1. Why are you running for the Spotsylvania County School Board?
Answer: Ultimately, it’s about public service and wanting to make a positive impact on the community. There were two strong motivating factors for getting into this race. First, my time spent supporting students and working with educators as a Spotsylvania County Public School social worker. Second, my understanding of the significant impact that School Board dysfunction has played in depriving students of receiving the best education possible.
2. What are the top three priority issues in your campaign?
Answer:
1. Competitive Teacher and Staff Pay: I believe that our teachers and staff are the cornerstone of Spotsylvania County Public Schools, and it’s time we ensure they are recognized for the vital role they play. By offering competitive pay, we can attract and retain the talented educators who are committed to the success of our students. Providing fair compensation will help us maintain a stable, skilled workforce and create an environment where teachers and staff feel valued and supported.
2. Accountability and Transparency: Accountability and transparency must be priorities for our school system. In recent years, public trust has been undermined, and we need to take concrete steps to restore it. By improving our hiring processes and making sure they are thorough and transparent, we can ensure that we have highly qualified educators and staff who are fully committed to the safety and success of our students.
3. Back to the Basics: We must focus on the fundamentals. Core subjects like reading, writing, math, and science are essential to our students; success, both here and in the world beyond. While supporting the whole child is important, we need to make sure every student has a solid academic foundation.
3. Describe your past commitment to and involvement in public schools.
Answer: During the 2023–24 school year, I chose to complete one of my VCU Master’s internships at Chancellor Elementary School, where I served as a School Social Worker intern. This experience allowed me to work directly with students, families, and educators—deepening my understanding of the day-to-day challenges and needs within our schools.
As a longtime member of the Spotsylvania Lions Club, I’ve also supported SCPS students in a different capacity. Since 2015, I’ve played an active role in one of our Club’s key initiatives: providing free vision screenings, exams, and glasses to students. For three years, I worked closely with SCPS school nurses to coordinate and facilitate these services across the district.
Beyond that, my work with the Lions Club has helped raise funds that go directly back into our schools—through scholarships for graduating seniors and donations to programs like the Treasure House.
In addition, my experience as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) often involved working with students enrolled in SCPS. In this role, I collaborated with school social workers and educators to gather information about students’ academic and emotional well-being, which I then used to advocate for them in court proceedings.
4. What do you view as the main funding priorities in the development of a proposed budget for the school system?
Answer: A significant portion of the school division’s budget will always be allocated to teacher and staff compensation. Our educators and school personnel are the most critical factor in our students’ learning and development, and we must continue to prioritize their support and retention.
Beyond compensation, maintaining safe, functional school facilities is essential. We need to ensure that all buildings are in proper working order, not only for safety but to create an environment conducive to learning.
Looking ahead, we must also plan strategically for growth. Whether through new school construction or targeted expansion of existing buildings, we need to increase program capacity to address/prevent overcrowding. No student should be learning in a trailer or a space that wasn’t designed for instruction.
5. Do you believe there are any items that should be added or deleted from the current school curriculum in Spotsylvania County Public Schools? If so, what items?
Answer: I would be interested in identifying a non-partisian critical thinking-based course or curriculum that challenges students to develop processes on how to think and evaluate information. I’d also be interested in exploring courses/curriculums that educate students on how to improve their communication skills and digital/financial literacy.
6. What do you see as a School Board member’s role and responsibility in the . . .
a. effective administration of schools?
Answer: School Board members should not be micromanaging the decisions of the superintendent or school staff. The role of the Board is to create and approve policies and budgets, provide direction, and hold the superintendent accountable for results. It's difficult to fairly assess the superintendent's performance if the Board is simultaneously interfering with day-to-day operations.
This doesn’t mean that feedback is inappropriate. Constructive dialogue should take place when specific actions are taken by the superintendent, but those conversations should be grounded in facts and data. For example, if the School Board sets a goal to improve reading scores, the superintendent should have the flexibility to develop and implement the strategies they believe will address the issue. However, if those strategies fail to produce results, the School Board should evaluate the outcomes and, if necessary, direct the superintendent to take a new approach. That is how accountability and oversight should work.
Separately, the School Board must do a better job ensuring that meetings conclude at a reasonable hour. Staff should not be expected to work until midnight and then return early the next morning—especially when that situation is often the result of School Board inefficiencies or lack of planning.
In addition, key votes and public comment periods must be scheduled at accessible times. When these take place late at night, it sends the wrong message to the community—that their input is an afterthought. I value thorough debate and discussion, but I also believe we can be both productive and respectful of everyone’s time.
b. proper working relationship with the superintendent?
Answer: One of the School Board’s primary responsibilities is to set clear direction and establish policies that guide the superintendent’s work. Along with that, the Board must set high standards and hold the superintendent accountable when those standards aren’t met.
Accountability doesn’t mean rushing to reprimand or fire someone when challenges arise. Instead, it means being honest when we fall short, working with the superintendent to understand the root causes, and making necessary adjustments—whether through updated policies or new strategies—to better serve our students and educators.
I’ve been made aware that Dr. Mitchell holds pre-Board and pre-budgetary meetings with School Board members, and I appreciate this proactive approach. These sessions are valuable because they give Board members a chance to ask questions, understand the issues more deeply, and come to meetings better prepared for meaningful discussion.
It’s essential that School Board members attend these meetings. Not only does this help build trust with the superintendent, but it also allows for more thoughtful, informed, and productive public discussions—exactly what our community deserves.
c. proper working relationship with the Board of Supervisors?
Answer: The School Board should engage in regular work sessions with the Board of Supervisors—not just during budget season. Ongoing collaboration is essential to ensure both boards are aligned on the challenges, priorities, and long-term goals of our school system.
