Primary Election - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 | ||||
Mayor - 4 year term | ||||
| Sharon Anderson |  | |||
1. Relevant Experience: http://mpls.startribune.com/news/metro/elections/profiles/26222.html Title 31 Whistleblower, re: Scarrella for Associate Justice 221NW2d562; 1994 Independent Republican nominee for attorney general; VA widow, political activist; ECF P165913; Pacer sa 1299;Blogger,writer, web sites, educational, real estate entrepreneur; holdings St. Paul, Aitkin, Nashwauk, Gull Lake? Peterson Heritage, Mora, Minn.; Chergosky Heritage Minneapolis. 2. Education: Self Taught,College of Hard Knocks, On the Graves of Tenants in Common, Murder of 2nd Husband due to RealEstate Ownership in Fee Simple Absolute Learn by doing Attorney Pro Se-Private AG,Whistleblower QuiTam Relator http://quitam.com 4. How do you see the role of mayor? CUT THE BUDGET: Eliminate Office of Mayor,City Attorneys outside Counsel, Downsize City Hall by Electing Police Chief, Combine Sheriff, Eliminate Duplication: Ramsey Dist.Crt. File 62cv09-1163 http://taxthemax.blogspot.com DSI Employees stealing cars,trailers,water to fabricate false statements, Excessive Consumption, Ordinance by Council, Ratified by Mayor, TAX LIEN Property's.3,000 risk for "Forclosure" re:SETTLE WITH FRANK STEINHAUSER V. STEVE MAGNER. http://eastsidereviewnews.1upprelaunch.com/SiteImages/FileGallery/Ramsey_Co_Tax_03-18-09_208.pdf ENFORCE: Art. III MN Const. Separation Powers, advocate high standards, ethics, morality, health care, access, eminent domain compensation. Prosecute case fixing, election fraud, WaterEDemA06-1150. Integrity, public trust, Consumers Affairs, parens patriae, jury trials; www.judicialwatch.org; www.sharon4anderson.org; ALL S&C pdf re: RISK MANAGMENT INS.Ron Guilfoile. 5. What issues do you think the city will be facing in the next 4 years? Health,Housing,Heartache, As a Bus Rider 5th and Cedar with Light Rail is NOT feasible for traffic congestion District Energy Piping must be replaced or removed. Billions of dollars,taxing the Homeowner out of the City. pic's at http://billhosko.blogspot.com http://tinyurl.com/mrh4yc The City exploitation of Seniors to steal private property, Code the property out of Reality re: Frank Steinhauser v. City, Steve Magner www.sldeshare.com/sharon4anderson currently in 8th Cir. City Managers making over $100,000.00, who live in Stillwater. We the Taxpayers cannot afford Ex. http://alicekrengel.blogspot.com Won her case on Judicial Error, Prosecutorial Misconduct. 7. What are your ideas to increase city revenues and decrease city expenses? DECREASE: Abolishing DSI, 180 + employees, stalking,harrasing the citizenery to Steal Private Property, In Roselie Butlers Day the Health Dept. did a Great Job working with Cops, Current Administration "takeing" Trash Hauler from the private citizens Illegal Bait and Switch Operations of Stealing Cars,Trailers, by theft,trespass,treason to jusify False Statements of "taking" TRASH. http://sharon4mayor2010.blogspot.com INCREASE: STOP SPENDING, FORGIVABLE LOANS INTEREST FREE LOANS, TAKING PROPERTY'S SHUTTING OFF WATER www.sharonanderson.org VACANT BUILDING BOONDACLE, FEE'S. NO INTELLIGENT BUSINESS PERSON WILL DO BUSINESS IN CITY ST. PAUL http://sicko-citystpaul.blogspot.com Sharon is calling for current Mayor Chris Coleman's Resignation for Criminally Ratifying Ordinances, when Coleman knows Fraud. | ||||
| Christopher B. (Chris) Coleman (incumbent) |  | |||
1. Relevant Experience: I became mayor in 2006 bringing a wealth of experience to the office as an attorney, a community and neighborhood leader, an investment advisor, and a city council member. Just as importantly, I am guided every day by my experience as a lifelong resident of Saint Paul: my family roots in our community run deep and I have had the privilege of living in many of our city's great neighborhoods, not to mention of educating my children in the Saint Paul Public Schools. I am proud of my hometown and passionate about making Saint Paul the Most Livable City in America. 2. Education: I went to the University of Minnesota, where I received both my bachelor’s degree and my law degree. 4. How do you see the role of mayor? I am running for reelection in order to keep Saint Paul moving forward. Over the last four years we have brought new jobs to our city, expanded educational opportunities for our children, and brought new investment to our neighborhoods. I'm also proud that we have changed the tone at City Hall, ending the bickering that divided us from each other and bringing residents and community to the table on issues large and small. Finally, despite consistent cuts to state aid, we've brought the City's budget into structural balance, ensuring a strong financial future for Saint Paul. My campaign is telling Saint Paul's story of making tough choices and keeping our city strong, and I look forward to continue telling that story. 5. What issues do you think the city will be facing in the next 4 years? In the last four years we have made great progress in creating jobs, expanding educational opportunities and putting our city back on a sound fiscal footing -- and despite more than $144 million in cuts from the state, we have never let a lack of resources stand in the way of moving Saint Paul forward. Our challenge is to keep advancing Saint Paul through this historic economic downturn, closing the achievement gap for students in our City, and creating long-term investment and middle-class prosperity in Saint Paul. Minnesota’s cities will lift the state out of this recession, and Saint Paul is the model for how the state can overcome its fiscal crisis. 