Everything our school board does is our business.

Accordingly, unless a document is legally exempt from disclosure, our community has a right to review it. Only very limited kinds of documents are exempt from disclosure – like personnel records and privileged attorney/client communications. Almost everything else must be open to public review.

To the extent feasible, key documents should be posted online for the public to review, even if a Public Records Act request has not been made.

The best way to improve trust between the community and the district is by shining a light on what’s happening and giving as much access as possible to the community. Our district’s practice of limiting access to meetings and communications breeds distrust.

Every subcommittee and superintendent committee meeting must be publicly accessible. I will not support any closed door committees.

Our district relies heavily on the advice of certain committees and prohibits public access to those meetings. This raises legal questions and is not good practice for fostering trust and communication in the community. I will work to end this practice.

Every decision made by our district must be deliberated in public, giving the community the ability to ask questions and understand the assumptions on which decisions are based. There should be no rubber stamping of secret committee policy.

We need to conduct a critical evaluation of experts upon whom the district relies in an open forum. The public should be able to watch and ask questions of these experts, and provide educated counter points.

At the very least, committee appointments should involve a robust process with minimum qualifications.

I will ensure that all instructional materials are posted online and accessible to every parent to the fullest extent possible under the law. If any materials are copyright restricted, they will be made available for parents to review on site.

Part of good governance involves avoiding reactive policymaking that causes harm. All policies must go through a public cost/benefit analysis. Everyone must be given an opportunity to be heard. Elected officials must be accessible and respectful. This has not been my experience with the current leadership.

I will commit to hearing all constituents. I will listen to all parents. If I disagree, I will listen thoughtfully and engage in respectful discussion. I will not attack or malign someone I disagree with, or prevent them from speaking, unlike our current leadership.

I have spent hundreds of hours seeking transparency and accountability from our school district.

For months, our full school board met behind closed doors with the medical professionals committee. In addition to this practice unfairly excluding the public from important deliberations, it violates the law.

Here is a copy of the letter I sent demanding a change in policy.