Annette Wilcox has announced her candidacy to serve on the Parkland School Board.

“Education has always been an integral part of my life,” Wilcox says. “My mom was an elementary teacher and inspired my career.”

Wilcox studied elementary education at the University of Michigan and earned her Master’s of Education degree from Lehigh University.

“Over the last 25-plus years, I have been a classroom teacher in grades ranging from kindergarten through high school, worked with students of varying ability levels as a special educator, served as the coordinator for a schoolwide accreditation program, completed building-wide safety walks and drills, and now handle everything from hiring to budgeting to curriculum development as the director of a preschool,” Wilcox says. “All of which have helped to hone my leadership and critical-thinking skills.”

Wilcox and her husband, Eric, moved to Allentown in 1995.

Their children, Allison and Daniel, graduated from Parkland and currently attend the University of Michigan.

“As a Parkland mother, the opportunity to sit on the ‘other side’ of the desk at school events added a new layer to my involvement in district curriculum, course offerings and extracurriculars,” Wilcox says.

“As a school volunteer I engaged with other parents as we shared our hopes and dreams for our children, and ideas for the types of support we would like from the district.”

Wilcox says she is running for Parkland School Board to use her experiences, both personal and professional, to help parents and the district meet the challenges we face in education today.