telephone
6126183035
Contact Phone
6126183035
I am running for re-election to the Fridley School Board because my work has always centered on students, families and community. As a para-educator at Stevenson Elementary and through more than a decade of involvement in local youth sports, I bring both classroom experience and strong community connections. On the board, I listen, ask thoughtful questions and make decisions that prioritize equity, student success and fiscal responsibility. I want every child to feel supported and every family to feel connected and I am committed to ensuring our schools remain strong, inclusive and a source of pride for Fridley.
If elected, my top three priorities will be: 1) Raising academic achievement so every student is challenged and prepared for future success; 2) Building strong connections with families through clear and consistent communication; and 3) Using resources wisely to support classrooms, staff and programs that directly impact student learning.
If forced to cut the budget in the face of declining revenues, my strategy would begin with protecting students and classrooms first. I would carefully review spending to ensure that reductions have the least impact on learning, teachers and essential programs. I believe in a transparent process that involves input from staff, families, and the community, so that decisions are thoughtful, equitable and aligned with our district’s core values and priorities.
I will address racial and economic disparities by ensuring all students have access to high-quality academics, resources and opportunities. This includes supporting culturally responsive teaching, removing barriers that limit success and partnering with families and the community to create lasting equity.
I will engage teachers and families by listening first, through open forums, surveys and one-on-one conversations, so their voices shape decisions. I believe strong schools are built on trust and collaboration and I will prioritize clear communication and meaningful input at every stage of the decision-making process.
I served over 32 years defending the American way of life and I have more experience in public service, leadership, and stewardship than all the other candidates. I joined before 9/11 and saw multiple deployments after 9/11 within a US Special Operations unit. The world’s best leadership training is in the military, and I excelled all the way through the US Army Sergeants’ Major Academy. My final four years were as Sergeant Major (E-9) for the MI training battalion at Fort McCoy, WI where I oversaw sixty instructors, and educated a thousand soldiers. I was not only an administrator and leader of these educators, but I also instructed multiple classes, as I believe in leadership by example.
The top priority is educational excellence of the students; all other priorities are merely noise. This means teachers need to focus on teaching students how to learn during K-8, while providing meaningful facts and not encouraging the kids to be social activists. Once the foundation is there, 9-12 teachers will have better success, imparting critical thinking skills and deeper levels of knowledge. The curriculum content and administrative staffing levels round out the top three priorities.
The Fridley school district currently has a per pupil cost which is thousands of dollars above the adjacent districts. It will be a simple comparison of Fridley’s spending and where it significantly deviates from the other districts to determine the focus for any cuts. There are adjacent school districts operating at lower costs and seeing better results, so failing to do this compassion is a failure on the part of the current school board members.
Education is the answer to solving disparities. Not enforcing educational standards and graduating students who are not proficient in reading, writing, math, and history perpetuates the economic disparities. Given we just had the 24th anniversary of 9/11, think about certifying firefighters just to not hurt their feelings if they should have failed, they'd be of limited use during an emergency and a danger to other firefighters during a fire. We need education with standards to solve this issue.
My wife and I raised three boys who all graduated from the Fridley public school system (K-12), we are highly active in the local community, and I am an educator at heart. I’m currently mentoring ten men in the twenties; most are minorities or disabled. I also teach free cyber security classes in my share time and helped raise funds for the Raise Scholarship program as a member of the local Rotary club.
Please visit rcoleman.site for additional information on this question and others.
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telephone
6124236939
Contact Phone
6124236939
I am running on a slate with Nikki Auna, Sara Schreiner, and Pajjar Yang because we are an experienced team that understands what our community needs. I bring a legislative background as the State Director of Clean Water Action. I've built strong relationships that are helpful when I advocate for state funding for our schools. I have served two terms on the school board, I’ve sat on the Fridley Charter Commission, and I currently serve on the Environmental Quality and Energy Commission. I led a group of volunteers to raise money for the East Coast Trip, fundraised for rings to commemorate winning the state championship in football for players who needed financial help, and I’ve helped with the annual backpack drive.
Set students up for success: Support tools like Lavina, AVID, Grow Your Own, and extra curriculars for students to maintain a graduation rate that is above the state average!
Honor property taxpayers: Engage in aggressive budgeting to keep costs low while protecting the classroom. I live in this community and understand the need to keep costs down while everything becomes more expensive!
Show up: Ensure our board is engaged in the community and responsive to questions, comments, and concerns.
We recently cut $4.5 million while protecting the classroom and teachers. When faced with declining revenue we focused on recruitment and increasing enrollment while cutting spending that wouldn’t negatively impact how students learn in the classroom. We work closely with our finance department and receive multi-year forecasts so that there aren’t surprises in the budget. We advocate at the local, state, and federal levels to ensure our schools are properly funded.
We were one of the first districts in the state to pass a comprehensive DEI policy. We’ve put intense energy into recruiting diverse staff so our learners can see themselves in their teachers – which we know helps them learn. We also have a $570,000 grant to fund our “Grow Your Own” program. This is used as scholarships for staff, particularly BIPOC staff to obtain a teaching license. We ensure that historically marginalized learners and the programs that support them are funded and protected.
I have always had an open-door policy. I am present in schools and show up to volunteer. Teachers need to see you and know you to feel comfortable engaging. I proactively reach out to teachers for feedback on the work we are doing. I have been available for families over the last 8 years by taking calls, messages on social media, and have even letters in the mail. I was the first board member to create a public facing Facebook page to keep the community updated on the work I was doing.
