Four years ago, I ran for the Jordan School Board, on the platform that we need to "ReThink Education." I knew from my studies in graduate school, that America was about to go through an Education Revolution. 19th Century learning will not work in the 21st century.

For well over the last century or two, a one size fits all, factory seemed to work. Go through the education factory, move to upgrade by grade, and push you out the door as a K-12 graduate to face the world. If you do not fit into the mold we created, we toss you aside. Too many students fall through the cracks.

My Promise:

"WE will RETHINK EDUCATION, by looking for creative and innovative ways to improve our classroom and the operations of OUR district"

What have WE done?

-WE developed a teacher salary and pay structure that will attract the best teachers to come to join us on in the Jordan District Family. WE moved the starting salaries from 34,000 a school year to 48,000. EVERY teacher received a substantial pay increase.

-WE set up the ONLY incentive plan in the state of Utah that pays teachers a bonus to think and try innovative and creative ideas.

-WE have created a way for teachers to share ideas with other teachers, in their school or the district.

-WE have given the power to our teachers and schools to innovate and create at a local level, and not be mandated their every move by a board or cabinet administrators.

-WE have invested in technology, computers, programs, and trained teachers on how to use them.

-WE created some to the most tech-ready schools at a very low cost, helping us to be ready for our reality today.

-WE gave schools ALL of the TSSA money created by the state, to directly help OUR teacher and OUR Schools meet the needs that they have.

-WE put digital learning coaches in every school so that teachers have resources right where they are.

-WE hired an innovative and creative Superintendent, and he has surrounded himself with an excellent team of innovative educational thinkers.

What we hope OUR Teachers will do.

-Create a new mindset.

-Try things you have never done before.

-Work together with other teachers to become even better.

-SEE Each child differently.

-Personalize education to help EVERY CHILD, EVERY DAY, IN EVERY WAY.

-Let students make choices in their education journey.

Where are we now?

We have been thrust into a whole new world, where the 19th century will not work. There has never been a more important time for teachers to meet our students where they are, and help them succeed.

If a student has not yet signed into class, or signed in and is struggling, you can tell them they do not measure up, and give them that D or F they deserve, OR,

You can love that child. You can try to understand what they are going through.

OUR Students are locked in this prison we call home.

OUR Students are isolated from human contact.

OUR Students are being forced to do what might have worked in the classroom but it is not working in an online classroom.

I know many of our teachers are reaching out to students in ways they have never thought of before. We can not lose one student.

I hope our students will respond and do their very best. You might not be comfortable learning in this new way, however, throughout your life, you will be asked to do, new and hard things. You can do it!

Parents, you are the glue that holds this all together. You are the eyes and the ears in our classroom now. You in a large part, the key to OUR children's success. I know this is hard, but if we are going to personalized education, parents are going to have to get involved and build relationships of trust with yOUR teachers and administrators. We need to know what helps yOUR child.

One day we will go back to normal, but it will be a new normal. The 19th Century Learning model is now gone. What we are learning now, will help us design our future classrooms. When this Education Revolution is over, you will love the change, but the changing of a mindset is hard.

Let's work hard together under the conditions we are in, to help OUR kids, OUR children, OUR Students, and they prepare to live in a whole new world.