The Mexico Audrain County League of Women Voters will hold a Candidate’s Forum at 7 p.m. April 3 at the Chamber of Commerce in Mexico. Candidates for Mexico City Council and Mexico School board …
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The Mexico Audrain County League of Women Voters will hold a Candidate’s Forum at 7 p.m. April 3 at the Chamber of Commerce in Mexico. Candidates for Mexico City Council and Mexico School board have been invited.
This will be a speaking event and not a debate. The purpose is to give the candidates an opportunity to present their ideas and for the public to be able to hear from all of the candidates at the same time.
The format for the evening will be as follows: The candidates were sent two questions prepared by the Mexico Audrain County League of Women Voters, and each candidate will share their responses to those questions. Members of the audience may submit written questions to League members who will be at the forum for the candidates to answer. The questions must be worded in such a way that each candidate has an opportunity to answer.
Questions may not be directed to a single candidate.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization and cannot endorse or oppose any candidate for public office. However, a basic purpose of the League is to promote informed voting. The League makes every effort to assist candidates in presenting their opinion(s) to the voters.
Each of the five candidates answered these questions:
I’m an ‘07 graduate of Mexico High School. I’ve lived in Mexico for over 30 years, attending elementary through high school here. I have a daughter and niece who are about to be in junior high who have each attended both elementary schools, with another niece getting ready to go into first grade. I’ve been blessed to be in a position to see firsthand how both elementary schools operate. I’m also a graduate of Missouri Welding Institute and have experience, perspective and knowledge in an often overlooked area of education that would be beneficial to our school board. I’m a Rotary Club leader of tomorrow award recipient, an outside-the-box thinker and a member of the Mexico Park Board.
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There’s been a recent push this year to stop video recording at school board meetings and I am not for that. School board meetings should be recorded and available to public so that parents and residents are able to view the meetings in their entirety so they can come to their own conclusions regarding agenda items and discussions. I will vote to continue recording and making school board meetings available to the public should the issue continue to arise.
I’d also like to see a slight adjustment or awareness brought to the major/ minor disciplinary standard in the elementary schools. I think parents are hearing the major/ minor and blowing it off and being dismissive of the disciplinary circumstances. I’d like to see the major/ minor system be viewed as the equivalent to an OSS/ ISS infraction. While the disciplinary actions taken might not necessarily align with ISS/OSS as the consequences, it can be used as an indicator of the future consequences if corrective measures aren’t taken.
The first, and most important, is my training and experience as a teacher. I bring graduate education in both teaching and is school counseling (and as a year as assistant principal) and almost a decade in the classroom. I understand the challenges the students face in and out of the classroom and what it takes for all of us to help them succeed and grow, I also understand the challenges the parents, teachers and the administration face, as they work to find new and better ways to help the students.
The second is my experience working on other non-partisan boards, economic development projects and as a coach. Success in these kinds of roles - from panning and zoning appeals to getting a robotics team to nationals - involves a particular skills set in balancing competing interests, keeping different groups engaged in the often complicated process and creating a strong environment of fairness.
The third is my MBA and years of experience in finance for both small and large organizations, including both non-profits and private sector. As the landscape continues to shift, we will need board members who can make the best financial decisions, so our students have the best possible resources.
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There are signs that we have work to do improving communication with our community. We see it directly in the challenge of presenting objectivity, fairness and respect even when problems and disagreements arise. We see it in the struggle to build a stronger pool of bus drivers and substitutes. And we see it indirectly in things like teacher illness rates and turnover as well as in student performance. Those things are interconnected. How we treat our teachers, our willingness to be team players supporting our schools, and how we model working together access different dividing lines - those teach our students lessons as important as the ones they learn in class. Those things shape the learning environment for good or for ill, and that becomes a cycle. Better communication can help us build trust and lose the gap on all those things.
Next on the list is the ongoing challenge to find more funding and stretch our existing financial resources as far as possible. As state and federal budget supports evolve with changing political tides, it is all the more vital that the board be a resource helping our schools surf that wave instead of being drowned by it.
I am currently the proud parent of two, soon to be three, Mexico students. I graduated from the school district in 2005. After graduating, I attended and graduated from a technical school for diesel and industrial technology. I returned home and worked in the Mexico community for several years prior to going back to school to obtain my engineering degree from Mizzou. I have worked locally both as a mechanic and as an engineer. This gives me firsthand experience on both the technical and university track to careers.
