HONORS

I believe strongly that every student in the TSD should have the opportunity to challenge themselves and advanced/honors courses are an important part of that equation. I fully support bringing back honors classes and will work to make that happen. We are a district filled with very smart people. Let’s listen to the expertise of our teachers. I am confident we can come up with ways to help all students—including those who are struggling and those in the middle—without taking away opportunities for those who are ready to push themselves further.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Supporting students with special needs and the teachers who work with them is very important to me. After talking to parents and teachers, it’s clear that more must be done so that vulnerable students don’t fall through the cracks. One area of concern is the many unfilled positions in our special education department. These positions are a critical support to our children and our teachers. Our first step must be to prioritize filling them. I also support taking a comprehensive look at our special education program to see where we can do better. Let’s work with our teachers and families to ensure that each child thrives.

SAFETY

As parents, we entrust our schools with the most precious people in our lives, our children. Their safety—and the safety of our teachers and staff—must be a top priority. Thanks to past bond initiatives passed by voters and investments by the TSD, Troy Schools have made safety and security improvements over the past decade, and the 2022 Bond gives us additional opportunities to make important enhancements. But we cannot become complacent—we must continually review our infrastructure and protocols, keep abreast of best practices in school safety and make needed upgrades.

We also cannot assume that physical infrastructure is enough to keep our schools safe. We must continue to create environments where all students feel that they belong, strengthen programs to combat bullying and continually foster relationships between students and staff so that no one slips through the cracks. Finally—and importantly—we must support initiatives that advance gun safety. I am proud to be named a Gun Sense candidate by Everytown for Gun Safety.