Long months spent preparing for important work ahead

Since I joined OSBA in May, the focus has been on the 2025 legislative session.

I have spent the previous eight months steeping myself in the education issues our members have long cared about as well as new challenges and opportunities we expect to see this session. I've met with legislators, state officials and fellow education advocates to set goals and explore possibilities.

I have also gotten to know Oregon school board members. I traveled the state as part of OSBA's fall regional meetings, I attended conferences and I gave webinars and presentations. I've heard directly from education leaders what they want for their schools.

With a law degree and a career history in the juvenile justice system, I'm well aware of the Capitol's inner workings and how they affect young people's lives. This is my first session on the advocacy side, and I'm excited. I'm ready to dig into bills to make sure we are passing laws that truly benefit our state's children.

Education advocates have already had great success working with Gov. Tina Kotek to revise the State School Fund calculation to more accurately account for rising school expenses. This session, I will be working to see if we can codify some of those changes and make them permanent.

With well over 2,000 bills already filed for this session, no one advocate can effectively look at them all. The OSBA team tends to divide bills into portfolios so each person is responsible for designated areas of law.

Among my primary focuses this session will be special education funding, school nutrition, transportation and school and student safety.

In particular, I've already been deeply involved with legislation addressing the caps placed on special education funding going to schools and the High Cost Disability Fund that helps schools with students who need highly intensive help.

In my juvenile justice career, I saw too often what happened when our schools couldn't reach our children. I'm eager to work with legislators, fellow education advocates and anyone who will join me to make sure our students have what they need to not only survive, but to thrive.

There is no more important work than educating our kids.