7. What are your ideas to increase city revenues and decrease city expenses? When I took office in 2006, we were faced with the consequences of 12 years of systematic disinvestment in Saint Paul under my predecessors: a huge structural budget deficit, neighborhoods facing crises in housing and crime, and a steady deterioration of the quality of life that once made Saint Paul great – not to mention the State abandoning its responsibility to Minnesota's cities. In that context, we had an honest conversation with our residents about services and what they cost, and we focused on working smarter and innovating in service delivery. One of my proudest accomplishments has been creating public/private partnerships that have brought tens of millions of private dollars to improve residents’ lives, such as through an expanded free circulator for children and our Invest Saint Paul initiative that has brought $20 million in new, needed investment to key neighborhoods. We have also invested in critical technology infrastructure, implementing a new computer system to modernize processes in City Hall that will save Saint Paul taxpayers millions of dollars. We will continue to innovate, to find new solutions to tough problems, and to find new partners to keep Saint Paul moving forward. | ||||
| Bill Dahn |  | |||
1. Relevant Experience: Whistle Blower, Fighting corruption in all 3 phases of government. Ran in the 1998 Governor Race and Jesse and Dean Barkley had me change to Republican from the Reform Party. The conspiracy and bribe are on the video, it is on my web site >>> www.billdahn.com <<< . I work with people in the working class daily, the people who pays taxes the poor and homeless 2. Education: St.Paul Tic College black smith welder, Trained in "Fetal alcohol syndrome" and "Fetal Alcohol Effects" <> Being half Native I wanted people to know about the real effects of alcohol. 4. How do you see the role of mayor? Bringing new development to the city and develop jobs, Get the NEW VIKING Stadium Built HERE IN ST.PAUL. That will bring back large revenue to our city. We all have noticed that St.Paul has became a Grave Yard with Street Lights. Grave Yards do not bring in much revenue, so your taxes keep going higher. Being a Whistle Blower on St.Paul's City Government from 1996 till now. Bring back the pride to our city, I was born and raised on the west side of St.Paul. Blowing The Whistle - www.billdahn.com - Myself I will work hard, for You and to put St.Paul back in the number one city in Minnesota! 5. What issues do you think the city will be facing in the next 4 years? 1. Send Back the "illegal's" so our people have jobs 2. Cares about Loss of Jobs 3. Mortgage Foreclosures 4. Get The Crime out of city government, and out off our streets, make people feel safe walking in St.Paul. 5. Work with the people of St.Paul closer, we need the peoples input so St.Paul stays in tune with their needs. . 7. What are your ideas to increase city revenues and decrease city expenses? Get the New "Vikings Stadium" Build in St.Paul. Stop St.Paul's investing in bad investment, that end up costing the TAX PAYER in Higher Taxes! | ||||
| Eva Ng | 2136 Ford Parkway |  | ||
Saint Paul Independent School District No. 625
Primary Election - Tuesday, September 15, 2009 | ||||
School Board - 2 year term | ||||
| Lucky (Tiger Jack) Rosenbloom | 369 Dale Street North | |||
1. Relevant Experience: Social Studies Teacher and Dean of Students in Public and Charter Schools. Board of Directors-State Council on Black Minnesotans Chair both Goverment Liaison and Rochester Minnesota Diversoty Committees dealing with education matters. 2. Education: Metropolitan State University: BA, Social Sciences and Counseling Psychology. Inver Hills Community College: Associates: Paralegal Minneapolis College: Law Enforcement with Skills Training 2 years Certificate. Augsburg College: Education Licensure, POST Secondary Education Course Focus of study is History and Political Science. Current @ MSU: Working on Master in Research and Liberal Studies 9. How would you define the role of a school board member? One that can bring ideas together that will prepare our students to be educationally, yes and competitive within economics. This is my reason for not asking for Republican, or Democrat support. I want to support Democrats, or Republican ideas without having the worry that I may create something negative within any endorsing party for agreeing with the ideas of another Board member because of Political party. 10. What do you see as the major challenges for the school district and what do you propose to address them? Criminals, gangs and thugs that are in school for no other reason but to harass students and staff. Holding a class hostage and preventing young people from learning. To the point where good students carry knives to school to protect themselves. Good students are in school with thugs, making learning impossible. This contributes to low test scores. Let us remove these thugs from the class, so that good students do not have to worry about being victims, while trying to learn. No other candidate has the courage to say this. I do, and will work towards making our schools safe. I will not play games with school thugs. 