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Where I Stand

Livingston is home to my family. My children attend our public schools, and we pay taxes here alongside our neighbors—we’re all in this together. I believe strong schools and responsible spending go hand in hand. My positions reflect a commitment to maintaining the quality of education, making thoughtful decisions, and communicating openly with residents. Our community deserves clear information and meaningful opportunities to help shape decisions. For a potential school facilities referendum, I favor a vote no earlier than November 2027.

  • Arts, Humanities & World Languages

  • Working Together Across LPS

  • Accessible to Residents

  • Board Responsibilities & Accountability

  • Student Well-Being

  • A Community Perspective

  • Special Education & Inclusion

  • Referendum Planning & Community Input

  • ​Budget Priorities & Responsible Spending

  • Teacher Recruitment & Retention

Arts, Humanities & World Languages

I believe arts and humanities deserve room to thrive alongside STEM. I love the image of branches on the same tree: branches grow differently, but each strengthens the whole tree. Together, they make education whole and richer.

In Livingston, that means supporting the opportunities our children have in language arts, world languages, social studies, music, and visual and performing arts. As a parent, I see how those opportunities build on one another.

My daughter grew up with Chinese and English, learned Spanish in elementary school, and now studies French as a sixth grader at Mount Pleasant Middle School. She joined the school orchestra on viola in fourth grade, then was captivated by the guzheng, an ancient Chinese instrument, at an AAPI picnic. She has studied Western and Chinese music side by side since. I love watching her explore across cultures, languages and music.

Recently, a Heritage student honored for his piano achievements spoke of learning from his teachers and friends and growing into his “own authentic self.” That is what I hope for my daughter, too—and for all our students.

As STEM advances and AI transforms what is possible, our capacity to create and automate must be matched by our capacity to understand, imagine and care. Education’s job is to nurture the whole tree, giving our children the strength to keep growing and reaching in directions we cannot yet imagine.

Working Together Across LPS

For me, collaboration starts with listening and respecting what each person brings to the table. We share one goal: helping all students succeed.

With my fellow Board members, collaboration includes learning together. We are working toward NJSBA Board Certification, which recognizes the whole Board’s commitment to effective governance. We have earned 11 of the 16 required training credits—just five more to go. Learning together helps us understand our responsibilities and work through differences. We expect our educators to keep learning, and we should hold ourselves to that same commitment.

With our administrative team, NJSBA’s governance and ethics training helps us understand our roles. The Board sets policy, approves the budget, and provides oversight. The superintendent manages daily operations. We consider professional recommendations, ask questions, and make decisions together.

With teachers and staff, I respect their expertise. Through committee work, I learn about their work, understand students’ needs, and consider how Board decisions can support them.

With our community, my school representative and PT Council liaison roles carry a two-way responsibility: bringing families’ concerns into our discussions and helping residents understand the Board’s work.

These experiences help me bring a well-balanced perspective, listen to different voices, and keep all students at the center.

Accessible to Residents

I believe being accessible means making time for people and taking their concerns seriously.

I have the flexibility to meet residents during the day, after school drop-off, or in the evening. Whether it’s a conversation at a school event, an email, or sitting down together, I’m willing to listen. And when I don’t have an answer, I can bring the question to the appropriate person and follow up.

Through my school and PT Council liaison work, I hear directly from parents. But our schools belong to the whole community, including residents whose children have graduated and those without children in our schools. Their perspectives matter, too.

Meaningful participation also requires information and time. With a major proposal like a referendum, residents need to understand what we’re considering, why it’s needed, what alternatives exist, and what it could cost. They need opportunities to ask questions while their input can still help shape the decision.

To me, that is a two-way responsibility: we explain our thinking, and we listen with an open mind. We may not always agree, but residents should know their concerns were heard and considered.

That’s how I want to serve—with accessibility, follow-through, and respect for the community.

Board Responsibilities & Accountability

To me, the main responsibility of a school board member is stewardship: making sure district decisions serve students well today and prepare our schools for tomorrow.

