About Darren

"Education is a social process; education is growth; education is not a preparation for life but is life itself."
~ John Dewey

My Background

I am an entrepreneur with a strong track record of finding solutions and navigating ambiguous, uncertain situations. In fact, almost every stage of my life has involved some element of navigating a new program or newly created organization. My high school was in its fourth year when I started, I went through the fourth ever cohort of BYU's Applied and Computational Mathematics Emphasis (ACME) program, worked as a co-founder for a start up called Echo Mind Ai right out of college, and was the principal investigator and primary decision maker for a grant from the NSF. I also consider finance to be one of my hobbies, and have recently been able to focus on being the father of two young children who will soon be attending school right here.

I care deeply about education, not just for me and my children, but because I believe an educated populace is the foundation of a better, efficient, more wholesome community. Learning should be a lifelong endeavor everyone can enjoy, with a foundation forged in, but not confined by, classroom walls. As parents and community members, we pour so much into our children's lives that we shouldn't hide from the work needed to make sure that foundation of learning is strong and solid, allowing them to adapt to whatever future they will face. I want your children to succeed, just as much as I want my children to succeed.

My background makes me a great fit for the school board for several reasons. My entrepreneurial experience has honed my ability to identify what needs to be done and then take action. My knowledge of mathematics and finance will be valuable in ensuring our district's resources are managed efficiently and effectively. My experience with ACME and tech, specifically, empower me to navigate the current developments with artificial intelligence and help prepare our children for their future. Above all, I am extremely motivated to ensure this district is exceptional. I strongly believe that your children will have a better district with me on the school board.

Why Am I Running?

I believe that right now strong advocates who are deeply invested in our schools' future are crucial, particularly as we embark on the formation of a new school district. This unique opportunity allows us to actively impact the educational experiences and lives of our children for the better. My focus, and the focus of everyone in the new school board, must be on our children and how our new district will shape our community. I have the time and flexibility to dedicate significant effort to ensuring our children receive the education they need to thrive in the world and embrace lifelong learning. My goal is to give both my children and yours every possible advantage, so their lives are even more prosperous, productive, and joyful than they already promise to be. By working together, we can turn our hopes for their futures into reality.

The Goal

My vision for education in our community is a place where everyone can learn what they need to be productive, thriving citizens. The goal of education is to allow everyone equal opportunity to access the knowledge and skills they need to build our community into a place where everyone can thrive. We need to focus on educating our children for the future society we want to build and all the roles that entails, be that a researcher who's asking questions to unlock the mysteries of how the world works, or the next tech superstar out at Silicon Slopes and beyond.

What we need

Children First

The entire reason we have a public school system in the first place is to make sure our children are prepared and equipped to live productive, enjoyable, and fulfilling lives. Everything we do needs to have this core principle at its central focus. A question I intend to ask myself with every decision, every policy, and every budget is, "How is this going to improve the outcomes of our children's lives?" If the answer to that is unsatisfactory, we need to change course.

Retain and Attract High Quality Teachers

The people that spend the most time with our children, after ourselves as their parents, are their teachers. By making sure our teachers are prepared, equipped, and fairly compensated, we ensure they can bring their whole selves to the task of educating our children well. As a member of the school board, I intend to use my time to learn from and advocate for teachers as much as possible to make sure they feel confident that they can give our children the best education possible, and have the school board as a resource to make that happen.

Growth Mindset

Our community is exploding, and is projected to expand even more over the next few decades. We need to build, plan, and budget for the communities we're going to have, not just the communities we are currently working with. Thoughtful, forward-looking planning is how we will ensure our schools are equipped to serve our growing population with the resources, facilities, and support they deserve. I plan to prioritize sustainable growth and anticipate as many changes as possible. We can build a stronger, more adaptable education system that cares for the needs of your student—now and in the years to come.

Fiscal Restraint

While growing costs money, we must be careful and judicious with our spending. Our budgets as citizens are tight enough that we want to keep property taxes as low as they can be, while simultaneously ensuring our district has what it needs. Being a good steward of public funds means making smart, transparent financial decisions that prioritize student success and well being without pushing our growing families into other districts for relief from financial stress. I will work and vote for the school board to prioritize and time our growth to be financially conservative and restrained.

Tech Knowledgeable

The recent and rapid advance of artificial intelligence tools has led to a major shift in how our students will interact with the world, news, and their work. While a lot of sectors are just starting to see these shifts, it is obvious to those of us who are connected to the tech space that the jobs our students will be competing for will look very different than before. We need to implement policies to help students and teachers understand and use these tools properly and ethically so that they are empowered to thrive. Whatever your opinion on artificial intelligence, these tools are here to stay, and we need to be prepared for the world they will bring with them. My background allows me to understand the foundations of these tools and how they work, enabling us to make intelligent, forward thinking policies on how to manage them within our children's education.

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