by Mary Kate Dohl
__________

As a proud parent of three NACS students, I'm running because I am the best candidate to advocate for students and families in our district.  For the past nine years, I have been an enthusiastic volunteer at every field trip and teacher appreciation event, a PTO officer, and a supporter of the Boomerang Backpacks program that helps us nourish our most vulnerable students.  I have a student athlete, a highly achieving student, a student with an IEP and one who required extra resources.  I know what it's like for our friends and neighbors navigating public school in the age of social media and artificial intelligence.

I'll advocate for policies that recognize there are no bad kids, just good kids having a hard time.  We must continue to expand academic and athletic opportunities for our students, especially for students who choose to enter the workforce right after graduation.

I'm in the building each week hearing from staff who feel overworked and undervalued, and will fight to recruit and retain the best teachers by making NACS a great place to work.  We need to invest in our teachers and support staff with competitive salaries, benefits, and tools that help them grow personally and professionally.

I know that our public schools are community centers; public education is a team game that calls everyone onto the field.  We need student families who trust our administration because we are transparent and responsive.  We need local businesses who support our PTOs because they know a great public school system means they can hire employees who want to move here and give their kids a world-class education. And we need families who may not have children in our buildings to believe that their tax-dollars are being spent wisely, and their investment in public education is an investment in their own future.

The role of school board members is governance and oversight, and I will ensure that the NACS administration continues to operate with a tone of inclusiveness and respect.   We have more than 8,000 students who all have unique and valuable experiences that deserve to be heard with an open mind.  I always ask, "Who are we leaving out?" and "Who are we asking to do the work?", and will continue to shine a light on those who may feel overlooked, especially as we face unprecedented growth in the district."