LeAnn Wood

25 years ago, I walked into my son’s school for the first day of kindergarten, and I didn’t leave. I chose to support my children and support my teachers. From math facts to reading groups, science fair judge, and school community council chair. For my own children, I have fought for 504 accommodations to support high-functioning autism and implemented an IEP to help overcome a mental processing disorder, and I didn’t stop with my five children. For the last decade, I have focused entirely on improving public education at the state level through policy and legislation and helping parents understand how to navigate the public education system. I have offered input on Parental Rights in Public Education legislation and met with the Governor on behalf of a group of parents to get a bill vetoed that took local control concerning curriculum complaints and turned it over to an unelected body at the state level. When a bill was made public that put parents last on the list of people the principal should collaborate with when drafting the Teacher and Student Success Plan, I worked with a senator to get school community councils and parents moved to the top of the list.

I have extensive experience working on education policy matters. As a volunteer parent representative for almost a decade, I have sat on several State Board committees in that capacity, including the Accountability Redesigned Advisory Committee, Assessment, and Accountability Policy Advisory Committee, State Assessment Parent Review Committee, School Fees Task Force, and the Graduation and Gracing Task Force. I have worked with principals as a school community council member at Davis High School, Columbia Elementary School Community Council, and Mountain Heights Academy Charter Trust Lands Council. I have spent countless hours of volunteer time on Capitol Hill during the legislative session tracking education-friendly legislation and fostering relationships with policymakers across the state. For three years I attended state school board meetings and the Standards and Assessment Committee meetings where I offered parent input on topics ranging from science and health standards to assessment practices. I understand and am ready to do the work of the State School Board.

My priorities are strengthening family engagement, retaining and recruiting quality teachers, building a positive school climate where all students can thrive, focusing on strong school leadership, and implementing rigorous standards to prepare students for college and careers.