breakfast and lunch for students, maximize available federal and state support, and develop contingency plans if future funding is reduced.

Our children need to know how to use technology, but even more importantly, they need to know how to think without it. That’s the foundation of true technological literacy — and that’s the kind of education I intend to defend.

• A District-Wide Educational Technology Audit

  I’ll propose reviewing major instructional applications and digital contracts for cost, effectiveness, redundancy, accessibility, and student privacy.

• An Evidence-Based Approach to Classroom Technology

  I’ll work to ensure that technology supplements strong instruction, rather than replacing reading, writing, mathematics, discussion, and critical thinking.

• Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence

  I will advocate for clear district rules governing AI use, student data, human oversight, and the educational purposes for which these tools are appropriate. I’ll work with my fellow Together Forward AAPS candidates to institute an immediate moratorium on the rollout of district-sponsored AI — let’s focus on building critical thinking skills instead of chipping away at them.

• Teacher Involvement in Technology Decisions

  I’ll support meaningful consultation with educators before new platforms are purchased or required in classrooms.

• Transparent Technology Spending

  I’ll push for more public accountability regarding our technology contracts. Programs that fail to deliver measurable value will be modified or discontinued.