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There are five candidates running for four seats on the ISD 197 school board this year. We’ve asked the candidates a series of questions to see where they stand on the issues. We’ll share one question and the responses at a time leading up to the election on November 7. See our ISD 197 voter’s guide for more.
We already asked about the candidates’ top priorities, how they would make the district better, money, volunteer experience, equity, what sets candidates apart, and levies. This week we’re asking about strengths and weaknesses.
What do you think is ISD 197’s greatest strength? How will you build on that? What is ISD 197’s greatest weakness? How will you improve in that area?
We posed this question to all candidates. Here are their answers in random order:
Tim Aune
I think there is a very positive culture and sense of community in 197. It is something that students, parents, teachers, and staff should be proud of. You build on it by expressing gratitude and acknowledging everyone who makes it happen, and work with them to explore how to overcome challenges and pursue new opportunities.
I am reluctant to invoke the drama that comes with the words, greatest weakness. But as a parent I find having two platforms for schedule, assignments, grades, etc. (Infinite Campus and Canvas) cumbersome at best. Moving to a single platform will make it easier for parents to engage and monitor in a manner the benefits teachers and students.
Rowen Elsmore
Our greatest strength is in the students that we serve. We have an incredibly diverse student body, with a wide range of cultures represented. This helps all of our students to learn to thrive in a world that is increasingly interconnected and diverse.
Our greatest weakness is in falling short for some of our students. We need to continue to build on the wonderful work happening at Two Rivers to empower students from all backgrounds to access our advanced course offerings. We need to update and strengthen our policies to ensure that the needs of all of our students are directly and explicitly met, including our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students. All of our students should be represented in our advanced courses. Where this is not happening, there is work to be done.
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Byron Schwab
ISD 197’s greatest strength is it’s size. With about 5,000 students PreK-12 in our school district, students and families are better able to build a strong sense of community, experience a personalized learning environment and have more opportunities for participation. We are better able to celebrate and support our ethnic diversity and multicultural/socio-economically diverse population. We can build on that by continuing to improve communication, staff training and availability of resources.
Our greatest weakness may also be our size which limits our revenue which is based on student population. It can be a challenge balancing class size, course offerings and extra-curricular activities with limited revenue. Even though our schools are close to capacity because our attractability brings in many open enrolled students, we need to continue to work on attracting our own 197 students who choose private, parochial, charter, homeschool or other public school districts. We must continue to emphasize, celebrate and communicate our strengths, successes and achievements. ISD 197 is a great school district with great staff, great opportunities and a positive, supportive, rich learning environment for all students.
Morgan Steele
ISD 197’s greatest strength is in its people- students, staff and community. We can build on that by listening to our community and taking opportunities to involve community members as much as possible. The biggest opportunity for growth is in transparent communication. I think continuing to build community trust and involvement will help while continuing to provide clear and transparent updates in changes. The video recaps after board meetings that have recently been shared, for example, is one great way to do that- a way to improve on that could be having our community liaisons share recaps in various languages to connect ALL families to updates.
Randi Walz
The strengths and weaknesses in our district may seem contradictory, but I believe them both to
be existing.
Our community is truly exceptional; it’s a place where people come together, celebrate each other, and learn from one another. During my family’s time living abroad, I often heard expats lamenting their return because they felt their home communities couldn’t compare to the international experience. I had a different perspective; I was confident that when it was our turn to return home, our community would also offer significant opportunities, valuable connections, and was great place to be.
Our journey in this district began with open enrollment during our children’s preschool years, and we liked this community so much that we eventually moved to West St. Paul. The incredible teachers our kids have had, the wonderful families we’ve met, and the opportunities we’ve encountered make us immensely proud of this community.
As a school board member, I intend to champion our district’s strengths. It’s crucial to ensure that the entire community is aware of the outstanding initiatives happening in ISD 197.
Now, we must strive to make this community truly inclusive. As a school board, I hope to help explore how our policies can foster a culture of empathy and unity, celebrating both our differences and commonalities. I’m eager to continue the work of identifying areas for improvement and promoting the value of each individual, thereby enabling all students to achieve high levels of learning within our community.
Note:
Barbara Kessler dropped out of the race in August, though her name will still appear on the ballot.
Vote on November 7
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. The ISD 197 website has details on where and how to vote. Voting options also include absentee voting, either by mail or in person, which starts September 22.
We’ll share more candidate responses as we get closer to the 2023 election. You can also see our ISD 197 voter’s guide for more.
Thank you to the candidates for taking the time to respond.
This election coverage happens thanks to our members. Consider joining them and supporting neighborhood news, starting at just $3 per month.
