Priorities
What Sara Stands For
Sara's priorities aren't a list of political positions. They're a governing framework — grounded in facts, measured by results, and centered on students.
Every Student Deserves Meaningful Opportunity
There is no single kind of Delano student. Some students need intervention. Some need additional academic challenge. Some learn differently. Some are preparing for college, while others are preparing for trades, employment or other paths into adulthood.
Sara believes success should be measured by whether students are making meaningful progress — not simply by whether an existing program or structure remains in place.
Sara supports:
- Measurable student progress.
- Strong academic opportunities for advanced learners.
- Effective support for students who need intervention.
- Better preparation for transitions between schools and into adulthood.
- Decisions driven by student needs rather than organizational convenience.
Clear Communication. Real Family Partnership.
Parents should not have to become experts in district bureaucracy simply to understand what is happening with their children.
Families deserve clear information, reasonable response times and understandable explanations when important decisions are made.
Sara supports:
- Clear expectations for district communication.
- Written follow-up after significant meetings.
- Understandable explanations of assessments, services and decisions.
- Defined ways to escalate unresolved concerns.
- Genuine opportunities for families to provide input.
Safe, Respectful Schools
Students cannot do their best work in an environment where bullying, harassment or serious behavioral problems are ignored or inconsistently addressed.
Sara supports a balanced approach built around prevention, documentation, communication and accountability.
Sara supports:
- Consistent parent notification following significant incidents.
- Clear bullying-reporting and follow-up procedures.
- Support for students experiencing harassment, isolation or emotional distress.
- Appropriate accountability and restorative practices.
- Regular Board-level review of school-climate information.
Technology Should Serve Learning
Technology can be an extraordinary educational tool. But technology should support learning — not become a substitute for it.
Sara believes technology decisions should be age-appropriate, purposeful and evaluated according to whether they actually improve student learning. Schools should be willing to embrace technology when it works and reconsider its use when it creates distraction, dependency or unintended consequences.
Sara supports:
- Age-appropriate technology decisions.
- Clear evaluation of whether technology improves student learning.
- Willingness to reconsider tools that create distraction or dependency.
- Purposeful integration rather than adoption for its own sake.
Responsible Stewardship. Measurable Results.
Every dollar entrusted to the district ultimately comes from taxpayers. Large projects, technology purchases, programs, vendors and long-term commitments deserve careful scrutiny before the money is spent — and evaluation afterward.
Sara's professional background isn't about knowing finance. It's about knowing how to ask whether an organization got what it paid for.
Sara supports:
- Clear performance measures for major programs.
- Transparent budget assumptions.
- Long-range planning for enrollment, staffing, facilities and technology.
- Strong vendor and contract oversight.
- Public information presented in language ordinary residents can understand.
- Regular evaluation of whether spending is producing its intended result.
Constructive, Transparent Governance
Strong oversight doesn't require constant conflict. Sara believes Board members should be willing to ask difficult questions while treating staff, families and one another with respect.
Good governance means being willing to follow through, ask another question, read the document, challenge an assumption — and not simply rubber-stamp something.
Sara supports:
- Decisions based on documented facts.
- Respectful disagreement.
- Clear separation between governance and daily administration.
- Meaningful public participation.
- Straightforward explanations of major decisions and tradeoffs.
- Regular review of policies instead of allowing outdated policies to remain untouched.
Take Action
Get Involved
If Sara's priorities reflect your values for Delano's schools, the most important thing you can do is get involved — and tell your neighbors.