11. How would you reach out to serve children and families in our School District with varying financial and cultural backgrounds? One of my worse feelings was reaching a student, having a good relationship, the student moves to antoher school because of his/her parent living in a shelter because of not being able to pay rent, or an abusive parent that the mother is trying to hide from. We must allow teachers to tag team and visit other schools, or create a system allowing students in another school to have lesson plans and contact with teachers from schools thay had to leave. If we do this, we will not have to spend more money, we can hold onto good relationships with parents and students. 14. What are the most important criteria for hiring a new superintendent? One from our community with expereince in our schools, perhaps as a teacher. Being from the communinty allows understanding of the various cultures within a given communinty. This is my starting point. | ||||
School Board - 3 seats, 4 year terms | ||||
| John Brodrick (incumbent) | 1007 Charles Avenue |  | ||
1. Relevant Experience: I was a high school classroom teacher and coach in the Saint Paul Public Schools for over thirty years. I am proud to say that in my lifetime, I have been a student, parent, teacher, coach, and for the last eight years a School Board Member in the Saint Paul School District. 2. Education: Saint Paul Public Schools - High School Graduate, University of Minnesota - Bachelor and Master Degrees in Education 9. How would you define the role of a school board member? The School District belongs to the people of Saint Paul. School Board Members should be expected to establish, maintain, and monitor policies that recognize the tremendous responsibility that the electorate has entrusted to them. 10. What do you see as the major challenges for the school district and what do you propose to address them? Increasing academic achievement for all students is our primary goal. However,in these challenging economic times we are working on Large Scale System Change so that we can more efficiently deliver on this mission. These changes will require that we evaluate everything we do; while maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for our students to flourish. 11. How would you reach out to serve children and families in our School District with varying financial and cultural backgrounds? Our District has committed to being culturally proficient and understanding of the role that socio-economic factors play in learner readiness and achievement. We must believe and ensure that all of our students have the opportunity to reach their full potential. To this end, we have even dedicated potential federal stimulus money to these kinds of efforts. 14. What are the most important criteria for hiring a new superintendent? Our Superintendent must be dedicated to the learners of Saint Paul, and be ready to work with all of the stakeholders in our community. The ability to build collaborative and trusting relationships is essential. | ||||
| Chris Conner |  | |||
1. Relevant Experience: Worked to develop and manage after-school programs for years, starting in Cabrini Green Chicago. Tutored inmates earning GED's at Cook County Jail, worked with Head Start, and also with Neighborhood House on the West Side. Over 10 years of work with organizations in trouble and restructuring, and on issues of racial equity. 2. Education: B.A. - Concordia University - Psychology and Parent Education M.A. - Luther Seminary - Cross Cultural Studies M.Div. - Luther Seminary - Church Administration and Theology 9. How would you define the role of a school board member? The current role of a school board member is to simply set policy. This is a "hands-off" approach to the work of the administration. Many voters recognize that this approach has become a detriment to student achievement, that the Board of Education is viewed as a "rubber stamp", essentially too detached from the work of the district, and that this weak approach to leadership has eroded the systems of accountability for administration and teachers. This approach seems to have worked in times of plenty and success, but is not suitable for this time of crisis and critical transition. I will work to strengthen the systems of accountability for Administration, strengthen the position of the Board of Education so that the district works for us as elected representatives of the people, and remove any doubt that the failure of our schools is directly connected to the failure of our Board Members to oversee the work of the district. 10. What do you see as the major challenges for the school district and what do you propose to address them? The District has identified a 16 million dollar budget shortfall going into the 2010 school year, with no plans to make cuts now. At 17,000$ a student it is clear that we don't have money problems, but rather a district and board that haven't managed our money well the last 8 years. We have enough teachers for 46,000 students in a district of 38,000. Despite being among the best funded districts in the country, we also have one of the poorest achievement records and the highest achievement gaps- 40 points between black students and white students. I will strive to help us get our priorities straight, putting our children first before ideological commitments to teacher's unions, streamline what we are doing to a laser-like focus on student achievement and the achievement gap, take a closer look at the millions we spend on consultant's fees and lobbyists and hire administration that has the expertise to meet the challenges of our district. 