HELEN LAKE

Teacher at San Juan High School
Helen Lake has been a school teacher in the San Juan County School District for 22 years and actively involved in education for the past 40. She attended San Juan High School and all of her children, her one son and two daughters, went to school in Blanding from elementary through high school.
It is Lake’s first time running for public office; however, she believes that she has the qualifications necessary to help District 2 excel.
“My belief is if you’re going to be a school board member you should have at least experience of teaching, experience of working with the student, experience of working with the parents,” she said.
Lake also hopes to better represent the diverse voices of her community.
“I have seen the same school board member every year,” Lake said. “I thought it’s time for a change. We need to do something.”
The focal points of Lake’s campaign are communication and teamwork. She hopes that tackling these two issues will lead to better relationships between administrators, parents, and teachers, to pave the way for improved student performance.
“Communication is the number one thing I think about. To listen to people ... what kind of education do they want for their kids,” Lake said.
As a parent, Lake said she had never felt there was cross-communication between the school board members and parents, something she hopes to change if elected onto the board.
She emphasizes that improving communication could also lead to better relations between the Native American community as a major obstacle for them continues to be a lack of understanding in the value of formal education.