As a working parent trying to make ends meet, I am extremely mindful of where my hard-earned tax dollars go. We have been incredibly fortunate here in Portland to have strong support for schools from taxpayers, including those without children in schools and those on fixed incomes already stretched thin by taxes and expenses. Thank you, Portland, for digging deep to keep quality schools in our city! Investing in schools makes sense not just because it is the right thing to do for our children, but because strong schools drive a stronger local economy. Our investment in education also pays off fiscally with a more productive citizenry, with fewer needs for social services and fewer people in prison.

But we need to make sure that money we as a community are putting into education is being spent wisely--with the major focus always being on excellence in the classroom. The good news is Portland Public Schools currently spends only 4% of its budget on central administration. The Board, and the public, need to be continually vigilant to make sure our money is being spent well.

In my role as PTA president, I was responsible for overseeing the budget and was accountable to our members for how their money was spent. Every spending decision needed to take into account the best interests of all children at the school. I will follow the same principle and accountability as a School Board member responsible for approving and overseeing the Portland Public Schools budget.

I will work in partnership with the teacher's union to make sure that we are providing our teachers a competitive, fair compensation package so that we can continue to attract and retain the best teachers in the profession. Balancing the need to contain costs to the taxpayers with the need to compensate our teachers fairly is an ongoing dialogue, and one that I will enter with an open and fair mind.