Seeking another chance to serve I.C. schools

I am a fourth generation Iowan who grew up in Iowa City, attending Horace Mann Elementary and South East Junior High School. I attended Smith College and majored in government and astronomy. After graduation, I returned to Iowa City to attend law school at the University of Iowa. In 2004, I graduated with distinction and started my legal career in Seattle concentrating on products liability, class action litigation, and education law.

While at Smith College, I enlisted in the United States Army Reserves, eventually reaching the rank of Captain. Between 2007 and 2008, I was mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and am now a proud military veteran. In 2010, I returned to Iowa and began a career with the Department of Justice. As a federal prosecutor, I investigate and prosecute violent crime with the United States Attorney’s Office in Cedar Rapids.

My family has called Iowa City home for over a decade. My husband, Jason Schumann, is a social studies teacher at City High School and our two daughters, Finley and Margaret, attend Penn Elementary school in North Liberty.

In 2019, I was elected to the school board, and in 2022 I became its vice president. I am seeking another term to continue serving the community and district in what I believe is a critically important role. Our public schools are our state’s most valuable resource. They are the beating heart of our communities. It is an honor and privilege to be entrusted with the responsibility to oversee the district.

The largest obstacle the district faces is delivering an exceptional learning experience to our students in the face of inadequate funding from the Legislature. Year after year we have had to do more with less. Persistent underfunding places stress on all of our systems and creates obstacles to providing an excellent education to all of our students. We have to address inadequate funding by being innovative and budget conscious but without sacrificing services that our families depend on. Another major issue facing the district is disparity in our student achievement data. Our schools are responsible for serving every single student who comes through our doors and we need to ensure that we are meeting all of our students’ needs.

Lisa Williams is one of seven candidates running for four at-large seats on the Iowa City school board.