Social and emotional development and addressing the mental health crisis

We have yet to fully understand the breadth and depth of the traumas our students experienced during the pandemic. We need to be ready when students are all back in their seats to meet them where they are. We need to be ready to support staff in processing their own traumas and provide them with the best training and tools to assess and help our students properly.

It’s also important to consider that our students are managing challenges on multiple fronts, and this is an issue that predates the pandemic. The region is experiencing unprecedented growth. With the increase in diversity, increased incomes, and a divided national political climate, it is vitally important to maintain a community-focused approach to education that centers on the whole child. Jane believes that only when we work together — all stakeholders from students, teachers, parents to our community at large — we will see meaningful change in our students’ health and well-being.

Schools must expand their educational focus beyond academics and work to help each student learn positive and healthy behaviors that contribute to well-being. Fostering a school environment where soft skills matter as much as academics – that whole child approach – Bellevue School District graduates will bring much-needed skills to the workforce.

• As a special education teacher, Jane developed individualized education plans and implemented social-emotional programs in classrooms for both general and special education students, to make these students emotionally and socially ready for the outside world.

• She helped develop policies and procedures for a healthy social-emotional environment within schools.

• Jane worked with students who had extreme behavioral challenges and successfully transitioned them back into the general education classroom.

• Jane substitute taught across the Bellevue School District for a year, which provided insight into the varying community dynamics across our schools.

• Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) from Gonzaga University in Special Education with an Endorsement in Psychology.

• Master of Education from the University of Washington in Special Education in moderate to profound and severe disabilities.
  

Academic excellence through inspiration and empowerment

Grades are important. However, a critical aspect of a high-quality education is the development of every child’s passion for being a lifelong learner. It requires a child-centric education where students can discover and celebrate their intellectual, creative, and social abilities. It requires exceptional teachers and support staff who feel empowered to meet ever-increasing demands in a rapidly changing school and global environment. Every student needs to be given the opportunity to work toward a college degree, but trade schools may be a better fit for some. Over the last 17 years, Jane has worked with numerous students and understands well the constraints teachers face in classrooms that prevent them from unleashing every student’s potential.

Jane has:

• Worked as a special education teacher who closed academic gaps successfully in short periods of time while fostering a love of learning.

• Worked with small groups of advanced learners on exploration and enrichment, and many of these students went on to Carnegie Mellon, Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Stanford, UW, and others.

• Worked closely with the PTSA and helped develop educational enhancement programs to foster a love of learning.

• Created and ran free reading and math clubs for students who needed additional support on both ends of the spectrum, and helped spark curiosity for kids who were losing interest in those areas.

• Successfully introduced a coding program 19 years ago for each grade level from 1st grade to 5th grade at a BSD elementary school when educators believed coding was too advanced for elementary students.

• Started a free, before-school computer programming class for 4th and 5th grade students, focused on fostering interest among girls and helping teachers learn how to bring these skills into their classrooms.

• Helped create a middle school coding competition to foster interest and passion for coding.

• Volunteered to teach computer science through Microsoft’s TEALS program remotely at a rural high school in Central Washington, composed mainly of students from farming communities.

• Helped create, launch, and was president of Speed Unlimited, a nonprofit organization supporting youth in track and field, cross country, and speed and conditioning for other sports.

• A Robotics mentor at Tyee Middle School, Sammamish High School, Newport High School, and Big Picture School.

Equitable access to high quality education for all students

Students from historically marginalized communities, language-constrained new immigrants, those from economically constrained families, and students with special needs face day-to-day challenges that deny them the same access to education that every child deserves. We need to pull out the best in these students by providing them with the opportunities to thrive, thereby laying a strong foundation for a more equitable and thriving society.

Jane’s special education background and her understanding of the laws regarding access to education will help our community look at facts versus getting swayed by political rhetoric.

• As a school equity access team member, Jane developed data-driven research-based policies and procedures for the school community, which were implemented successfully.

• As a teacher, Jane supported families, established connections among teachers, parents, and the broader community, found common ground, set goals, and helped students achieve success.

• Jane was part of a team of parents that started a diversity committee within our school’s PTSA to proactively educate parents, teachers, and students on culture and sensitivity.

• Coordinated and ran community cafes to create dialogue with the community on diversity and inclusion.

• Active member on the BSD Parent Advisory committee that advocated for diversity and inclusion, as well as on the BSD Equity for Children’s Collaborative (ECC).

• Vocal on the BSD Ad hoc Discipline committee that reviewed and amended district discipline policies to ensure fairness.

• Volunteered to work with numerous families that were experiencing issues with education within our district by helping them navigate the public school system and providing information on accessing district resources.

• Taught special education at school in the Renton School District with populations composed of more than 85% of students on free and reduced meals.