The Kitchen Table
Education decisions belong to parents and local school boards — not Augusta, not Washington.
Sarah sits at the kitchen table with her two kids, going over what they learned at school that day. It's a ritual — she asks questions, they explain things back to her. It's how she stays connected to what's happening in their education.
Last year the district adopted a new curriculum without any public input. Sarah found out from her son, not from the school board. When she showed up to the next meeting to ask questions, she was given three minutes and a polite non-answer.
Sarah isn't looking for a fight. She's looking for a seat at the table where the decisions about her kids are being made. She shouldn't have to fight for that.
The Problem
When parents are the last to know
Parents are the primary stakeholders in their children's education, but too often they're treated as an afterthought. Curriculum changes, policy shifts, and spending decisions happen with minimal transparency or public input.
Local school boards are being squeezed from both directions — mandates from Augusta and pressure from Washington — leaving less room for the communities they serve to shape their own schools.
Families who raise concerns are frequently dismissed or told the decisions have already been made. A healthy school system welcomes parental involvement instead of managing it.
Every student is different. A system that assumes one approach fits every child in every community is a system that's optimized for administrators, not kids.
“Parents know their kids best. When families and schools work together openly, students do better. It's that simple.”
Ideas Worth Exploring
Put families back in the conversation
These aren't campaign promises — they're conversations we need to have. Real change takes coalition-building, and I want to bring these ideas to the table.
Curriculum transparency as the default
Parents should be able to see what's being taught — not after the fact, but before it's adopted. Require public notice and comment periods for significant curriculum changes, just like we do for zoning and budgets.
Strengthen local control
School boards should have real authority over the schools they govern, not just the obligation to implement whatever Augusta decides. Local communities know their students and their needs better than state bureaucrats.
Commonsense standards for school athletics
Fairness and safety in school sports matter to every parent with a kid on the field. Standards should protect every student's opportunity to compete on a level playing field.
Accountability for results, not just compliance
We measure schools by how many boxes they check, not by whether kids are actually learning. Shift the focus to outcomes — reading levels, graduation rates, career readiness — and give schools the flexibility to get there.
This matters to you?
Then let's do something about it. Every yard sign, every conversation, every bit of support moves the needle.