Why School Board?

I have almost 20 years of teaching experience at the college level; I am an instructional designer and currently Coordinate a 3-person team designing and evaluating online courses; I am the mother of 3 children (10, 13, and 2), have an MA in Literature, an MS in Education Technology, and I’m working on an Ed. S. in Education Technology with a focus on Distance Education Program Management and an emphasis on ADA compliance in technology-enhanced instructional design. 

I hope very much that I will be able to bring my experience and knowledge to the district in effective ways. I have always had a good working relationship with the teachers and administrators I have come into contact with, and as one of my boys has special needs, I have had a lot of contact with both – some encounters more friendly than others, but always ending on a positive note with some amount of progress being made. I would like nothing more than to use my insights as the mother of a special needs child and a young teenager, my skills and knowledge as a teacher and as an Instructional Designer and Instructional Technologist, and my energy and dedication to make our Warrensburg schools even better than they already are.

Allow me to introduce myself….

The family making cookies…

I am a wife, and I am a mother. I have a 13 year old in Warrensburg Middle School, an 11 year old in Sterling Elementary, and a 2 1/2 year old at home. I am extremely active in my faith, especially with the college students who frequent the Newman Center where my husband is Director. I am the Newman Mom – feeding them on the weekend and chasing them out when they should be studying.

I am a mom of a child with special needs. My younger son has Prader-Willi Syndrome, so I am very active in his daily life at school. I am invested in the quality of our Special Needs programs, so that is of course near to my heart. I also know ALL our kids have some special need – my teenager and 2 year old are proof of that. The needs are different, but they are just as important. My whole professional life (and much of my private life) is spent trying to make students’ and teachers’ jobs easier- as an English and Instructional Technology Instructor I try to teach college students, as an Instructional Designer and Education Technologist I try to help teachers teach, and as a private citizen, I am developing a new “informational hub” for special needs parents and professionals. I think communication and clarity of needs and expectations are two of the most important elements of any relationship, and education is no exception. It is my goal as a professional and as a parent to help improve that communication in any way I can!