FAQ

If there was one thing you could influence or change within our district, what would it be?

Class sizes. In ISD 199 we are fortunate to have incredibly talented and patient teachers who manage classrooms (and behaviors) all while ensuring our students receive an excellent education. I believe class sizes being kept at a manageable level impacts critical areas including: mental health of staff and students, quality of 1-to-1 instructions students receive, and safety in our schools.

What do you see at our district’s greatest asset?

Our excellence. ISD 199 has a strong graduation rate (as of 2022 Simley is at 90.55% with the state average being 83.55%). We are offering rigorous courses and a large portion, 63% of our students, take part in those courses. Our district’s excellence is a direct reflection of our outstanding teachers and staff. A prime example of this excellence is the fact that 70% our district’s staff hold advanced degrees (whereas the state average is 55%).

What do you believe the purpose of public education is?

I see the purpose of public education being to prepare our young people to be contributing members of society. The main goal being to impart on the students enough knowledge to be able to positively influence the world they live in. Public education is designed to achieve a level of equality, as it is available for all children regardless of their family’s financial means.

What do you think the role of a public-school board is?

The school board’s role is primarily policy governance and to listen to the community members comments when considering whether or not to approve a proposal that is before the board. Clear and effective policies provide guidance to district administrators that both holds them accountable for and enables them to provide quality education to all of Inver Grove’s students. The board has a responsibility to listen to the views and concerns of the community pertaining to the school district and represent those concerns when voting on policies or approving personnel actions. The final role of the school board is to evaluate the performance of Dave Bernhardson, our Superintendent.

Why do you want to serve on the school board?

As an Inver Grove Heights community member and an ISD 199 parent (of two enrolled students), I see this as an opportunity to give back and use my time and talents to make more sound policies, well-thought-out personnel decisions and set the administrators up for success. I feel strongly that policies can be a powerful tool to enable administrators to improve the school environments, as well as hold them accountable to provide a quality and equitable education to all students. I believe this is a critical time for public education and the challenges that our teachers, administrators and students face are substantial. These challenges require a School Board that is listening to the community, committed to increasing safety in our schools and purposeful in crafting policies that will support administrators, teachers and students.

What experiences do you have to bring to the school board? How have your experiences prepared you for the school board?

My applicable work experience is in human resources management, college level course instruction (adjunct faculty) and leadership development. In my current role as a Senior Human Resources Business Partner I am well-versed in reviewing and crafting policies to ensure they create the desired outcome and avoid pitfalls that may not be intended or noticed when initially written. As an HR practitioner, I am a seasoned-listener and have developed a strength in conflict resolution and mediation. My experience instructing college level courses as well as serving in substitute paraprofessional role has provided me an understanding of curriculum development and the challenges that educators face.

What are most important issues facing the district?

I identify two major issues facing our district:

1. Teacher retention – the increasing stressors on student-facing staff (teachers, counselors, etc.) and the ability to retain these employees must be a priority of the district and a focus when setting policies.
2. The mental health of our student body and the negative influence this is having on our ability to provide education during the school day – our teachers are pulled from educating and instructing in order to tend to crisis situations and behavioral outbursts at a higher rate than ever before. I believe this is a result and a symptom of an increasing mental health crisis in our country but specifically within our schools. To address this, I believe we need to continue to educate students on mental health (as we have been in Middle and High School levels) as well as approve funding of mental health or behavioral staff at any opportunity we have.