Meet Joshua Przybylski (pronounced Shuh-bil-skee), our new education correspondent. With the ISD 197 School Board meeting schedule shifting to conflict with West St. Paul City Council meetings, Przybylski’s main focus will be covering School Board meetings and other education issues.
Say hello: Przybylski lives in West St. Paul with his partner and son. He moved here in 2014 with his partner to be near her grandmother, who lives in the same house where she raised her 11 children and recently celebrated her 100th birthday. Przybylski works as a freelance writer. He currently serves as the chair of the city’s Environmental Committee.
Member drive: Aside from our founding editor, Przybylski will be our first ongoing staff member (though he’s still very part-time). Help us continue our School Board coverage and pay Przybylski by joining now and supporting neighborhood news.
Education forum: Become a member and get an invite to our member forum on education on July 30 to hear more from Przybylski and ISD 197 School Board Member Morgan Steele.
Q&A With Joshua Przybylski
We asked Przybylski a few questions about his work:
Why do you like covering ISD 197 School Board and education in general?
Our schools are the heart of our community. Beyond just educating our children, they’re centers of art, sports, culture, and community service, and getting the chance to experience and write about those things is constantly rewarding. I’m also a former teacher who comes from a family of teachers. I’ve been in the world of education all my life, and that background gives me the knowledge to put the School Board’s work in the context of what students and teachers experience in the classroom.
What’s been your favorite part of covering government meetings?
It’s fascinating to see just how much work from how many people goes into even the basics of government work. Something as basic as approving a redevelopment takes background work from city staff, careful review by the city attorney, and negotiations with developers, contractors, and regulators. Seeing all of that happen out in the open can make for a long meeting, but it’s also a great window into how our city actually runs.
You’re a supporter as well as a contributor. Why is local news worth supporting? What value do you get out of it as a reader?
Local media keeps us grounded and connected in a way that other media just can’t. I know my neighbors better, I’m more involved in my community, and I’m genuinely more optimistic about the world because of the West St. Paul Reader.
What do you love about West St. Paul?
There’s a lot to love, from our majestic water tower to our theme song, but I’ll give a shout out to our parks and recreation department. My son is having a blast with their summer activities.
Thanks for joining the team, Joshua!
