A proven fighter for our public schools.
“I’ve dedicated my career to fighting for workers’ rights and protecting funding for public institutions like our schools. I’m running for a full term on the Ferndale School Board to stand up to Trump’s assault on public schools, and to ensure that every decision we make puts our students, staff, and families first, not private interests.”
Community Organizer. Lawyer. Policy Advocate. Democratic Socialist.
Jessica is a lifelong Michigander who brings nearly 20 years of experience in fighting for social and economic justice at the local, state, and national levels. She is running to be retained to the school board because she believes public education is the cornerstone of a strong democracy and a vibrant community. She deeply understands the intersection of education policy, community organizing, and convening stakeholders to ensure all students receive a high quality education, no matter their zip code.
Community Organizer. Lawyer. Policy Advocate. Democratic Socialist.
Jessica’s Priorities
Public education is the cornerstone of a strong democracy and a vibrant community. That’s why Jessica is taking on the issues facing our students, teachers, and families. Read about her priorities for our public schools:
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Michigan’s public schools are underfunded to the tune of over $5 billion a year. While steady stewardship at the board level has thus far protected Ferndale from the most drastic versions of this crisis, we need to ensure full and fair funding of our K-12 schools across the state if we want to continue providing a high quality education in the years ahead.
I’ll work alongside our local, state, and federal officials to find fiscally progressive funding options to ensure we can continue recruiting and retaining great teachers, and enable us to use state funding to repair and modernize aging buildings, while lessening the burden on local taxpayers. Find out more about school funding and revenue.
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Every single student deserves a quality public education that serves their needs and provides them the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Currently, the special education system is underfunded and difficult to navigate for students and their families.
I’ll continue fighting for special education funding as a civil rights issue, and advocate for greater investment in critical programs and support staff, and for changes like parent advocates to help ensure students and families actually receive the support they need. Find out more about how we can strengthen special education services.
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Tech Billionaires and their vendors are aggressively pushing the proliferation of tech tools and AI in our public school classrooms. We must ensure that the education we provide equips students with the knowledge they need to succeed while protecting their privacy and critical thinking skills.
I’ll continue advocating for strong guidelines that protect teacher discretion on tech in the classroom, and ensure that our community, not Big Tech, will determine the future of technology use in the classroom. Read more about the issues surrounding “AI” and tech use in the classroom.
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Public schools are the foundation of a strong democratic society, so it is no accident that they have been some of the first institutions targeted under the Trump Administration.
I will continue to oppose diverting public education funding to private vouchers, fight for Ferndale's fair share of special education and Title I funding, and protect our most vulnerable students from policy rollbacks. Public dollars should fund public schools. Full stop. Read more about how and why we need to fight back against the Trump Administration’s assault on public schools.