Occupation: Public school educator at Concord High School
Education/Background: Bachelor’s degree in English writing and literature from Emmanuel College; master’s degree in secondary education from Boston College
How long have you lived in Manchester?
My whole life with the exception of college and two years that I lived in the Seacoast!
Hobbies/Fun Fact about you/other biographical info.
I have two cats, their names are Duke and Donut; I love taking pottery classes, specifically at Studio 550 in Manchester – though I haven’t been in a couple years;
Why should someone vote for you? (i.e. – what’s your “elevator pitch” when talking to voters?)
I am a proud Manchester born and raised resident and proud Central High School grad! I have been inspired by the Manchester School District teachers throughout my entire career-many of them are the reason I became a teacher myself. It would be an honor to continue working hard and supporting them and the families of the Manchester School District.
How many public high schools should there be in Manchester, where should they be and should any of them be magnet schools?
I’m still open to hearing the plans/ideas from the district leadership and community on this. I believe we should have three high schools and as a representative of the West Side, I firmly believe we should have a high school here (on the West Side). I’m open to the idea of a magnet school, but I don’t think it’s necessary for our community. I think that we can work to incorporate specialized programs (like Career Tech, etc.) into each of our high schools, ensuring that all students have access to them.
Should all public high schools in Manchester offer some sort of vocational training or should vocational classes by centralized at the current Manchester School of Technology campus?
In an ideal world, all high schools would offer Career Tech programming. It would be ideal if all high schools offered some of the more popular programs to ensure all students had access to them.
What is your opinion on the first phase of the Manchester School District’s facilities plan? (finishing fifth grade expansions at the middle schools/new Beech Street Elementary)
I’m proud of the work the MANSD has done so far and am looking forward to the progress being made at each middle school. I am especially looking forward to the new school on Beech Street. I think the community surrounding the Beech Street School as well as the children who attend the school are well overdue for an upgraded, modern, and safe school building.
What is your opinion of Education Freedom Accounts?
As a public educator and public school board member, I am against these accounts entirely. Public money belongs in public schools.
How can the Manchester School District attract and retain talented staff?
This is one of the most important goals of the Manchester School District. As the nation faces a teacher shortage, we are starting to feel the full effects in NH. Positions remain unfilled as the school year starts and building administrators are left scrambling to find ways to fill in the gaps. This harms our most marginalized students. We must work to attract high quality educators and we must keep them in Manchester! In order to do this, we need to ensure that Professional Development meets the needs of all staff and that all staff are competitively paid.
What are your thoughts on the Manchester School District’s curricula?
I’m proud of the work the MANSD has done to align curriculum. Because of this, all of our high school students are offered the same courses across the city. I am also especially proud that the district is now offering an African American studies course at the high school as well as several other AP and college level courses. I also think that creating culturally sustaining curriculum is necessary for increased learning and engagement. This means working to make sure that students feel that their cultures and communities are invested in at the classroom level. We can do this by encouraging school libraries to include multi-lingual books. I’m proud that the district continues to work towards a culturally sustaining curriculum.
What are your thoughts on school budget deliberations in 2026?
I’m hopeful that with a new Board of Mayor and Aldermen and a new Mayor, the school budget conversation will be more productive in 2026. For the past two years, the district leadership has presented a tax cap compliant budget and the BOSC has approved it. The BoMA continues to underfund the needs of the district. We need to work together to ensure that our students have the resources they need to succeed and that their educators have the tools and support they need to educate our students. I’m also hopeful that the district leadership will present a needs based budget as well as a tax cap compliant budget. It’s important for the community to see what our students need as compared to what a tax cap compliant budget affords.
Anything else you’d like to add not mentioned here and what is the best way voters can reach you if they have more questions?