Kids First.
We need to change our education system
to fit the needs of kids, not change kids
to fit the system.
Kids First.
We need to change our education system
to fit the needs of kids, not change kids
to fit the system.
Kids First.
Experienced
Experienced
Experienced
If we want our school district and our students to be successful, then we need a highly-functioning school board. A high-functioning school board needs:
- Experience: In my years of experience, I have proven success in working across the aisle to put kids first.To lead our school board into this new chapter, we need leadership that has the experience and a proven track record of success. If re-elected, I will have the 2nd most experience behind Marty Heyen, and I am the most qualified candidate in this race.
- Vision: We need formal and measurable Board Goals so that we can hold the School Board and Superintendent accountable In a systemic way.
- Integrity: We need to put kids first, keep politics out of the board room, and have a board that is active and engaged in our community. I have proven that I can do this, and will do my best to promote a healthy and positive culture.
Focused
Experienced
Experienced
“We need to change our systems to meet the needs of kids, not change kids to fit the system.”
- Jesse Lippold Peone
I’m focused on doing the work. I have a proven record, I have the knowledge of how the systems work, and I have the experience with proven success to continue my work in ensuring that our systems TRULY serve kids using an equity lense. Here are a few big issues I plan to tackle:
- Getting kids back to school safely
- Ensuring SRO conversation is driven by the facts and data
- Increasing CTE and CTEC opportunities
- Re-imagining school discipline
- Tackle opportunity gaps head-on
- District-Wide Dual Language program
- Teaching True history
- Mental Health support
- School board orientation
Are there other issues you want me to take on? Contact me, we are all in this together!
Engaged
Experienced
Engaged
If we want a school board that truly represents all students, then we need someone who is engaged. I have been hyper-engaged in our community, volunteering in our schools, building relationships, and doing the work. Here’s what my engagement brings:
- Listening and learning: I spend many hours a week volunteering around our community so that I can be truly involved at the grass roots level and understand what the impacts of our decisions are.
- Voice: I work hard to stand for our students who are often left unheard and may feel like their voices don’t matter. For example: I think of myself as a modern-day warrior for my Tribe and my people. I advocate and fight for my Native American brothers and sisters. I often find myself advocating for our Foster students, BIPOC students, special needs students, homeless students etc.
- Leadership: As a school board member, I serve our students inside and outside of the classroom. I’m working on eradicating chronic homelessness in our community with a few of our leaders, I stepped up when our county was burning and they needed my help, and I do this in many roles, ALL THE TIME because its just a part of who I am.
About Me
My background
I ran for the Salem-Keizer school board in 2017 to fight for our most vulnerable kids, and I’m running in 2021 to serve my second and final term for the same reason. I know what it’s like to be in foster care, homeless, and to wake up every day with no hope for your future. I know what it’s like to be Native American, to have my family torn apart, and always be told I’m not “Native enough” because I don’t carry a tomahawk around with me. I know what it’s like to overcome these things and be successful, and I made a promise to myself as a teenager while sleeping in a freezing elevator that I would try my best to be successful, then come back and save every kid who has fallen through the cracks and been left behind. I intend to make good on that promise.
In the last four years I have grown exponentially. I have passed policies that put kids first, and been very successful in moving the ball forward for kids. I understand the political world a lot better now, and years ago I stripped myself of political party and past biases so that I can truly focus on improving our education system in a nonpartisan way. I am extending this commitment by being the only candidate in my race that is not accepting any endorsements by partisan interest groups, including any group that is “nonpartisan” but acts in a very partisan way. (Which is most of them.)
If re-elected, I will be the most experienced board member besides Marty. I understand our systems, have built the relationships, have a proven record that I am able to work across the isle, and have proven success at writing and passing policy that truly helps kids. I will use my experience and leadership to ensure our board actually creates board goals like we were promised by board leadership a year ago, so we can hold the board and superintendent accountable to them. I will work hard to change our systems to fit the needs of kids, not change kids to fit the system. I will work hard to ensure we can get kids back in school safely, and keep the partisanship out of the board room.
Meet a few of my little siblings Jax (front), Levi (back), and Kiera!