(1) Previous Experience

I am a financial analyst. I am an attorney. I am a parent of young children who attend Madison's schools.

Our biggest issue is resource allocation, we must manage within a budget. I have the education and the experience to deal with a $240 million budget. My three year record on the board speaks for itself. I have always applied cost saving measures to our budget. I believe in fiscal restraint. I have consistently moved money into maintenance from our operating budget.

(2) Current Issues

Safety in our school. I have zero tolerance for violence or weapons in our schools. I have supported increases in the security budget each year.

Benchmark and standards. I want MMSD to be a world class learning institution. Our students must be prepared to compete in the world economy or any higher learning institution.

Adequate maintenance funding within the budget. The community expects us to use our money wisely. They expect us to budget for routine maintenance. Safe, clean, and maintained schools are an important element of creating a learning environment

(3) Past Issues

I have supported the Standards, Benchmarks, and Assessment initiative. The math standards are currently the most complete. If you have a kindergartner through fifth grader, you should have gotten the math standards in back pack mail. They are clear and coherent.

I have supported the annual increase in maintenance dollars from the Operating Budget. Each year we have committed to increase maintenance by $500,000. Progress is slower than we would like, but if maintenance is ever to be caught up, we have to stop thinking that maintenance gets only what is left over.