Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
I am running because I am a parent first, a CPS graduate, and someone who has worked inside our schools and alongside families for years. I understand both the promise of public education and the inequities that prevent too many students from receiving the opportunities they deserve.
District 10A includes communities with very different resources, but every child, regardless of their neighborhood, race, disability, or family income, deserves a well-funded, safe, and supportive school. I am running to protect neighborhood schools, strengthen academic and mental health supports, ensure responsible and transparent budgeting, and make sure families and Local School Councils have a meaningful voice in decisions.
Are you in support of the most recent CPS budget that relies on uncommitted state funding?
Yes, I would have supported the budget because rejecting it could have caused immediate harm to students, educators, and school communities through deeper cuts and layoffs. However, relying on state funding that has not yet been committed is not a sustainable long-term strategy. My support would come with strong expectations for transparency, regular public updates, and contingency planning if the anticipated funding does not materialize.
CPS must also continue advocating for the state to meet its responsibility under the Evidence-Based Funding formula. I would work with state leaders, fellow Board members, families, and labor partners to pursue stable revenue and build future budgets around realistic, clearly identified funding.
How will you work with CPS officials and staff to balance the district’s budget?
I will approach the budget collaboratively, transparently, and with students at the center. I will work with CPS leadership and staff to review spending, identify cost savings, and ensure that public dollars are reaching classrooms and school communities.
Before supporting cuts that affect students or school-based staff, I would closely examine central-office spending, outside vendor contracts, administrative costs, and programs that are not producing measurable results. I would also seek input from principals, educators, support staff, Local School Councils, families, and students because those closest to our schools understand where resources are most needed. Balancing the budget cannot rely on cuts alone. I will advocate for CPS to receive the state funding it is owed under the Evidence-Based Funding formula, pursue additional sustainable revenue, and require realistic financial projections and contingency plans. Fiscal responsibility means making careful decisions, protecting essential services, and being honest with the public about both our priorities and our limitations.
Other than the budget, what is the single biggest issue facing Chicago Public Schools?
Other than the budget, the single biggest issue facing CPS is the continued loss of students and families from the district. Declining enrollment affects school programming, staffing, and the resources available to students, especially in Black and Brown neighborhood schools. We must understand why families are leaving or choosing other options instead of blaming them. CPS must listen directly to parents and students and invest in what families are asking for: strong academics, safe and welcoming schools, arts and athletics, special education services, mental health support, after-school programs, and meaningful college and career pathways.
What is a top issue for students, schools and families in your specific school board voting district?
A top issue in District 10A is the unequal access to strong, well-resourced neighborhood schools. Our district includes communities with tremendous assets and wealth alongside communities that have experienced decades of disinvestment. That difference can be seen in staffing, academic programs, building conditions, technology, extracurricular activities, and access to mental health and special education services.Families should not have to leave their neighborhood or compete for limited seats to find a school that meets their child’s needs. I will advocate for equitable, not simply equal, investment based on each school’s students and circumstances. I will also work with families, principals, educators, students, and Local School Councils to identify priorities and hold CPS accountable for delivering resources fairly.
If you accept campaign contributions from special interest groups, how will you maintain independence from those donors?
I am grateful for support from organizations and individuals who share my commitment to strong public schools, but no contribution or endorsement will determine my vote. My responsibility is to the students, families, educators, and communities of District 10A.
I will maintain my independence by being transparent about campaign contributions, following all disclosure requirements, and evaluating every decision based on evidence, community input, fiscal responsibility, and what best serves students. I will meet with a broad range of stakeholders, including those who may disagree with me, and I will clearly explain my votes to the public.
How can current board policies and procedures be improved?
Current Board policies and procedures can be improved by making decision-making more transparent, accessible, and responsive to the public. Meeting materials, proposed policies, contracts, and budget changes should be released early enough for families and Local School Councils to review them and provide meaningful input, not after decisions are nearly final.
The Board should use plain language, provide translation and disability access, and hold community meetings throughout the city at times working families can attend. Public testimony must also lead to documented follow-up, so residents know how their concerns were considered.
The Board should strengthen oversight by requiring clear goals, timelines, equity reviews, and regular public progress reports for major policies and spending decisions. Committee meetings should be used to examine proposals thoroughly before they reach the full Board.
Finally, Board members should regularly engage with their districts and report back on votes and outcomes. Better procedures should create accountability, not additional bureaucracy, and ensure that students, families, educators, and school communities help shape the decisions affecting them.
How should CPS and the board work to address declining enrollment?
CPS and the Board must address declining enrollment by understanding both why families are leaving the district and how Chicago’s changing population is affecting enrollment. We need school-level data, direct input from families, and transparent reporting, not assumptions or one-size-fits-all solutions.