11. How would you reach out to serve children and families in our School District with varying financial and cultural backgrounds? I have a vested interest in addressing the achievement gap in Saint Paul because my 3 children are half Cambodian. It frightens me that just because of their race they are at an immediate disadvantage in Saint Paul Schools. There is no excuse. I will work to move the district beyond simple cultural proficiency towards a school system that is accountable to the people of Saint Paul and to equity for all schools and all students in every neighborhood. It is time to re-enfranchise parents, not just as "advisors" but as empowered decision makers on newly strengthened and re-vamped school site councils, where local parents, teachers, and community leaders once again shape the futures of their schools instead of absent administrators. I will be a tireless advocate fighting for our children's future and dismantling the achievement gap, partnering with all our parents to join in the effort. 14. What are the most important criteria for hiring a new superintendent? The current Board of Education has decided to lower the qualifications for a new Superintendent to allow candidates with Master's degrees or with no experience whatsoever in the field of education to apply. The timeline for choosing a superintendent suggests that the decision may already be made before any newly elected candidate is sworn into office. I'm urging the current Board of Education to let the People of Saint Paul choose who they want in office to hire a new superintendent. Somebody new should have experience as a superintendent and demonstrate proven success in increasing student achievement and addressing the achievement gap. I'm looking for somebody with mature common sense, an understanding of the Minnesota ethos, who can separate out educational fads from long-time tried and tested successful teaching and administrative methods- somebody with diplomacy and courage to create a new day of accountability for teachers and schools. | ||||
| Richard James Easton IV | 1360 University Avenue West, #430 | |||
| Tom Goldstein (incumbent) | 1399 Sherburne Avenue |  | ||
1. Relevant Experience: As a former businessman, attorney, community activist, affordable housing advocate, and currently a labor organizer, I believe that I have a wealth of experiences and skills that have made me uniquely positioned to handle the challenges, responsibilities, and expectations that come with serving on a school board. As a former PTO chair and Site Council member, I understand the difficulties facing schools and the impacts that budget cuts and administrative decisions, good or bad, can have on a school community. As a current board member, I value the trust placed in me to make thoughtful, rational, and equitable decisions about the future of our schools, and I work very hard to be knowledgeable about issues, to ask the right questions, and to hear all points of view. 2. Education: B.A. in Psychology, Carleton College Post-graduate studies in Eoonomics, University of Minnesota J.D., William Mitchell College of Law 9. How would you define the role of a school board member? By statute, school board members are responsible for the care, control, and management of the school district, and by choice, we are a policy governance board. In practical terms, however, the key role that board members play is to select a high-performing superintendent who has the skills and experience to carry out the board's vision and mission for the school district. It is also our responsibility to support innovation and creativity that will enable schools to provide a quality education for all children, and as stewards of significant public investment, we must ensure that our processes are transparent and accountable and our financial practices representative of sound fiscal policy. Additionally, I believe it the role of board members to work with city officials and local leaders to promote strong neighborhoods, affordable housing, living wage jobs, small business growth and entrepreneurship, community policing and restorative justice, green technology and renewable energy; and a progressive tax structure--because schools cannot succeed in isolation. 10. What do you see as the major challenges for the school district and what do you propose to address them? After twenty years or more of debating the issue of the achievement gap, we must have the courage to implement the proven strategies that will effect closure of that gap and raise standards for all students. We must find a way to increase the resources available to the district so the kinds of programs that promote the artistic, cultural, and physical development of children don’t continue to end up on the chopping block. And we must hire a superintendent committed to St. Paul who will continue the strategic goals of the district and work collaboratively with the Board, city officials and elected leaders, and our many partners in the business, labor, and faith communities. In the face of unfunded mandates, declining enrollment, and a parsimonious governor, the challenges facing our schools are many, but leadership is about overcoming obstacles and inspiring solutions that will allow us to make education everybody's first priority in St. Paul. 11. How would you reach out to serve children and families in our School District with varying financial and cultural backgrounds? In a school district with 76 