2024 Election Info

The school board is primarily responsible for 3 things – 1) approval of the school curriculum, 2) the hiring and evaluating of the superintendent, and 3) approving the budget and deciding when to go to the citizens with a millage request. We do not get involved in the day to day operations of the schools. That responsibility falls to the administration and teachers. 

In my professional career, I have learned how to manage large teams and hold them accountable for their results, just as we do as a board. We don’t do the hard work, but we monitor the results and give guidance when a new direction is needed.

I tell people all the time that we are one of the top school districts in West Michigan. We have some of the best facilities in the state and our students achieve fantastic results. The unique educational options (EMT courses, drone piloting, etc) and extracurricular activities we provide our students are unmatched. We do this while being great stewards of our budget and assessing one of the lowest millage rates in West Michigan.

Public education is unique in that we serve EVERYONE seeking an education, no matter their skill level. Our schools offer a large variety of courses and provide a large variety of resources to help all of our students succeed.

Right now, the loss of the COVID era funding is a concern for many districts, and Grandville is no different. Luckily, we have been very conservative in our approach when using these funds and we have been able to ‘right-size’ as the funding ended.

Staffing remains a concern, as it is in every industry. There are fewer great teachers, administrators and staff, but we are still considered a destination district for many of these groups. We need to maintain that reputation by continuing our strong working relationships between our students, parents, teachers and administrators.

Finally, developing our students into lifelong learners capable of critical thinking is one of our most important missions.

I think our ability to adapt has been key to our success in recent years. Whether that means adapting to a once in a lifetime pandemic, adapting to the needs of our schools with shifting populations, adapting and repurposing facilities, or adapting to the changing landscape of education.

I don’t believe there are any sacred cows when it comes to our budget. At some point we will have to take a hard look at our budget and make some tough choices, and when that time comes, I know we will take input from our leaders combined with the educational outcomes to help lead us to make the correct choices.

It depends on the issue. I always look to experts for help in understanding the pros and cons of any issue. And I take pride in having a diverse group of friends throughout the community that I interact with and can get their true feelings on issues. I take as much input as possible and then look to our school’s Strategic Plan to help make sure I am making a decision that supports that direction.

We entrust our sons and daughters, our most precious treasures, to our schools for 7 or more hours every weekday. It is our responsibility to ensure both their physical and mental wellbeing by providing the safest and most secure learning environment.

Providing our students with exceptional opportunities to learn, employing the best staff to support them and providing the best facilities to achieve that mission.

An effective school board member studies the financial, curricular, and personnel issues facing the district so to guide the district in a path of health for the students, staff and the surrounding community. I want to use the skills and knowledge I have gained as a Grandville teacher for 21-plus years.  My first-hand experience in the district serving as a department chair, working with a variety of personnel and contributing to district committees will be a built-in strength I can bring to the functions of the school board. I also have the joy of being a parent and grandparent, inspiring me to contribute what I can to their world, particularly their school district.

Grandville Public Schools is a district that provides what is needed for an excellent education for all students. College bound students as well as students pursuing a trade have some of the best opportunities to achieve their goals. With an ever-changing student population, Grandville excels at adapting to the ever-widening individualized needs of students. Rooted firmly in community, Grandville Schools cooperates with its partners and the families that make up this dynamic district.

Public education is at the very core of the American Dream. As an institution, Public Schools offer the chance for all children, regardless of any demographic, to receive an education that will quite literally allow them to become anything within their abilities and perseverance. American public education is a dream to most any child in most third world or developing countries, and I have seen this desire for an education directly. It is something we must not take for granted nor abuse, rather we need to do our best to support our school communities.

The first priority must be the safety and wellness of all students and staff. Students cannot learn and teachers cannot teach unless they feel safe.

Next, consistent curriculum and practices must be made available and encouraged across the district. General education students, special needs students or ELL students need teachers who have sound material and the chance to collaborate with their colleagues.

Ingrained in all priorities, is the budgetary conditions which will dictate in large many of these decisions, including the third priority; monitoring the flood of good and bad AI in educational practices.

Grandville has been remarkable in its smart use of funding, whether it’s been in capital improvements or providing increases in staff salaries. The use of bond monies and the planning for expansion/upgrading has been a hallmark for Grandville. The move to build a new middle school and open Oakestown as a fifth/sixth grade building was an excellent decision as it created much needed space in the current elementary buildings as well as addressed developmental/educational needs of early adolescent students.

Unfortunately, the community did not vote for a bond that would have provided a new natatorium.

Non-negotiables for prioritized spending would be academic support through the teaching and support/para-pro staff. An excellent teaching staff is essential and should not be weakened through cuts and/or overcrowding classrooms.  Also, social workers and school counselors should be kept, today more than ever. Often cut first, the fine arts should also be viewed as a vital part of a child’s education as the other disciplines.

If necessary, eliminating the mid-year standardized testing could save the district money and classroom/teaching time.

I‘d consider the stakeholders. If it directly affects teachers or the maintenance team or the office assistants, they should be asked for their perspectives. Also, the people who agree or disagree so to hear points on both sides of the issue at hand. Lastly, I’d inquire as to who are part of the final decision, i.e., the superintendent? These people often already have insights into the issue to be decided and can share valuable facts as the board comes to discuss and decide on the issue.

Although the physical security of schools is vital, what happens inside the walls of schools is equally important as it is often here where a troubled child is created. Districts must employ whatever means they have to help identify and address those students who inhabit the fringe of the student body. Whether it’s awareness programs or direct training as to the realities of non-acceptance /bullying behavior, school personnel and the overall school community needs the tools to rethink the child whom everyone seems to ignore.

As a school board candidate, I feel most passionately about children receiving excellence in their educational life. This encompasses many factors and it’s often a domino effect: supported districts then can support an excellent staff who can then deliver excellent instruction and guidance as our children learn to learn. Our children then have a far greater chance of becoming productive and fulfilled adults who add to a healthy society. This is the role of schools. Today, however, the interfering factors are numerous and complicated. It is the role of the school board to help create a clear, tangible and measurable pathway for all children and our staff. Then they can share that vision and live it because they are supported, accepted and cared for enough by their schools to act on their behalf.