Running for the Bethlehem Area School District board of directors was something I’ve been thinking about since May 2012. I completed in a year-long program called Leadership Lehigh Valley. I enrolled in the program to support the community work I was doing for Lehigh University. The program introduced many systems of the Lehigh Valley: governmental, health, social services, media, arts & culture, business development, education, and others. I also met a number of leaders in all sectors of our community. I learned more than I expected; and also, that I had much more to learn.

The last session of the Leadership Lehigh Valley program was held at the Northampton County Juvenile Center. At the summary session, I was frustrated by the realities of educational and judicial systems not working well enough together to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. This doesn’t mean there aren’t good people working in these systems. I wanted to know more about the systems that weren’t working for our community’s youth.

I’m not the kind of person who is satisfied with “the way things are.” And if there is something I can learn from a person, a study, a book, a program, or stepping outside of my comfort zone, I’m eager to understand why things are “the way they are” and work toward change for the greater good.

I enrolled in the Educational Leadership program to earn my third masters degree. Stepping back into a student role while working as a campus arts administrator and an adjunct professor with two young children may have seemed ridiculous.

But to be the change you want to see in the world, sometimes you must work on changing yourself. I was soaking up all I could from course presentations, class discussions, readings, and special events. I also had the good fortune of being a fellow of the Educational Leadership and Policy program in Harrisburg for one of my independent studies.

I’ve been working in elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools for my entire career as an artist, a teacher, and an arts integration specialist. Educating our community’s youth is a complicated, political, and important task.

My family, friends, and colleagues have encouraged me to run for school board. When I was chaperoning a seventh grade class on their end of year trip to the Poconos, one of the teachers and I had a good conversation on the bus ride home. After sharing my thoughts on what I think kids need to live well-rounded and productive lives, I heard it again, “You should run for school board.”

Why now? I’m ready to work. I’m ready to support our teachers and administrators of the Bethlehem Area School District. I’m ready to bring my enthusiasm for empowering children to learn, to celebrate the best of what our schools offer, and to advocate for fairness and justice for all of the kids in our district.