Not everyone can make it to a forum to hear where I stand, so here it is. This is what I'll bring to every meeting, every vote, and every decision. If something here doesn't answer your question, ask me and I'll give you a straight answer.
Students come before politics, agendas, and adult convenience. A child can't learn in a building that isn't safe. We already have a school resource officer in every Flagler school, and I'll keep them there. I'll protect that partnership with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office and defer to the Sheriff on the details of our campus safety program. Safety is the first test every decision has to pass.
Our teachers and school leaders move the needle, not the board. Florida sits near the bottom of the country for average teacher pay, and the gap between starting pay and veteran pay is pushing experienced teachers out the door. I'll be a loud, consistent voice lobbying our legislature to fix average teacher pay, and I'll keep good teachers in Flagler classrooms by trusting and equipping them instead of burying them in mandates.
Every Flagler student should leave ready for what's next: college, a trade, the military, or a career right here at home, including the jobs AI can't replace. As someone who built a blue-collar business from the ground up, I know the value of a graduate who is ready to work. I'll push for strong career and technical paths, real partnerships with local employers, and a clear road to entrepreneurship for students who want to build something of their own.
Parents are partners, not afterthoughts. Your child belongs to you, and the school's job is to keep you informed, not to work around you. You have the right to know what is happening with your child, with the only exception being what the law or child-protective protocols require. I'll stand for curriculum transparency so families can see what's being taught, and I'll back the clear, fair process that already lets any parent raise a concern about a book or material.
I spent years as a government contracting program manager. That means I know how to get more out of a budget through smart procurement instead of a bigger budget. I'll bring that discipline to the board: scrutinize contracts, drive real savings through better procurement, and make sure every taxpayer dollar lands where it helps students most. Fiscal responsibility isn't cutting for its own sake. It's spending well.
Education is the great equalizer, and families of every background deserve options, not just the ones who can afford them. I support that principle. But the state is not running its choice program well, and the way it's funded pulls dollars out of our public-school budget. So here is my commitment: I'll protect the students and families who choose Flagler public schools by managing our budget responsibly through every change, and I'll be honest about where the state needs to do better. Public schools shouldn't have to compete in a market they never asked for. My job is to make ours the best in the region either way.