November is Almost Here!

November 6th is right around the corner, and our School Board I care deeply about the success of public education and of this city. A strong, thriving city needs strong, thriving schools. We have excellent teachers in this district striving to provide excellent experiences for their students, but they need the support of the School Board, the city, and the citizens. The school district should be a point of pride and cause for positive conversation in Faribault, but sadly, despite the dedication of our staff and hard work of our students, it isn't always. As the School Board rebounds from the recent failed bond, I will bring a thoughtful, informed, balanced, and new perspective to this work. I hope to both spread positivity about the current state of our schools while working on the School Board to  further improve our schools.

Declining enrollment impacts our funding significantly, and one cause is open enrollment. While the choice families make should be respected, we also must improve our schools in areas that will attract and retain new families. McKinley must be well-equipped and have the capacity to take all families interested in pre-school so that families have an early excellent experience with the schools. In addition, we need to enhance programs at all levels in ways that will attract and retain families.
We must address the educational opportunities for our students so that students and families are proud to be part of the Falcon Family. This ranges from supporting and evaluating the new disciplinary approach at the middle school to ensuring all students at the high school can achieve all they are capable of instead of being hindered by the current 6 period structure. Students at all levels should have access to innovative, rigorous curriculum and intentional, effective support. 

Also, our facilities need improvements. I’ve spent considerable time learning about this issue as part of the current district facilities task force. There is no way around this truth, and the School Board must bring information to the voters in such a way that they see the necessity of any future bond issue. We should focus on security issues and deferred maintenance, which is not the result of mismanagement, but part of the normal process of facilities management. Our buildings also should provide space that supports the initiatives we want to see in our schools in 2018, including appropriate classroom and work space for intervention teachers, specialists, and counselors as well as classrooms designed for current best practice in teaching and learning. We will need to focus on necessity first - boilers, fire alarms, security, for example - but we should also have vision for the future. Comparing our facilities needs to area private schools or even some neighboring communities is like comparing apples and oranges - our district is different than others, and we must respond to the needs of all children who come through our doors. We can only make these improvements with the support of state legislators, the governor, and the voters here in Faribault, and I would like to work on behalf of the district to bring those groups together to improve the facilities for our students.

We all want the brightest future for the children of Faribault and for the city. The city’s success is inextricably linked to the success of the schools. We must ensure public education here is excellent. I see the pride teachers and administrators have in their work and the hope families have for their children. I also see the community concerns around balancing the needs of the schools with the real economic limitations here. I have the education, experience, skills, and integrity necessary to help bring our city together as we work to address the issues facing the district.