ISD #196 School Board Member (Special Election)
School board members oversee the care, management, and control of schools. This includes hiring, firing, and overseeing superintendents, who manage the day-to-day affairs of the district. They also set levies to fund the district and create school policies.Learn more here: Voting Local Matters: Why Vote for School Board | League of Women VotersIf your candidate didn’t fill in the guide below, visit the Secretary of State’s Candidate Filing site to find contact info. If you reach out, ask candidates to complete their Vote411 Voters Guide from the LWVMN!
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Catherine Diamond
(NP)
Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)
If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)
If forced to cut the budget in the face of declining revenues, what would be your strategy? (500 characters)
How would you address any racial and economic disparities in our education system? (500 characters)
Please describe how you will engage teachers and families in your decision making process. (500 characters)
I believe ISD 196 is the best school district – from the students to teachers to administration to bus drivers. A current board member, I take time to learn about the successes and challenges in 196 and work with the administration to find solutions. I bring expertise in data analysis, systems change, and active listening. My expertise in prevention of substance use, injury, and violence brings valuable content to discussions about mental health, community connection, and the opportunities that exist in the education system to support health and wellness of students, families, educators and communities. Experience in collaboration and leadership has prepared me to work with the many constituent groups to which the School Board must answer.
Health, Wellness, Safety: Academic success cannot exist without health, wellness, and safety. School nurses, social workers, psychologists, health education, community connection, universal breakfast and lunch must be prioritized.
Education for All: All students deserve to learn, play and grow in places and with people that meet their needs.
Data: Data collection and analysis allows for informed discussion and decisions that meet the most needs possible in efficient and responsible ways.
To identify opportunities for budget cuts, I would first look to services and resources that we outsource to explore if these can be done inhouse. I would prioritize cuts to expenses that do not directly impact students to ensure academic programming, special education, supportive services for students remain funded. Ultimately, these decisions should be made after discussion with representatives of all involved - teachers, administration, and community members.
Disparities should be addressed by engaging with those communities experiencing the disparities. Communities often hold the solutions. Data collection and analysis allow for informed discussion and decisions. We must support the collection, use, and sharing of data to assist decision-making to support education and growth of students. Using data to identify the students experiencing disparities and empowering communities to be part of the solution increases the probability of success.
ISD 196 has developed wonderful opportunities for community engagement. Visiting schools, inviting presentations at board meetings, holding community listening sessions, and being responsive to requests for meetings allow for diverse opinions and thoughts to be shared around important decisions. Inviting conversation and listening to all of those impacted by our district schools creates a richer understanding of the opportunities and needs of ISD 196.
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