percent students of color and 70 percent students in poverty, there is a moral imperative to ensure that all children in St. Paul are neither stigamatized by their racial or cultural identities nor denied equal educational opportunities because of their standard of living. We must continue to focus on having a rich academic experience available in every school, and cultural proficiency among staff must go from being a buzzword to an everyday practice. It is also essential that we broaden our outreach among our many ethnic communities so that parental involvement and advocacy is not limited by language barriers or one's financial situation. Unfortunately, in an era in which educational funding has been flat and political courage in short supply, the ability to leverage the resources necessary to provide a comprehensive education for all students remains an ongoing challenge. As a result, serving all children well will also require a community-wide commitment--because schools do not operate in a vacuum and cannot alone overcome the effects of poverty, homelessness, joblessness, violence, and incarceration that impact many of the children in our schools. Together, with relentless dedication, we can make a difference in the life of every child. 14. What are the most important criteria for hiring a new superintendent? In an ideal world, the next St. Paul superintendent will be a seasoned educator with significant management experience; an innovative and collaborative leader who will inspire staff, community, and parents to continuously participate in the education of all children; a visionary individual who is committed to the district's strategic plan to make real and demonstrable progress on closing the achievement gap, raising the graduation rate, eliminating chronic school absenteeism, and having students truly prepared for a post-secondary education; and a person who is an astute judge of talent and who possesses the passion and courage to confront those obstacles to excellence and transparency that every urban school district struggles to overcome. In the real world, however, perfect leaders do not exist, so what must guide the Board in making its decision is selecting that individual who views children as our greatest asset, who seems most capable of building on the positive improvements achieved by the school district the past three years, and who has the patience and people skills to fully engage the many stakeholders crucial to St. Paul public schools providing a "world of opportunities" for every student. | ||||
| John Krenik | 1270 Cleveland Avenue South | |||
| Jean O’Connell | 416 Mount Curve Boulevard |  | ||
1. Relevant Experience: Chaired the Saint Paul Public Schools Superintendent's Advisory Committee on Large Scale Systems Change. Facilitated the administration's meetings to create the current Strategic Plan. Volunteer in the schools for ~20 years. Teaching degree in Math and Chemistry. Leadership roles at 3M managing businesses and staff organizations with planning, budget and personnel management responsibilities. Retired after 34 years. 2. Education: BS, Mathematics, minor in Chemistry; University of MN, Duluth(1974), MN secondary teaching license Certificates in Chemical Engineering(1976) and Production & Inventory Control(1986) Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Evaluator training(1990) and Six Sigma Master Black Belt training(2001) Life long learner 9. How would you define the role of a school board member? A key role of the School Board is to hire the superintendent to run the organization. Once that person is in place, the Board needs to provide direction, support and feedback on his/her strategy and implementation efforts and the overall performance of the district. The role of the Board is to provide policy basis, resources, community engagement support and oversight around eight key areas of work: vision, standards, assessment, accountability, alignment, climate, collaboration and continuous improvement. (source: National School Board Association-Key work of school boards) I believe the Board needs to actively engage in setting goals on what needs to be accomplished and to provide general guidelines on how to accomplish those goals (e.g. climate, collaboration, continuous improvement). Oversight should be around all areas of work. I believe Board members should help in areas where they have particular skills, in my case that would be around accountability, alignment, climate, collaboration and continuous improvement. I also believe individual Board members must use their contacts in the community to help the superintendent build strong connections with the city, county and non-profit groups to build a stronger support system for our students. As the former Director of Community Affairs at 3M, my network is very strong around the region. 10. What do you see as the major challenges for the school district and what do you propose to address them? We have significant achievement and graduation gaps between low income children and children of color and our caucasian students. We must address this with non-incremental change efforts. Moving the gap slowly does our children and our city a disservice. Our children don't have the luxury of time, they only have one chance at an excellent education! There are well researched programs that have been successful in other communities, we should explore those examples to see what we can learn and apply to our own efforts. The time has come to implement successful programs quickly. The district is also facing significant revenue and expense issues in the coming years. There appears to be a year by year approach to addressing these issues. I believe a better approach would be to take a high-level multi-year look at the budget. We can then determine which resources are essential to student success and make decisions that will enable us to cut less critical services. With the Board's guidance the new superintendent can take a long-term approach to managing needed changes that will result in a better education for all students. 