Preparing Nebraska students for success in the classroom and, ultimately, for successful careers beyond the classroom will always be a top priority. 

On the OPS Board, I led the successful efforts to improve test scores, update our curriculum, and strengthen academic standards. 

On the State Board of Education, I will fight to ensure success for all Nebraska students through:

• rigorous academic standards

• safe schools to ensure every child has a secure learning environment

• career and life skills for preparedness beyond the classroom

• supporting teachers with the resources they need to educate

• safeguarding your tax dollars with transparency and fiscal responsibility

• empowering parents as the ultimate stewards of their child’s success

On the State Board of Education, your student’s physical safety and mental health will be of utmost importance. 

As OPS President, I led the effort to implement ‘buzz-in’ security systems for visitors, hire on-site security staff, and move school psychologists from administrative buildings into school buildings. 

On the State Board of Education, I will fight to: 

• make all Nebraska schools physically safe and secure

• advocate for appropriate security systems & personnel

• prioritize access to school psychologists 

Student achievement is not solely based on test scores, grades, and graduation rates, but preparedness for life and careers beyond the classroom. 

On the State Board of Education, I will:

• fight for proficiency in math and reading skills

• ensure students are prepared to advance to the next grade level

• champion Career Technical Education

• prioritize access to apprenticeship programs

• advocate for financial literacy programs

Last school year, Nebraska’s overall public high school graduation rate was 88%. At the same time, only 42% of students were proficient in math and 46% proficient in reading. I call this a “Graduation vs Proficiency Gap.”

We need to make sure Nebraska students are not simply graduating 8th grade and high school with a piece of paper, but with the basic math, reading, and life skills they need to be successful at the next grade level and beyond. 

In the pursuit of actually educating our kids and not just moving them through a system, we can’t be afraid of failing grades, summer school, or holding students back until they develop proficiency in the basic skills they need for success.  

Supporting our teachers is critical to ensuring student success. 

At OPS, I led the efforts to protect the OPS pension fund from mismanagement and to give OPS teachers the highest starting pay out of all 11 school districts in the Omaha metro area. We also adopted a program to help teachers better manage behavioral issues in the classroom, which has now been adopted by the Nebraska State Board of Education.

On the State Board of Education, I will ensure Nebraska teachers have the resources and support they need to succeed: 

• ensure teachers can focus on teaching and not extraneous responsibilities that should be handled by administrators, school psychologists, and parents

• adopt strong academic standards and trust teachers to employ time-tested best practices to educate their students

• promote mentorship opportunities for teachers on best teaching practices and behavior management

On the OPS School Board, I championed fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability. As Board President, I led the effort to fight mismanagement of the OPS pension and created a public website, openbook.ops.org, where any taxpayer can review district funding and a detailed budget. 

On the State Board of Education, I will:

• fight to ensure we are responsible stewards of your tax dollars

• ensure transparency and honesty in communicating academic standards to parents, along with their child’s level of proficiency within those standards

• protect parental rights in their child’s education because parents are the ultimate stewards of their child’s success

• advocate for public access to budgets and reporting