It’s also important for School Board members to be consistent advocates—not only with their individual supervisor counterparts but in supporting fellow School Board members in their outreach efforts as well. Our shared goal should be to ensure that the issues impacting the school division are accurately and persistently communicated to the Board of Supervisors.
A healthy, functional relationship between the two boards requires more than just making requests—it requires mutual respect and partnership. School Board members must resist the temptation to place blame on the Board of Supervisors when funding requests aren't fully met. That kind of finger-pointing may be politically convenient, but it ultimately undermines trust and progress.
A far more effective approach is to build credibility and partnership over time—so that when the Board of Supervisors faces pushback over funding decisions, particularly around tax increases, they know the School Board will stand beside them. Together, we can explain to the community why those investments are necessary and how they will directly benefit our students and educators.
7. If elected, do you have any specific changes you would want to make in the Spotsylvania Public Schools? If so, what would those changes be?
Answer: I’m in favor of finding efficiencies and improving processes, but I do not have specific plans for changes. I believe the changes I would proactively seek can be found in my campaign priorities found in question #2. Generally speaking, I believe that the School Board needs to do a better job of having public discussion about specific topics that SCPS may be failing behind or falling short. This aversion to speaking publicly about areas we could improve, is likely a notable reason why the Board of Supervisors over the years have not met the budget needs of the Schools. If we focus most of the time speaking about how great things are going, it greatly hurts our argument when you ask for $10, $20, or $30 million additional dollars in funding.
8. Where would you look for advice on instructional matters, materials, and any specific changes?
Answer: It is my understanding that SCPS has staff that is focused on updating and improving academic curriculums. I believe the School Board should rely on their expertise to find and identify new educational materials and techniques. As a School Board member, I would be on the lookout for academic studies or articles that highlight academic practices being used in other communities that are showing promising results to see if those materials or techniques could be applicable to improving the education we are providing to our students. I would likewise be open to community members ideas on how to help position our students with the tools they need to succeed.
9. How would you ensure that the voices of teachers, parents, and community members are heard in the decision-making process?
Answer: I believe we need School Board members who have earned the respect and confidence of the entire community—regardless of political affiliation. When that kind of trust exists, every resident feels welcome to reach out to their representative, knowing they’ll be heard and treated with respect.
Throughout my campaign and in my personal life, I’ve made it a priority to lead by example—listening openly, engaging respectfully, and always remembering that we’re all part of the same community. As a School Board member, my responsibility would be to stay in tune with the community’s needs and make thoughtful decisions that prioritize the success of our students and the well-being of our educators. That level of insight and fairness is only possible when everyone feels comfortable speaking with you.
Unfortunately, our School Board has struggled in this area for years—and it’s our students and educators who have paid the price.
As a small but important step toward improving communication and transparency, I’d also be interested in holding regular town hall meetings—ideally in partnership with the Lee Hill Supervisor. These informal, consistent gatherings would offer the community a chance to engage, ask questions, and share concerns—not just when tensions are high, but as a normal part of how we work together.
10. What is your position on book challenges and the banning of books in school libraries and classrooms? Who do you believe should be involved in making decisions about what materials are available to students?
Answer: Librarians expertise should remain central to building and maintaining our school libraries. However, given the current climate and concerns from families, it's also important that there be a clear, fair, and transparent process for parents to have their voices heard. I support a School Board-appointed committee tasked with reviewing books for age-appropriateness and educational suitability. This committee should include educators, parents, and community members, with the School Board stepping in only when a consensus cannot be reached.
If a book is found to contain material that may be deemed inappropriate for certain age groups, it should not be banned or removed entirely. Instead, it should be flagged—giving parents the option to opt into a system that would restrict their own children from checking out those particular titles. This approach respects parental choice without infringing on the rights of other families or limiting access to information for all students.
In a free and open society, we can protect children in developmentally appropriate ways while still upholding the principles of intellectual freedom and access to ideas.
11. Our district's budget is a complex document. What are your priorities for allocating funds, and what areas would you protect from budget cuts?
Answer: As I mentioned previously, salaries make up a significant portion of the school division’s budget—and for good reason. Our educators are the most valuable asset in our school system. You can have state-of-the-art facilities and technology, but without high-quality teachers and staff, those resources will never reach their full potential.
Each year, I would make it a priority to ensure that our educators are compensated fairly—so they’re not forced to consider leaving for other counties or even other professions that offer significantly better pay. Right now, that’s a real issue. Our pay increases have not kept pace with those in surrounding localities, and it’s making it harder to retain and attract the educators our students deserve.
My goal is for educators to not just live in Spotsylvania—but to work here as well. That’s not the reality for many right now, and we need to change that. Supporting our teachers with competitive pay isn’t just a budget item—it’s an investment in the future of our students and community.
12. What measures would you support to address the current challenges of teacher and staff burnout and shortages?
Answer: Addressing the teacher and staff shortage in Spotsylvania County requires a multifaceted approach. At the local level, we must focus on increasing educator pay and enhancing the professionalism and effectiveness of the School Board. These improvements will ideally create a more supportive environment for teachers and staff, leading to a positive trickle-down effect throughout the entire School Division.
However, this is not an issue confined to our county. The teacher shortage is a statewide and national challenge. That’s why I intend to actively engage with state and federal leaders to advocate for solutions—making it clear how the shortage is directly impacting Spotsylvania County Public Schools. By contributing local insights to the broader conversation, we can help shape lasting policies and initiatives that address not only compensation and staffing, but also educator morale and long-term sustainability