WHY I'M RUNNING

I’m running to be your at-large city councilor for the same reason I taught in the Boston Public Schools for twenty-two years: because I care about this city, its children, and our shared future. 

As a single mother, I’ve dealt with a lot of the same issues many of you have: figuring out the public school maze for our kids, dealing with mental health and recovery issues in our families, how to stretch a paycheck in a city that has become extremely expensive to live in. 

I will be the at-large city councilor you think of when you need a go-to call at City Hall.

I’m proud to be described as a hard worker and I’ll work as hard for you when I’m elected. You’ll be seeing a lot of me. I clocked in every day as a mom and as a public school teacher, and I’ll bring the exact same work ethic to the Boston City Council. 

Saying different things in Jamaica Plain than you do in Charlestown isn’t leadership. Taking one position in Grove Hall and another in City Point isn’t leadership. Offering the same openness and transparency in every neighborhood -- to all of our neighbors, across the whole city -- is what being a solid city councilor is about. 

I’ll never shy away from big policy debates, but my focus is on constituent services and delivering for you from City Hall. I’m never afraid to have a hard conversation with anyone, because that’s how we move forward together. We’re all neighbors -- all of us -- and that’s how we build neighborhoods.

You deserve an at-large city councilor who works as hard for you as you work for your family. I want to be that councilor, and I’d be grateful if you’d consider me for one of your votes.

As an educator in the Boston Public Schools for more than twenty years, I know what is working well and what needs to be addressed. I will make it a priority that all families have access to a high quality public school in every neighborhood. I will advocate for a re-commitment to a comprehensive vocational high school, and I will focus on providing more inclusive options for our special needs students. I will see that we provide trauma training for our teachers and school staff to properly address the social and emotional needs of so many of our students, and streamline the after-school programs so that all students and families have affordable and enriching after-school opportunities. 

I will address the Opioid Epidemic head on by increasing access to recovery services, and addressing the mental health needs of so many of those struggling with addiction. I fully support the rebuilding of the Long Island Bridge and creating a comprehensive recovery campus on the island. Until that can happen I will advocate for ending the clustering of treatment services in one small area of Boston, which has put tremendous and unfair pressure on neighborhoods in the South End, Roxbury, and South Boston/Dorchester. I will be out there every day advocating for those struggling, and supporting their families.

As a mom raising my family in Dorchester, public safety matters to me. I want every resident in every neighborhood to know they have a right to safety on our streets no matter what time it is, what street it is, what they look like, or what they’re doing. I believe community policing works and I support the Boston Police Department's commitment to it, and to continuing the cadet program that allows the police to recruit residents from all neighborhoods. Making sure there are great public schools, activities and jobs for our teens and young adults, and addressing the opioid epidemic will help. Empowering the residents in every neighborhood will offer them hope and have a positive impact on the public safety of our city.

I will work to expand the middle-income affordable housing lotteries and support better oversight of development so that new affordable housing units are built with more meaningful input from existing residents. I will promote city-backed loans and grants so resident small businesses and home owners can thrive in our neighborhoods.  

The most important job of the City Council is to insure that the city 

runs smoothly for all residents. I will work diligently to make sure our city departments are working for our residents and are supporting the neighborhoods. From libraries to snow removal, to registering your child for school to calling 911 in an emergency, we all deserve our city to work for us!