It is an honor and a privilege to serve the community of Lawrence Public Schools on your board of education. The education of our children is a community endeavor, demonstrated by the commitment and efforts of our teachers, staff and administrators. But it is also an outcome of the participation of parents and volunteers, and reflects the interest and investment of all the citizens of our community.

I return to my board service as a “recycled” veteran of 16 years of board service from 1987 to 2003. It will be one of my personal challenges to learn about the changes in the district during the last four years, from personnel to administrative restructuring to how we measure student learning. Some of the challenges are new editions of familiar problems, such as how to stretch district finances in the service of our district goal of making sure that all our students learn and develop skills to the best of their abilities. This goal is served by a compensation package that helps us recruit and retain the best educators and by providing and maintaining the facilities and technology that are critical tools for successful learning environments. We nowl have in service the new South Junior High and other secondary facility additions approved by the voters in 2005. Our facilities are important tools serving our educational goals. And, we will continue to collect data regarding what our students have learned so that we can continue to refine our strategies intended to enhance and expand student learning.

I am a native of Merriam and Shawnee, and my husband, Chuck, grew up in Miltonvale and Riley, north-central Kansas communities, and we met while undergraduates at KU. We lived in the Kansas City area while Chuck finished medical school and completed a pediatric residency at  Children’s Mercy Hospital. Then we moved our family to Lawrence in 1976. He started his pediatric and adolescent medicine practice and I learned how to be a stay-at-home wife and mother. My volunteer activities included starting a religious education program at our church, being KawValley Soccer Association's registrar for ten seasons, serving as athletic director for volleyball and basketball teams from Lawrence that played in the Catholic Youth Organization and fund-raising for the Emergency Services Council. I served on the boards of the KU Alumni Association and the Kansas Memorial Union. Gardening and landscaping consume much of my time.

Our four children attended Deerfield and West Junior High. They are members of the high school graduating classes of 1991, 1993, 1996 and 1998. They all were awarded scholarships for their undergraduate educations and serve as testimony of the strength of the education available to them through Lawrence Public Schools. We have six grandchildren and two profoundly spoiled dogs.

Thank you for your interest in Lawrence Public Schools. I hope to hear from you when you have concerns. We are dedicated to the hope that this year will be the best year ever in the history of the school system.