Why do you want to serve on the school board?

Having three daughters currently enrolled in ISD 743, my eyes have been opened to how wonderful and exciting our school community is. It has also shown me there are opportunities for improvement.

I believe the key to a healthy and productive public school is meshing the values and goals of the community (and all its stake holders) with that of the school. I believe my role as a school board member is to ensure, through good governance that the values and goals of the community are understood and honored.

I have been fortunate to serve on several community and National organizational boards in various roles. I have found every experience to be personally, professionally and emotionally rewarding, and I would be honored to be able to serve on the ISD 743 school board.

What do you think are the top 3 priority issues that need to be addressed?

I feel it is difficult to identify issues prior to knowing “the entire story.” That being said, three things I am curious to learn more about are listed below.

1. How does MDE (Minnesota Dept of Education) & ISD 743 measure success?

· What metrics/benchmarks are being used?

· How does this align with the values and goals of the community?

2. Safety, Security and Health.

Do all stakeholders of ISD 743, including students, teachers, parents, and the community, feel that our schools provide a safe, secure, and healthy environment for helping students grow into productive adults? 

3. Curriculum/Course Creativity

· The West Stearns CEO and Careers in the Community programs are examples of the community and school administration coming together to create enriching and unique opportunities that align with community values. Are there more opportunities to do this?

Choose one of the items listed above, what is your proposed plan to address it?

I would need to gather a lot more information before I could propose anything. My initial plan would be to get educated as much as possible on all sides of the issue, work with the stakeholders and offer governance and guidance to make productive and positive change.

How do you prioritize trades programming (healthcare, mechanical, construction etc) in your middle and high schools?

Working at Felling Trailers has allowed me to witness firsthand the positive impact of the partnership between ISD743's Careers in the Community program and Felling Trailers. This experience has reinforced the importance of being open-minded and innovative when designing courses and curriculum that are relevant, practical, and community-focused. By exposing our youth to the broad range of opportunities available both locally and beyond, we empower them with the knowledge to make informed decisions that will benefit not only their personal growth but also the well-being of our entire community.

How would you define excellence in education?

Excellence in education means fostering the talents, skills, and unique personalities of our students to ensure they are fully prepared to contribute to our community. I recognize that the methods and measures of achieving this are often subjective, and I am committed to understanding diverse perspectives on how best to reach this goal. It would be an honor to serve on the ISD 743 school board and help guide this important work.

*All candidates were contacted at email addresses and phone numbers listed in public filing records. Questionnaires had word/time limits and are published EXACTLY as submitted. No info is displayed if a candidate didn’t respond. If you would like a copy of the PDF forms that were submitted by the candidate, please submit that request to saukcentrechamber@gmail.com. Thank you.

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