Personal Biography
I grew up in a small town in northwestern Kansas, "number 5" of seven in a farm family. We attended USD 317, which is now closed. I have been in some form of nursing since my teen years of working in a nursing home. I have advanced through a BSN, MSNA, and most recently my DNAP and have worked in Topeka for almost 20 years. I am married and have two biological children and a step-daughter, all adults now, and have 3 grandchildren. I live in the Berryton area.
Education
DNAP
Community/Public Service
I have belonged to Topeka Bible Church for almost 20 years. I take part in various church activities, most recently taking a week off work this summer to work our church youth camp. I've been on several mission trips to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. I have served on our state board of directors for my profession (KANA) for four years, and have traveled to DC and various national meetings in this role.
I have two children who graduated from Shawnee Heights. I have a grandchild who will be attending this district. With the current politics, I felt I needed to get more involved and help redirect public schools back to what many tax payers would like as a goal, to prioritize educating children in the basics in order to prepare them to be functional and productive citizens. It appears that too much emphasis (using tax dollars) has been shifted to socialization and indoctrination, leaving children demoralized, confused and ill prepared to become independent adults.
Children need to feel they have personal power to overcome stressful obstacles. Educating them to prepare them to be self sufficient gives them the tools to know they can survive and thrive, despite difficult histories. Schools need to be safe and encouraging places, not in a false "everyone gets a medal" way, but showing children the way towards competency, which leads to independence. The trend toward teaching children they are oppressors or the oppressed must be stopped. I see serious negative effects in training teachers and students that they are "bad",hopeless, or limited in any way by the pigmentation of their skin. Many Shawnee County student live in difficult situations. Students need to be taught that they can be "overcomers". Putting children down effectively locks them into the mentality that nothing will get better so they feel the need to escape via suicide. While schools cannot do this themselves, they can be a safe haven and encouragers.
Students need to be taught the truth of history and actually be taught the US Constitution, Bill of Rights, and state level founding documents as well. They also need to be taught how this effects them in their daily lives. As a youth, I traveled to Topeka to be a "page for a day" in the legislature. I clearly recall taking part in a "Presidential election" in elementary school. I attended model UN events and studied other countries and their governments. Students can be part of student government, and model these activities after state and federal entities. I believe many children learn much of their civic ideas from their parents and relatives. I do believe schools should teach neutral basics, allow the student to develop their own ideas, be allowed open discourse without punitive or divisive treatment, and not be coerced by indoctrination by public schools.
It appears that this year the goal is to keep students in school with in person learning. Evaluation of this past year with almost no in person instruction in some instances has not been positive. Technology was a major player in keeping some instruction going during the shut downs. I know some students had greater struggles due to lack of internet and computer services. The strides made via technology can continue should students be required, or choose, to take part in distance learning. I actually attained my doctorate through hybrid learning, traveling several times a year for in person learning and completing the remaining course work from home. I do not believe most youth or teens have the personality traits to succeed well with this style of learning, as desire for socialization with friend groups have a strong effect on students.
It is my goal to improve parent and student involvement in decision making. I feel there is a lack of transparency between administration and parents. Many parents have trusted that schools have been invested first in students and their needs. Through the past year and a half, and the parents being forced to be far more involved with the instruction of their students, details of what is being taught has led to an uprising of concern, frustration, and even anger at the content of instruction in public schools. Many parents are considering pulling their students from public schools. It would be my goal to listen to parents, students, and tax payers in order to make the best decisions. Decisions based on the idea that "one decision fits all" is absolutely not realistic, and in difficult situations, there need to be options to meet differing needs.
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e.thePeople