New Jersey’s Code of Ethics describes our work as “policy making, planning, and appraisal.” That means setting priorities and policy, planning for curriculum, facilities, staffing and long-term needs, approving a budget that reflects those priorities, and providing responsible oversight. It also includes evaluating the superintendent—not managing daily operations, but holding the superintendent accountable for results.

This work requires a serious commitment of time. For me, preparing for one public meeting takes at least four hours. Beyond that are committee meetings, liaison responsibilities, extensive board training, and continuous self-study. A board member has to understand the issues well enough to ask meaningful questions and make responsible decisions.

The Code also says our responsibility is “not to administer the schools, but, together with my fellow board members, to see that they are well run.” The superintendent and administrative team manage daily operations. Our job is to review recommendations, weigh educational and financial trade-offs, monitor progress, and make decisions collectively as a Board.

For me, accountability means doing the preparation, asking the questions, and following through—because the decisions we make affect real students, families, educators, and taxpayers. That is what responsible school board service requires.

Student Well-Being

Student wellbeing begins with belonging. Students should feel safe, connected, and able to learn. Our District Goal is to “ensure the emotional well-being and mental health of all our students through a strong feeling of connectedness.”

The HIB process is more than paperwork or compliance. It gives students, families, and staff a way to report concerns and requires the district to investigate and respond. But a strong process must also be felt in daily school life. We need to listen to students and families, address concerns promptly, and build a climate where every student feels seen, valued, and respected.

The new bell-to-bell cellphone policy is another part of that work. Keeping devices stored away can support focus, face-to-face connection, and mental wellbeing. It must be implemented consistently, with appropriate accommodations.

Wellbeing also means inclusion. Special education follows IDEA and New Jersey regulations, including the least restrictive environment—educating students alongside their peers to the maximum extent appropriate. That helps us develop the “conscientious friends” and “balanced individuals” described in our Portrait of a Graduate.

The Board’s role is to review policies for compliance and effectiveness. I would listen to families and educators, ask whether policies work in real classrooms, and support the staffing and training needed to serve every student with accountability, belonging, and compassion.

A Community Perspective

Livingston has been my home since 2010, and my involvement has grown along with my children.

I started as a class parent, chaired multicultural events and the school diversity committee, and became a longtime volunteer with Friends of the Library.

Ever since I began my Board service, my community involvement has gone to another level. Representing the Board through LCDI and LACD has helped me better understand inclusion, diversity, and the needs of residents with disabilities.

As an art lover, I also volunteer with the Arts Council of Livingston. I recently joined the Livingston Historical Society, and I’m a longtime volunteer and active member of the League of Women Voters.

All these experiences have connected me with different generations, backgrounds, and perspectives beyond my own children’s schools. They have helped me understand how much we share, but also how differently families may experience the same school system.

I want to meet people where they are and make it easier for their voices to be heard.

I see this as a two-way responsibility: bringing community perspectives into our discussions, and helping residents understand our schools’ needs and the difficult choices we face.

Livingston cares deeply about education. School affairs are community affairs. Whether or not you have children in our schools, these decisions affect our taxes, our neighborhoods, and our quality of life.

That broader understanding helps me bring a balanced perspective to the Board—and remember the people behind every decision, while keeping our responsibility to serve all students at the center.

Special Education & Inclusion

Public schools are required by law to support students with disabilities. And I understand that the 2% tax levy cap makes it hard to keep up with rising costs.

That’s why Livingston has been at the table advocating for nearly a decade. At our February Board meeting, all five of us, me included, passed a resolution calling for stronger state support. Our president and vice president have been advocating in different meetings and workshops in Trenton.

And there has been progress. Since the 2025–26 school year, special education aid has used each district’s projected classified enrollment instead of the statewide average classification rate.

While policy changes take time, we must take care of our students at home now. That’s where Harrison’s three-year partnership for inclusion and the LHS Special Olympics grant mean a lot.

