I am honored and deeply humbled by the fact that 45,319 Wichita voters in 2008 chose me to represent them on the Kansas State Board of Education in Topeka.   This is an awesome responsibility, because making the right decisions about our schools has such a major impact on our future as families, a State and Nation.

I am now running for reelection to complete work started to make sure that each student graduates with employable skills to compete for a job in the global economy. My work to make sure that schools are safe from bullying and threats for each student and teacher is also unfinished. In addition, there is still much to do to train, license and retain more science, technology, math, and engineering teachers. Controlling costs and making better use of the tax dollars spent on education is still high on my list of priorities—especially during these tough economic times.

As you know, there are few things more important than how we educate our kids. The next generation must be able to compete in a global economy, conserve resources and energy, make tough decisions and prepare for an uncertain future.

The issues we face are significant.   We must and can do better in what and how we teach our kids the important facts, concepts, attitudes and skills necessary to be productive citizens.   In a tight economy, it is even more important to make sure that each dollar spent is producing the desired results.

We are all in this boat together.   I have been elected to serve, but I need and count on your input to make the difficult decisions ahead for Kansas schools and K-12 students. It will be my honor to serve the people of Wichita and Kansas again on the State Board of Education.   

Please go to the Contact Us page to email your suggestions.  I will also be glad to accept invitations to come to group meetings where we can brainstorm practical ideas on how to bring what is taught in school to life and make it real for our kids.   By working as a team -- educators, business and labor leaders, parents and students can each provide valuable input and find solutions which are effective without breaking our budget.

Together, we can help each Kansas K-12 student reach their full potential.