FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Please see my responses to frequently asked questions/comments as they come in!
(Q) “What… but that doesn’t make sense. You should not be on a board when your kids don’t even go to the school. I wouldn’t want someone making decisions for my kids when they send their kids to a different school… this doesn’t add up. Help me understand.”
(A) In my opinion, my family (and other families) shouldn’t have been put in a position to make the extremely difficult decision to uproot our kids from a school that we have been investing in for nearly 20 years - including long before we had children. Pulling our kids was a very stressful situation to be in, but we had to do what was best for them and there is no doubt that our youngest would have struggled to learn from a masked teacher (after having immense trouble during her school readiness screening).
Having exposure to a neighboring district has enlightened me. I have witnessed inconsistencies in the public school system and can't help but wonder how the difference in districts (only separated by a line on a map) can be so drastic. While there are obviously many variables to consider, I believe that most inconsistencies are likely occurring because of decisions made at a school board level.
As stated on the NOTICE OF FILING DATES FOR ELECTION TO THE SCHOOL BOARD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 748 SARTELL-ST. STEPHEN SCHOOL DISTRICT "A candidate for this office must be an eligible voter, must be 21 years of age or more on assuming office, must have been a resident of the school district from which the candidate seeks election for 30 days before the general election, and must have no other affidavit on file for any other office at the same general election, and must not have been convicted of an offense for which registration is required under Minnesota Statutes, section 243.166." Under this statute, I am legally qualified to be a candidate for the school board in the district in which I reside.
Now is the time for me and other believers in the democratic process - who are not afraid to make difficult decisions - to step up as public servants to help establish educational standards that will positively affect not only MY children but ALL STUDENTS, the COMMUNITY and SOCIETY as a whole.
I’m committed to helping make positive changes in our district to retain the students we have - and for those who have left, to feel comfortable coming back. That is why I am running for school board.
(Q) “Why would you even want to run for school board?”
(A) While turning a blind eye is easier, it’s not effective at creating change. If I want to see change in the public school system I’ve got to be engaged and commit time to learning about what is going on at a school board level – why there seems to be disfunction - and how we can work to restore public trust.
Tossing my name in the hat for school board is not something that I ever imagined doing. It’s not like I have a ton of extra free time and that I have nothing better to do - quite the opposite is true. I’m running because I could only sit on the sidelines for so long while I witnessed - and was affected by - the ‘unintended’ consequences of poor decision after poor decision.
We are all at different points in our lives, but now is the time for me to step up as a public servant to listen to the members of our community, to collaborate with others, and to make informed decisions that will positively affect all stakeholders – the members of our community, teachers, staff, future employers, parents and students.
(Q) “I don’t have kids in school, should I still vote for School Board?”
(A) YES!
Did you know that out of approximately 12,000 registered voters in District 748, only an estimated 3,600 (30%) have children actively enrolled in the district?
The yellow pie chart represents the 8,400 (𝟳𝟬%) 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗗𝗢 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁. This group is made up of parents with kids not in school yet, empty nesters, senior citizens, parents with kids in private schools, parents with kids in neighboring districts, parents with homeschooled kids, and our neighbors/friends who don’t have children of their own yet, or by choice, or because kids just weren’t in the cards for them.
Just because 30% of the population has students actively enrolled certainly doesn’t mean that they should have the only say in who ought to be on the school board, does it?
𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗡 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 when heading to the polls this fall? All of us should care about ensuring that public schools are operating in a manner most conducive to setting students up to become successful, independent adults. *P.S. These kids will be running the place when we are in our golden years*
𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲, 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀, 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺-𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱.
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