11. How would you reach out to serve children and families in our School District with varying financial and cultural backgrounds? I believe we need to build a stronger community connection with our schools. We need to meet with families where it is best/easiest for them. One of the things people tell me I am good at is listening. I believe we need to listen to our children and families and build stronger solutions by starting with their input. The district is embarking on Cultural Proficiency training. I support this effort and would want to measure the results of this effort by seeing what behaviors of Board and Staff change following the training. Examples might be: How are we changing parent and family engagement efforts?, How has the Board changed it's approach to gathering public input?, Are we successfully changing the community’s participation in our planning and implementation efforts? 14. What are the most important criteria for hiring a new superintendent? Great people skills, including a demonstrated ability to build high-performing teams and quickly implement effective change in an organization; Good listener and communicator; Strong understanding of research-based best practices and demonstrated ability to implement them ; Understands his/her strengths and limitations and has the ability to build a team that complements them; Delegates well to reach goals.; Willingness to “stay the course” to continue implementation of the strategic plan. Experience as a superintendent and demonstrated willingness to stay long enough to implement plans. | ||||
| Elona Street-Stewart (incumbent) | 844 Kenneth Street |  | ||
1. Relevant Experience: 1994-Pres RacialEthnicMinistry,PCUSA;2001-Pres SchoolBoard,Chair, VC;American Indian Family Center; Minnesota Minority Education Partnership; AmIndian Alaska Native Caucus, Natl School Board Assoc,St Paul Children’s Collaborative; StPaulIndiansInAction;HealthyStart;FacingRace,Shannon, MNSchoolBoard 2. Education: 1969 Media Rosetree School District 1965-69 Upward Bound - Swarthmore College 1973 Occidental College - BA Soc-Anthro 9. How would you define the role of a school board member? The primary role is to establish policy to achieve the mission of the district, review and approve budgets and hire and supervise a superintendent. All duties of leadership, development and assessment, strategic planning, fiscal accountability and communication emanate from the greatest responsibility - To care for the educational welfare of all the students across the district. Board members interact as a whole to provide courageous leadership for the well being of the district, capture the vision of a premier education and ensure transparent and inclusive decision making to instill public trust. A board member needs to stay current, continually receiving and exchanging insight and perspective from constituents and advisors on issues and data, provide oversight of academic standards, inspire public confidence and build and sustain committed relationships with families, employees, community and affiliate organizations to support the goals of education excellence and equity. 10. What do you see as the major challenges for the school district and what do you propose to address them? Serious racial disparities, rising poverty, increasing multicultural-lingual diversity and other special needs; legislative neglect, funding reductions and enrollment all challenge efforts to increase achievement, improve graduation statistics & test scores, and eliminate the achievement gap for all. Success will require a transformation from measurement to rigor and readiness. In order to reduce inequities and advance improvement, SPPS must tightly align academic objectives and resources to Board and NCLB priorities; generate the most supportive and safe school environment; strengthen teacher quality, diversity and site collaboration with technical and professional support; expand access to quality early childhood, community initiatives and pre-college network programs; center schools around holistic community engagement and family education; require greater cultural proficiency of employees, advisories and school board; provide stability in transition and equity in funding. 11. How would you reach out to serve children and families in our School District with varying financial and cultural backgrounds? 30 years collaborating with various communities strengthening relations, encouraging participation and collaboration. My cultural knowledge and experience equips me to appreciate diversity and understand social, emotional, and economic consequences of poverty, racism, & discrimination. The 1998 Indian Education Parent of the Year and 2009 All My Relations Awards honors my work with families developing St Paul family centers and now building college access networks. In alliance with families, I established comprehensive community led programs to strengthen and value their capacity to prepare their children to achieve their full potential and be active contributing members of the community. Partnering with health, housing, employment, education and social services, including Children’s Collaborative, I’ll continue in anti racism initiatives, service learning and mentoring organizations, and family support to work together to reduce barriers and invest in long term commitments. 