I have also spent the last several years volunteering my time as a coach for the YMCA. I have felt the stress and the challenge of dealing with kids who are learning to deal with their emotions and to keep their attention when there isn’t a screen in front of them.
These experiences give me insight into both the challenges our teachers face and the requirements our students face upon graduation. A school board member needs to understand the challenges in the classroom so we can help our students reach the goal of a solid career and life after walking across our stage at graduation.
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As a district we need to focus on both communication and teacher development/retention. As a Mexico graduate, native and resident, I can tell you that the only time the school board is in the spotlight is typically for a decision, hire or policy made that our community is upset with. It’s a thankless job, but not an impossible one.
We need to focus on our communication policies to give parents consistency and confidence in the board and their role within our school district. We can achieve this by extending beyond social media and returning to in-person forums to gather feedback from the public. In the past few years, we have lost several staff members and teachers that were either locally grown or had served the district for many years. It’s hard to lose valued members of our school system to both retirement and other employment opportunities.
We need to work closely with the teachers of our district to make sure they are being heard and appreciated, and that we are retaining teachers with roots in our community. It’s always in the community’s best interest to promote and encourage talent from within our own community and staff.
My experiences that qualify me for this position include but are not limited to, serving in this position for six years which included all training requirements set forth by the state of Missouri. I also currently serve in other leadership roles within the community including my full-time job at True Manufacturing as well as in the fire service with Little Dixie Fire Department. I currently have children attending school in the district which keeps me connected to multiple buildings as well as with multiple teachers and staff members. I feel a qualification for this position should include the willingness to listen to and be an advocate for all students, teachers and community members and I will continue to strive to accomplish this goal.
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As a district, academic performance is not where it needs to be and has to continue to be a priority. Many things have been done and are still currently being worked on to help combat this but more support from the board with new or other resources could only benefit this problem. A big part of this includes getting the right curriculum that fits our students and staff. This is not an easy task and includes a lot of time and research that goes into picking just the right one. A key component of this is keeping teachers very involved with this process as they are the ones that will be using it daily. Also, student engagement in extracurricular activities is another big component to academic success.
As everyone knows, recruitment and retention of teachers and staff members is another major issue for our school district. The district can help by continuing to be competitive with salaries and benefits, continuing to improve lines of communication and to strive to make this a destination district for employees. A few things have been put into place recently to help with recruitment, including a student teaching incentive and a growing our own program.
I am honored to be running for a position on the Board of Education. As a mother and caregiver, I understand firsthand the importance of a strong, supportive educational environment. My passion for the success and will-being of our students, teachers, and community drives my commitment to this role.
I am dedicated to volunteering my time to empower our students and strengthen our district, ensuring every child has access to a quality education and opportunities for growth. My involvement won’t be limited to attending meetings and ceremonies. You will see me regularly in our schools, engaging with students, parents and staff.
I believe that listening, learning, and collaborating directly with our community is key to making meaningful improvements. By actively participating in the day-to-day school environment, I will advocate for higher educational standards and a positive learning atmosphere. I am deeply invested in the future of our children and am committed to making thoughtful, informed decisions that reflect the needs and aspirations of our district. Together, we can create a welcoming, nurturing, and thriving educational community. I ask for your support and trust as we work toward a brighter future for all students.
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Two of the most pressing issues in our district are educational transparency and safety. As a candidate for the Board of Education, I am committed to addressing these challenges through open communication, practical solutions and a commitment to “Back to the Basics,” “Common Sense,” and “Fair, Firm, and Consistent Accountability.” Transparency starts with listening. I will engage directly with students, staff, and parents to understand their academic struggles and identify solutions. By fostering honest conversations, we can ensure every student has the support they need to succeed. I believe in clear, open dialogue about curriculum, policies, and decision-making, so our community remains informed and involved. Safety is equally critical.
While our district has already taken steps by installing cameras, I advocate for upgrading these systems to include both audio and visual monitoring, as well as adding cameras in the classrooms. This added accountability will create a safer, more respectful environment for everyone. By focusing on fundamental principles, applying common-sense solutions and holding all parties accountable, we can improve both the quality of education and the safety of our schools. Together, we will create an environment where students thrive, staff feel supported, and parents have confidence in our district’s leadership.
