Superintendent's Page

I think of the Thoreau quote: Eastward I go only by force; but westward I go free.

Born and raised in New Orleans, I came to Montana as a young adult, hiking, backpacking, and living off the grid in a log cabin and even a tipi for a summer before becoming a teacher.

I have had the privilege of serving the Livingston School District for the past decade in the roles of the principal of Park High School with two years as co-principal of Sleeping Giant Middle School. Prior to my work in our community, I have 11 years of superintendent/principal experience with eight of those years in the fast-growing Four Corners area of Bozeman.  I spent the first ten years of my career as an elementary teacher in the Bozeman public schools.

Grateful for my years as an educator, I have had a wide range of rich educational experiences, from teaching children to read and write to launching students from high school into their futures, and from teaching aspiring superintendents to preparing for growth and expansion.  My dissertation study was an ethnographic case study of two generations of Park High School graduates – a year spent in research in order to better understand how schools and the community might better prepare students for careers, college, and meaningful work.

I also enjoy my time spent:

•       Hanging out and having adventures with my husband of 45 years
•       Playing games, like wild animal pet hospital, with my two young grandchildren
•       Visiting, while my son and daughter-in-law cook delicious meals
•       Brushing, cuddling, and running with the two huskies
•       Weaving, crocheting, and cooking hearty, healthy, delicious meals

Vision & Practice

Vision without action is just a dream,

Action without vision just passes the time,

Vision with action can change the world.

                                          Nelson Mandela

We want every child to reach their potential, and be launched well into their futures, knowing we can never truly know one’s intellectual potential.

We want every child to experience school as a safe haven, a place where they feel known and valued, and can grow in self-confidence. We know that every student brings to us a unique self with a unique history, capabilities, and interests.

We are a district recognized for its quality of education and academic rigor. We educate with the understanding that to be a life-long learner and a contributing citizen in a democracy, one must be curious, critical, driven to learn, self-disciplined, and get satisfaction from striving to live ethically. These traits walk hand-in-hand with any content we teach.

To educate a child well is to be in partnership with those who surround the child and teacher. Partnerships with parents, support staff, and the larger community mean that dialogue is rich as we constantly recognize, reflect upon, and respond to the individual and collective needs of our students.