As a parent, I want to share a brief story about my son in PRIDE preschool. He was in an integrated class. One of his friends was very sensitive to light and couldn’t go outside for recess without sunglasses. But he didn’t want to look different, so he refused to wear them. After days of that struggle, my son stepped up and asked me to put sunglasses on him too.

The next day, when we saw those two little cops running around, playing and laughing, it brought tears to both moms’ eyes.

The kids didn’t know the big words “belonging” or “inclusion,” let alone LRE—the least restrictive environment. But that’s exactly what we’re trying to build here. We have to advocate for students with disabilities to learn side by side with their peers as much as is appropriate, with the support they need to learn, build friendships, and feel that they belong.

And I will advocate for all students.

Referendum Planning & Community Input

I support continuing the work toward a potential referendum because I believe the need is real and requires thoughtful long-term planning. This is about preparing for enrollment growth while maintaining the educational excellence Livingston expects.

I favor a potential referendum no earlier than November 2027, allowing more time to examine assumptions, consider alternatives, hear from the community and refine the scope before asking taxpayers to make such a major decision. This is my personal position; the Board has not made a final decision on scope or timing. And that does not mean we wait until then to prepare.

Our administrators and specialists bring valuable expertise, and I respect the work they have put into the preliminary planning. But this conversation belongs to the whole community. Residents should have opportunities to ask questions, raise concerns and point out what we may be missing.

That is why we urged all our schools’ HSAs and PTAs to hold at least one meeting in person, with the superintendent and a Board representative there for two-way communication. Harrison and Hillside have already held theirs, and the rest will follow. This outreach will continue and expand.

The Board’s role is to bring these perspectives together—to understand the analysis, ask difficult questions and weigh the needs before us. We cannot do this alone. The Board, administration and Township must work together. Ultimately, we must own our decisions because we live with their impact every day.

This is our home, our schools and our community, too.

Budget Priorities & Responsible Spending

My priority for the school budget is clear: maintain the high quality of education we provide to our students. That means reasonable class sizes, strong instruction, and a variety of programs for different needs. 

 

Education shouldn't be run like a business. Spending less isn't always better, and spending more doesn't guarantee results. We have to look at every line through the lens of our students. 

 

Fiscal responsibility also means transparency. Last December, at a public board meeting, our independent auditor presented the audit, noted areas to tighten up, and issued an unmodified opinion, which is the highest. Our business administrator explained the corrective actions right after, and records are online for everyone. That's transparency. 

 

Responsible stewardship also means being proactive. Facing a projected 33% health benefits increase, we carefully reviewed options and moved to Metro HIF. Months later, the state approved a roughly 34% increase for 2027. We had already made our move. We can't control every cost, but we can plan ahead, respond thoughtfully, and stay accountable. 

 

That's how we maintain strong schools while respecting taxpayers’ dollars

Teacher Recruitment & Retention

A school system recruits and retains good teachers by doing three things well: recruiting strategically, supporting teachers from the moment they arrive, and creating a community where they can keep growing and want to stay.

Recruitment is not one-size-fits-all. Some positions attract many qualified applicants; others are harder to fill. We need to understand where the challenges are, stay competitive in salary and benefits, develop talent from within, and keep building the future educator pipeline.

Once teachers arrive, strong onboarding and mentoring help them find their footing. As they grow, they need opportunities to keep learning, share their expertise, and feel valued.

In LPS, teachers can learn from colleagues beyond their own classrooms—across buildings, grade levels, and disciplines. Through Instructional Rounds, they observe, reflect together, and bring useful ideas back to their teaching.

Our work continues to evolve. At our September 8 Board meeting, we learned a new word: LivTok. Don’t worry—LPS isn’t going to TikTok. It’s an internal, video-based professional learning resource that makes good ideas easier to share and access when educators need them. The name made me smile because I like what it represents: professional learning that can be accessible, creative, and fun.

Ultimately, we want to build a professional community that attracts good people, helps them grow, gives them a sense of belonging, and makes them want to stay.

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