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VOTE411 Voter Guide

ISD #625 School Board Member at Large {_getChooseLabel(this.selections.length)}

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: https://www.lwv.org/blog/voting-local-matters-why-vote-school-boardIf your candidate didn’t fill in the guide below, visit the Secretary of State’s Candidate Filing site to find contact info (https://candidates.sos.mn.gov/). If you reach out, ask candidates to complete their Vote411 Voters Guide from LWVMN!

Click a candidate icon to find more information about the candidate. To compare two candidates, click the "compare" button. To start over, click a candidate icon.

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    Stephanie Anderson
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Teresa Glass
    (NP)

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    Tamara Mattison
    (NP)

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    Michael Schell
    (NP)

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    Omar Syed
    (NP)

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    Kris Taylor
    (NP)

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    Uriah Ward
    (NP)

Biographical Information

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)

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I spent 18 years in service to St. Paul Public Schools (12 as an Occupational therapist & 6 as district-wide Assistive Technology Lead; Extensive experience developing & managing programs, including budgets; Lived & worked for a decade in service to marginalized communities in the Amazon of Bolivia, S.A., & the Navajo Reservation. I know how SPPS systems currency function. My experience & perspective as an OT and ATP provide me with invaluable educational insight, especially with learners that struggle socially, behaviorally &/or academically. I am able to see the big picture while also breaking down the issues into manageable strategies. I enjoy teaming and collaborating with individuals with diverse perspectives and experiences.
To improve academic outcomes for all students, improve use of resources, & to strengthen fiscal responsibility of taxpayer funds. Too many students are not proficient in reading and/or mathematics. There needs to be an emphasis on and clear spoken district intention on high academic expectations for all students in SPPS, so that all students reach their academic potentials. There needs to be equitable access to district resources, & systems to utilize, manage and care for physical resources.
I would expect to team with all other school board members so that all of our skills, experience and expertise are utilized to to develop a strategy for looking at this most difficult of issues. My priority would be to first look at the big picture, gathering information on current expenditures from each area and department, gather information on expenditures made by each of the 66+ schools and compare costs per pupil in each of the schools, along with students’ performance.
The district needs to ensure that all educators have the skills and expertise required to effectively teach students of diverse ethnicities, backgrounds, cultures, languages, learning styles, learning challenges in a culturally responsive and equitable manner. Clear expectations need to come from the top that ALL students can and should be making progress. If they are not, then educators need to be providing individualized accommodations, so they may reach their maximum academic potentials.
My focus will be on staff, parent and community engagement. I would ensure that I am meeting in person with educators, parents and interested community members. I would be responsive to invitations to meet with groups & individuals. I would set up easy ways for anyone to be able to communicate frustrations, challenges, successes or questions. I would constantly be gathering information from educators & parents to bring to meetings with other school board members to better inform our decisions.
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