As we enter the final weeks of this school board campaign, it is clear that this is an important moment for Coronado schools.
Coronado has been our home for 20 years. John and I raised our four children here, and now that they are off to college, I’m excited to have the time to give even more back to the community we love so much.
Throughout this campaign, my priorities have remained consistent: student safety and mental health; academic excellence through exceptional teachers; thoughtful policies around technology; addressing facility needs such as air conditioning; and experienced, responsible governance as CUSD transitions to Basic Aid.
I am fully qualified and ready to address these issues. For more than 30 years, my professional and volunteer work has centered on children, as an attorney, Juvenile Court Judge Pro Tem, nonprofit leader, parent, and school board trustee. I am a product of public school, having graduated from a public high school in San Diego. I also have the perspective of a military child, attending five schools in three states. As president of FOCUS, I lead an internship program that gives Coronado High School students hands-on experience in service, leadership, and nonprofit governance.
Student mental health and well-being
Student mental health will be one of my highest priorities, particularly during the critical middle school years. Smaller middle school classes will ease teachers’ workloads, while making it easier to recognize when a student is struggling academically, socially, or emotionally.
Consistent discipline is also part of a healthy school environment. Accountability and compassion are not opposites. My Juvenile Court experience taught me that young people need both boundaries and support.
Academic excellence begins with great teachers
Academic excellence depends upon attracting, retaining, and supporting exceptional teachers. Competitive compensation matters, but so do professional development, mentoring, leadership opportunities, manageable workloads, and a culture where excellent teachers feel valued.
We should ask our teachers: What would make you want to spend the rest of your career at CUSD? We should listen, and act.
Technology should serve learning
Technology presents tremendous opportunities, and real challenges. After serving as a school board trustee at a school that implemented a cell phone ban three years ago, I was pleased to bring that experience to CUSD’s committee addressing student cell phone use.
We also need to examine total screen time, including computers and tablets used at school and for homework. Other districts, including Los Angeles Unified, are rethinking classroom technology and emphasizing more purposeful use and non-digital alternatives. We should do the same, returning to more books, paper, handwriting, face-to-face discussion, and hands-on learning when those approaches better serve students.
Artificial intelligence is transforming education. I am completing a certificate in Artificial Intelligence in Education through the University of San Diego because trustees should understand this complex technology before making policy. Students need to learn to use AI safely, ethically, and effectively while still developing independent thinking, writing, creativity, and problem-solving.
Facilities, finances and good governance
We must address a basic barrier to learning: overheated classrooms. With heat days extending well into the fall, we need immediate relief and a financially responsible long-term plan for air conditioning. Our children cannot afford this level of disruption to their education.
As CUSD transitions to Basic Aid, we will have exciting new opportunities and significant financial responsibilities. We should invest in students and teachers today while rebuilding reserves and protecting the district’s long-term financial health.
I also believe we need to keep national politics off our school board dais. Trustees have plenty of important work to do right here in Coronado. A school board should be a governing body, not a political stage.
These challenges require experienced, thoughtful governance. As an attorney, I have spent my career analyzing complex issues, understanding the law, weighing competing interests, and asking difficult questions. As an experienced school board trustee, I understand that the board must establish priorities, allocate resources responsibly, support strong leadership, and hold the district accountable for results.
I am running because schools can always become stronger, and I believe my experience can help CUSD navigate this important period of change.
I would be honored to bring that experience home to serve our students, teachers, families, and community.