14. What are the most important criteria for hiring a new superintendent? 1 Ability to provide culture of high expectations for all students at all performing levels, built on individual learner experience, teacher contact, and rigorous & relevant curriculum; 2 Visionary, innovative, results-focused administrator with strong conviction that all children can achieve proficiency of highest standards and deserve a safe & respectful learning environment; 3 Proven experience to build, motivate & support highly competent district wide team for academic excellence & administrative leadership in large complex organization; 4 Able to show how improvement will be made and measured, in real time and learning readiness, thru effective instruction; 5 Outstanding communication skills to address critical urban education issues and demonstrated passion for effective engagement in highly multicultural economically diverse community; 6 Successful advocacy for elected officials, institutional & corporate investment and community partners to establish and align common goals | ||||
School Board - 2 year term | ||||
| Pat Igo | 165 Western Avenue, #210 |  | ||
1. Relevant Experience: As a lifelong resident of St. Paul, I have been involved in Civic organizations since 1964. I am currently serving on the Historic Preservation Commission, the Business Review Council for the City of St. Paul and the Ramsey County Special Board of Appeals and equalization. 2. Education: I am a graduate of St. Paul Central High School, and I attended the University of Minnesota. I have a wealth of education grounded in real-world experience, including owning my own business in St. Paul and working for 35 years as a Realtor. 9. How would you define the role of a school board member? A School Board Member has a responsibility to understand the needs of the 39,000+ district children, as well as their parents, teachers and community. Board members have a responsibility to insure that the schools collaborate with the parents and teachers to meet ever changing achievement goals. The goals should focus on preparing students to be responsible adults that can meet the challenges of the future. The children of today are the leaders, parents and workers of tomorrow. We need to provide them with the tools they will need; trade skills, a Baccalaureate degree, or simply a knowledge base of common sense. 10. What do you see as the major challenges for the school district and what do you propose to address them? First and foremost, closing the achievment gap. We have one of the highest in the nation. The School Board of St. Paul has a moral obligation to accomplish this. It's a social injustice; a major intervention is necessary. Next is operating within the budget. We,as taxpayers, have had to learn to live within our means, which requires wise use of the resources we have. The St. Paul School District needs to operate in the same manner. The district shouldn’t look for additional funds for luxuries that will not help the students meet the challenges they will face in the future, it should reallocate monies to the areas that need it the most, such as providing the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. These are the skills that the charter schools have focused on, and many of them have waiting lists. We need to raise the quality of our public school education to stem the tide of those running to the charter schools. Finally I would like to see another gifted and talented school in our district as well as a vocational high school. This, I believe, would help to lower our drop out rate. 11. How would you reach out to serve children and families in our School District with varying financial and cultural backgrounds? I believe if we focus on making the right thing the right thing we can provide opportunities for all students to excel. Let’s create an enforceable code of conduct for all schools. A uniform dress code is not out of the question; it takes some financial pressure off parents and minimizes some of the superficial competition between children. Teach them the basics and provide them opportunities that their parents may not have had. The classes that are currently being offered are good. All students, regardless of their cultural backgrounds or financial status should be mainstreamed and given opportunities to learn. 14. What are the most important criteria for hiring a new superintendent? A new superintendent needs to understand the current culture and environment of the St. Paul Schools. The search should begin with our own talented administrators who are prepared to assume the role of superintendent. These educators have roots in our St. Paul Public Schools and in the St. Paul community. | ||||
| Quyen Nguyen | 1725 Rome Avenue | |||
| Vallay Moua Varro | 1028 Oak Bluff Circle |  | ||
