Before Lisa was elected to the board, she was a parent advocate. She volunteered her time on committees and partnered with the district as a community member who was committed to making a difference for students and staff in Polk County Schools.
Her experience on state boards, as a classroom teacher and a business owner in Polk provides a focus on the needs of our community and the resources available to our students.Lisa called for an efficiency review of all departments at the district office. This process is currently underway and will benefit our district by cost savings and identifying discrepancies in job descriptions and salaries. Lisa was a strong voice on the board to increase the salaries of paraprofessionals and support staff. She will continue to advocate for funding that will ease compression and provide salary increases for all veteran employees.
Lisa will work to expand community partnerships to provide a network of supports for students and staff. Her experience serving on the operating board of Polk Vision and the Polk Education Foundation has shown she is committed to mobilizing community resources to benefit student learning.
Lisa will continue to advocate for the completion of succession planning in order to create a pipeline to leadership that is transparent and available for all staff. This will promote the retention of staff by providing opportunities for job growth inside and outside our school sites.
Walking students beyond the door of graduation and investing in their high school experience is a priority. Lisa understands that every student exiting high school should be ready for college or have earned a workforce certification so they can become gainfully employed.
Polk County Public Schools have 30 certified or model academies, the second-highest total in the entire United States. Click HERE to learn more.
Lisa has worked to increase access to these academies. She will continue to support the replication of academies across the district so no matter where a student lives, they have an opportunity to graduate and enter the workforce to become gainfully employed.
As a former parent advocate Lisa is aware of the needs of families to feel engaged in their child’s education. Lisa will always promote collaboration between families and their schools. She has worked to increase the transparency of all communication and opportunities available for families. Lisa is a volunteer and promotes parent involvement. Click Here to learn about current opportunities.
