COMMUNITY. CREATIVITY. COALITION.
PRIORITIES
Caitlin is running on a platform built around three commitments: Community, Creativity, and Coalition.
COMMUNITY
We go to families, not the other way around.
A board that listens first is a board that fulfills its democratic responsibilities: it is accountable to the people who elected it, not to outside consultants or private interests. Equitable access starts with hearing, and learning, from everyone in our community, not just the families with time to attend board meetings. On the board, I will advocate for the formation of committees that will include parents, community members, issue-level experts, and, when possible, students, giving everyone a seat at the table before decisions are finalized, not as a rubber stamp after. I’ll also push for frequent “Listen and Learn” town halls separate from formal board meetings, as well as to move board meetings to schools across the district, and to prioritize clear, consistent, communication from the board for all community members to access. And as a board member, I will only support policies that advance a definition of community that includes all of us, no matter who we love, how we identify, or how we pray. Community means inclusion—of everyone.
CREATIVITY
We protect the classroom, at all costs, by finding savings everywhere else first.
Before cuts affect a single teacher, student, support staff member, and certainly before a school is closed, the board owes both a democratic and fiduciary duty to interrogate spending everywhere else. This requires a clear-eyed look at the district’s budget, spending priorities, contractual and vendor relationships, real estate holdings, and more. This also requires creativity and open-mindedness: we must be willing, if needed, to reexamine how the district has long operated. On the board, I will advocate for this kind of process, one to be conducted as transparently as possible. Our priorities can and must be to keep our schools fully funded and to direct those funds first and foremost toward safe, well-maintained, and successful schools.
COALITION
We build power for every fight our schools face.
Even the most effective board cannot fix a system that is structurally underfunding public education. But it can be an important voice and powerful actor in service of change. On the board, I’ll work to unite students, families, teachers, and neighbors to amplify their voices in service of reform. As a board member, I will work tirelessly to support the thousands of students in this district against whatever threat our public schools face.
CAITLIN'S PRIORITIES FOR OUR SCHOOLS
Caitlin's top priorities on the Phoenix Elementary School District Governing Board will be:
Ensuring equitable access and academic success for every student, in every school.
Keeping our district schools open and fully funded.
Providing a safe, welcoming environment for every student.
Strengthening enrollment through family confidence and community outreach.
Real board accountability, transparency, and communication.
Building pathways for substantive and frequent community engagement.