1. Relevant Experience: I began my career as a pre-kindergarten teacher at the University of St. Catherine’s early childhood development center. After leaving the classroom, I worked in various positions at the Minnesota Literacy Council including being a Literacy Coach, a trainer for early childhood educators and home visitors and directed the statewide AmeriCorps program, the Minnesota Reading Corps. For the last three and a half years I have worked as Mayor Chris Coleman’s Education Policy Director. In additional to my professional work experiences, I have served on many governance boards for non-profit organizations including the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, the Minnesota Association for the Education of Young Children, and Resources for Child Caring. I also serve on several advisory councils including the Education Policy Advisors Network with the National League of Cities; the Children, Youth, and Family Consortium; and the Center for Early Education and Development. All of these experiences have allowed me to see the effects of policy decisions from various perspectives. The range of personal and professional experiences I have had will allow me to bring those perspectives to the board to assure that we are making policy decisions that are in the best interest of Saint Paul’s kids. 2. Education: I received a Bachelor and Master degree in education from the University of Minnesota. 9. How would you define the role of a school board member? The board is the governing body of the district and its number one job is to establish policy and strategic priorities for the district while also being responsible for ensuring that these priorities comport with the community’s expectations. It is critical that the board focuses on directing district policies, engages in long-term planning, and monitors and evaluates the district's adherence to its mission, core values and strategic objectives. To fulfill this role, the board must constantly seek and execute decisions from a perspective that is neither micromanaging nor rubber stamping. This also means that the board needs to represent the public, political and policy face of the district to the general public, up at the Capitol, among other elected officials and with the media. It is also the board’s job to hire and manage the superintendant to ensure that she and her administrative team execute and implement the priorities accordingly. To this end, the board must be willing and able to set clear goals, direct and evaluate the superintendent, while also recognizing and respecting the superintendent's role in managing the district, it’s employees, and other school matters. 10. What do you see as the major challenges for the school district and what do you propose to address them? It is a fact that our school district faces multiple challenges on many fronts - No Child Left Behind, shrinking enrollment, a new superintendent search and a massive budget deficit. I am convinced that we can no longer run from these issues. We need to deal with them head on through steady policy leadership and new ideas. I believe the board’s leadership is essential in leveraging the necessary resources to meet the needs of our district and propel it forward. I believe that the best long term strategy to closing the achievement gap and maintaining enrollment is to start early and stay focused on providing excellent learning opportunities along the way for all students. I believe the extended community is essential to the success of our school district and we must work together, better and smarter. Meanwhile, it is imperative that we maintain and improve the things that are working well in Saint Paul - school choice, excellent college readiness programs, quality fine arts, music and extra-curricular activities. 11. How would you reach out to serve children and families in our School District with varying financial and cultural backgrounds? My family came to the United States from Laos 31 years ago, when I was only two years old. From a young age, my parents emphasized to me the importance of a good education; with a high-quality education every child has the potential to succeed. I still believe that education is an equalizing factor regardless of socioeconomic status or cultural background. All children in Saint Paul deserve the very best teachers, tools and resources to be successful. Moreover, all children must come to school ready to learn, remain in our schools and graduate prepared for work, school and life. We must ensure that all children have equal access to excellent learning opportunities and the district must committed to ensuring that every school has enough resources to provide core educational content. Once we establish this foundation throughout the district, then individual schools can decide what enhancements and enrichments to add depending on the community it serves. This is key for parents to feel confident that their children have a shot regardless of their own personal circumstances. 14. What are the most important criteria for hiring a new superintendent? The next superintendent should possess excellent leadership qualities including humility and integrity; have experience and success in administration; and have a deep understanding of policy and implementation. He or she should be courageous, forward thinking, collaborative and able to lead with a positive approach. This person must be able to take direction from the board, be able and willing to work with district staff and employees to solve the difficult issues facing the district and be able to work with the larger community, elected officials and the general public to communicate and advocate for the needs of the district | ||||
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