1.  What has been your involvement with the community and school district? Describe your leadership and volunteerism in the community. Did you or your children attend school in the district? Have you volunteered in or been employed by the school district?   I’m a life long resident of Lee County and graduate of the Lee Co. schools, and so are my children, and now, grandchildren. I’ve been a Registered Nurse in Lee County since 1989, pastored a church in Lee County, served the military in Lee County and abroad, and continued voluntary ministry in Lee County through North Mississippi Medical Center – Pastoral Care Dept. I have volunteered as the career parent speaking on occassion when my children were in school (we are all Saltillo High School graduates.) I have advocated for parents, children, and educators in Lee County schools as their pastor and friend.

2.  Why do you want to serve on your school board?   I would like to serve on the Lee County School Board to give back to the Lee County School system and it’s constituents (especially parents, children, and educators) some of what was given to me: support, encouragement, knowledge, wisdom, confidence, and perseverance.

3.  Students from low-income households often need additional resources to achieve academic success. What should your school district do to ensure that all students are successful?   I believe our school district should seek to address conditions such as low-income households and the many untoward environmental circumstances and conditions that so many of our students and families contend with on regular basis that negatively affects the success of so many students. I believe that we should continue to seek to fully fund our educational system, and see that funds are managed appropriately.

5.  What do you see as the most pressing infrastructure needs facing your district?   I believe the most pressing infrastructure needs facing my district are resource equality and equity among or between the schools. What one school in the district has, each school should be represented the same as not to see any variance or difference between the schools whether it be facility, transportation, or technologies.

6.  Mississippi school districts are funded by a mix of federal, state, and local funds. The state contributes to local school districts through the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP). MAEP is intended to fund teacher salaries, retirement and benefits, transportation costs, facility maintenance and utilities, special education and other programs, but it is underfunded statewide this year by $279-million. What role will you play in advocating for full funding of MAEP for your district?  I would advocate on every level possible to help plan and implement fully funding MAEP. I believe educating the public more in how their tax dollars are funding or should be funding public education, is a starting place. I would not expect many citizens, including community leaders and educators, to understand this funding process or problems confronting it. I would support a role in helping educate the public and encouraging support of our educational system. 

7.  Vouchers for private school tuition and online schools divert public funds away from public schools. Do you agree that tax dollars should be used for only public schools and not for non-public schools? Why or why not?  I believe that tax dollars should be used by public and non-public schools because many adults returning to school, and children who can’t afford to go to school without working to help support themselves and/or a family, who are tax-payers, and returning to school by non-traditional means such as distance learning or online. I believe when this happens, education should be funded. I do believe there should be a mechanism in place to facilitate the diversity in today’s educational process. COVID-19 changed life and education from the ways previously done and we must adjust as well.

8. In Mississippi, academic standards are set by the Mississippi Department of Education and local districts choose curricula from an MDE approved list. Do you trust educators in your district to teach using their professional judgement and training or should teaching be further regulated by school board policy or law? If you believe teaching should be further regulated, how so?  I trust that teachers are properly educated and should be allowed to teach using their professional skills, judgement, and training. I do believe that policy and law should be regulated and enforced to guide the educational process, however, as not to interfere with the educational process.

9. Mississippi is experiencing a severe teacher shortage. What strategies will you support to recruit and retain high quality educators?  I would advocate for and support more competitive teacher salaries as well as more support from school administration. I would also advocate for screening processes that allowed candidates to be selected based on their qualifications and desire to serve the community and support the educational system.