I am honored and humbled to be the Nominating Committee’s choice for President-elect. In my nine years as a school director, I have learned much from WSSDA training and leadership opportunities. Now it is time for me to give back.

As school directors, we are servant leaders within our communities and we have a responsibility to represent the whole community — students, parents, taxpayers, and other stakeholders. My extensive experience as a PTA leader at the local and state level has allowed me to gain a broad understanding of the power of those grassroots connections. My goal is to further engage Washington school directors in the activities of WSSDA by reframing the concept of servant leadership as it relates to our association’s mission.

I have worked on the Legislative, Boards of the Year, and Urban Issues Committees; the Student Achievement Task Force; Federal Relations Network; and Leadership WSSDA. As your Vice President, I have used these experiences to inform my decisions and interactions with state level leaders and broaden my understanding of the educational processes.

During Washington’s 14 years of education reform, WSSDA has been an excellent source of support, information and inspiration to local school directors. Our association must continue to build on this sound foundation and connect with school directors in ongoing discussions and professional development opportunities to strengthen their skills as policymakers and stewards of their local education resources. As locally elected officials, it is critical that we, through WSSDA, play a strong role in the state’s educational decisions. We are the ones closest to the action, the ones who best understand the challenges of addressing ever-increasing demands with ever-decreasing dollars. But with involvement in those discussions and decisions, comes a responsibility to ensure we are the strongest and most knowledgeable directors we can be. I am committed to supporting all Washington school directors in their quest for professional development opportunities.

Our state’s education system is now at a crossroads. We must decide how to continue to challenge students while tempering high standards with reason as the education system catches up with expectations. Not all students started the education reform process at the same time or from the same place. Students who live in poverty or have language barriers face additional challenges as they try to address the preparation gap and the achievement gap simultaneously.

As our classrooms become more diverse, it is important for school directors to understand how cultural competency affects their role as policymakers. While I grew up in New England in a town that had no cultural diversity, the community in which I have chosen to live is very diverse and I have come to appreciate the richness that diversity brings to our lives.

That diversity, however, brings its own collection of challenges. English Language Learners face classrooms where they are expected to learn core curriculum while trying to master a new language. Special education students struggle with tests that are beyond their developmental levels. Students in poverty come to us inappropriately prepared for school. When visiting Washington, D.C. as a part of our FRN delegation, I, along with other Washington school directors, have challenged our congressional representatives, senators, and the U.S. Department of Education to adjust No Child Left Behind to provide more flexibility and honor the individual growth that each student achieves.

My experience as a child advocate and my interactions with policymakers at the local, state and national levels will bring a different perspective to association leadership. I’m confident that my knowledge, skills and abilities will help me make a positive contribution to WSSDA’s future.