Our first response should not be closing schools. CPS must make neighborhood schools places families choose by investing in strong academics, arts, athletics, special education, mental health services, after-school programming, and college and career pathways. The district should also simplify enrollment, strengthen early-childhood programs, and partner with city agencies to address housing instability, transportation, safety, and other barriers that push families out of communities. For under-enrolled buildings, CPS should explore creative community uses, including health, recreation, and family-support services, while preserving the school as a neighborhood asset. We must rebuild trust, attract families, and ensure every student has access to a well-resourced school close to home
Do you foresee a need to close some district schools?
No, I do not support closing or consolidating district schools. Chicago has already seen the lasting harm school closures cause, particularly in Black and Brown communities. Closures disrupt students, eliminate trusted community institutions, and fail to address the disinvestment that contributed to enrollment decline. CPS should respond by strengthening neighborhood schools, not abandoning them. Underused space can support smaller class sizes, early-childhood programs, special education services, mental health care, arts, athletics, adult education, and partnerships with community organizations.
These investments can better serve current students while helping schools attract and retain families. I will advocate for sustainable, community-centered solutions that keep schools open and treat school buildings as valuable public assets. Every community deserves a strong neighborhood school, and declining enrollment should never be used as an excuse to remove that resource
Should CPS implement AI in its classrooms? What, if any, guardrails should be put in place?
CPS should approach artificial intelligence carefully and use it only when it strengthens learning without replacing teachers, student creativity, or critical thinking. AI should be treated as a tool, not as a substitute for instruction, relationships, or professional judgment. Clear guardrails must include strong student-data privacy protections, age-appropriate use, transparency about when AI is being used, and regular reviews for racial, cultural, disability, and language bias. Student information should not be sold, used to train commercial systems, or entered into unapproved platforms. AI should never make final decisions about discipline, special education services, grading, admissions, or student risk assessments. CPS must also provide educators with training and involve teachers, students, families, and technology experts in developing its policies. Access must be equitable so AI does not widen the digital divide.Any new program should begin with a limited pilot, clear educational goals, public evaluation, and Board oversight before being expanded districtwide. Technology should support human-centered education, not control it.
The board currently includes one Honorary Student Member. As the board has recently tripled in size, should that number be expanded?
Yes. As the Board has expanded, student representation should expand as well. One Honorary Student Board Member cannot reasonably represent the experiences of students across CPS’s many neighborhoods, grade levels, school types, and diverse communities. I would support adding multiple student members selected through a fair and transparent process, with representation from different geographic areas and school communities.
Students from neighborhood, selective-enrollment, charter, alternative, and specialty schools may experience CPS very differently, and those perspectives should be heard. Student members should receive training, access to relevant information, and meaningful opportunities to participate in discussions, not simply hold symbolic positions. The Board should also establish a formal student advisory council that regularly gathers input from young people across the district. Students are directly affected by Board decisions. Their participation can help us create policies that are more responsive, equitable, and grounded in what is actually happening inside our schools.
How will you be responsive to student-led issues?
I will be responsive to student-led issues by creating consistent ways for students to communicate directly with me, not only when a crisis occurs. I will hold student listening sessions, visit schools throughout District 10A, maintain regular office hours, and support a districtwide student advisory council with representation from different school communities. When students raise an issue, I will ensure they receive a clear response explaining what action can be taken, who is responsible, and the expected timeline. I will also advocate for student input before policies are adopted, especially on school safety, mental health, discipline, curriculum, technology, and extracurricular opportunities.
My work with young people has taught me that students understand their schools in ways adults often do not. Their involvement should be meaningful, supported, and included from the beginning of the decision-making process, not added after decisions have already been made. I will treat students as partners and remain accountable for following through.
Did you attend Chicago Public Schools? When/Where?
Yes, Dumas Child Care Center(Pre-School), Bryn Mawr(1-4), Dulles(5-6) Louis Wirth(7-8) and Hyde Park Career Academy(9-12)
Have you sent your children to Chicago Public Schools?
Yes
Have you ever served on a Local School Council? When/Where?
I have served on the LSC as a high school student at Hyde Park Career Academy, 1998-2001 and most recently Philips Academy 2024-present.
Have you ever worked for Chicago Public Schools?
Yes. I completed an internship with CPS’s Office of Family and Community Engagement (FACE), where I gained firsthand experience supporting relationships among schools, families, and communities. I have also worked inside CPS schools with teachers and students, providing mindfulness and trauma-informed programming to support student well-being and positive school environments. Although I am not currently a CPS employee, these experiences gave me valuable insight into how the district operates and the importance of listening to the people closest to students. They also strengthened my understanding that family engagement, educator support, and student wellness must be treated as essential parts of academic success.
What neighborhood do you live in?
North Kenwood