Martha Woerner For Lakewood School Board

I am Martha Woerner, and I’m running for a seat on the Lakewood Board of Education this fall. As a passionate believer in the power of public education to transform lives, I decided to run for a seat for two reasons.

First, I am the parent of two young children (a 2 1/2 year-old and a newborn) who are future Lakewood students, and I believe that our board needs greater representation from this demographic. Parents of young children are in it for the long-haul with the district - my youngest son will graduate in 2041 - and we have  specific needs and perspectives as we navigate preschool and out-of-school time, enroll our children for the first time in school, and set our children up for long-term academic, professional, and personal success. The decisions that the board makes today are the ones that will affect our children’s education for years to come.

Secondly, I have deep experience in public education that I believe would be an asset to the board and district administration. I’ve dedicated my career to figuring out how to make public education systems work so that each student is positioned for success, which requires educators to be set up to do their best work in classrooms every day. With nearly 15 years of experience working with and within K-12 education systems, I’ve built an understanding of the opportunities and challenges that schools and districts face. I have worked in research, policy, strategic planning, human resources, finance, and stakeholder engagement, many of which are key responsibilities of the board.

I’d be honored to bring this set of experiences to the board, and as a prospective board member, I have three priorities.

First, we must protect what’s great about Lakewood’s public schools. I hear from so many parents, students, and graduates how amazing their education here has been. They’ve been challenged in their pursuits, felt supported and welcomed as people and as learners, and have been able to explore multiple pathways and interests - these are the things that I want for my kids and for all kids. This doesn’t happen without the tireless work of so many educators, leaders, parents, students, and community members, and I’m committed to continuing that legacy.

We must continue to expand that experience to all students because it’s not yet universal. I hear another set of stories about struggling to navigate our schools and their students’ needs. I see it in our data as well. For example, the difference in reading proficiency at the end of third grade between our Black and white students is nearly 30 percentage points. We need to continue to work to make sure every student is set up to reach their greatest potential.

Finally, I’d like to focus on community-wide collaboration - how our district, schools, and board partner with students, families, our city government, and the broader community. Together, let’s strengthen two-way dialogue, authentic engagement, and deep collaboration in service of our students’ education and the strength of our community. 

I’d love to hear from you about what’s important to you in our schools at martha4lakewoodschools@gmail.com or through my facebook page (http://bit.ly/martha4lkwdschools). Thank you for your consideration, and I hope to earn your support and vote on November 7.

Martha Woerner is a passionate believer in the power of public education to transform lives. She's proud to call Lakewood home for her family of four.