I’ve attended public schools throughout my personal education journey and began my career as a high school math teacher and administrator in Tennessee, teaching in both traditional public schools and charter schools. We moved to the DC area in 2016 and settled in Ward 5 a year later, first in Brentwood and then Woodridge.

Since leaving the classroom, I’ve dedicated my professional career to advancing national education policy and advocacy around public schools through my federal work at the US Department of Education and in Congress, the National Governors Association, and other education policy organizations. Along the way I’ve had the privilege to advise the US Secretary of Education, US Senators, governors across the country, state legislators, state superintendents, state department of education staff, and community advocates.

Here in DC, I regularly advocate for expanded opportunities that will benefit all students in front of the State Board of Education and serve as a member of the Education Through Employment Pathways Stakeholder Advisory Board. Even though I’m no longer full time teaching, I keep myself grounded in my experience as an educator through my work with the Washington DC Urban Debate League where I coach and judge elementary, middle, and high school debate for both DCPS and charter school kids across our city. 

I’m running for state board of education because I believe we need to keep fighting so that all of DC’s public schools can successfully prepare our kids for the future. We’ve made progress as a city in recent years but data show that too many of our young people still aren’t finding success after they leave our K-12 system. This is especially true for our black and brown students. I want to put my knowledge and experience to work building a K-12 education system that equips all students in Ward 5 and across our entire city with the tools they need for future success.

If elected, I’ll work to bring together our community to ensure all Ward 5 students attend safe and healthy schools where they can thrive, have access to rigorous academic and career-oriented learning experiences, and are supported so that they are present at school each and every day.

I’m committed to always listening to as many voices as possible and combining expertise with lived experience to come up with the best solutions possible for public school children across our ward and city.