Pick two of the
four candidates for at-large seats
by Tesha M. Christensen
Get out and vote for three new school board members this
fall.
Two people are vying for the District 5 seat formerly held by
Alberto Monserrate: Jay Larson and Nelson Inz.
Also, there are four people running for two at-large seats:
Iris Altamirano, Rebecca Gagnon (incumbent), Ira Jourdain and Don Samuels.
Learn more about each candidate and their views below.
NELSON
INZ
Inz resides in Regina, and has been a high school social
studies teacher for the past six years at Great River Montessori Charter School
in St Paul.
Past
applicable experience: Volunteering at Washburn High School; substitute teacher in Minneapolis
and other districts; Minnesota Secondary Social Studies license at Hamline;
Great River Montessori Charter School in St Paul school board chairman of the
personnel committee; International Baccalaureate training in three different
disciplines and adolescent Montessori certified; active in DFL Senate District
62 for the last 8 years, serving on the central committee and as a precinct
chair, and volunteering on the campaigns of many DFL candidates; named change
maker of the year in 2006 by The Minnesota Women’s Press for work in planning
and implementing a successful strategy to raise the state minimum wage; created
“Minnesota Service Industry Workers Against Tom Emmer for Governor” in 2010, a
group which boasted over 3000 members, and helped turn the tide of the
Governer’s race; masters degree in Theater from Long Island University, and a
bachelor’s from Johns Hopkins University; endorsed by the DFL, Congressman
Keith Ellison, City Council Members Elizabeth Glidden, John Quincy, Andrew
Johnson, Alondra Cano, State Senator Jeff Hayden, State Representatives Jim
Davnie and Susan Allen, Park Board Commissioner Steffanie Musich, and others.
How
are you connected to Minneapolis Schools?
In addition to my work as a coach, volunteer and sub in MPS,
I have twin boys who are two and a half years old that will attend Hale/Field,
where my two nieces, who currently attend Washburn, went to grade school. My
sister and brother in law, Julia and Tom Arneson, have served on the site
councils and PTA at Hale, Field, and currently Washburn. I have many friends,
neighbors and colleagues who teach in, and have children that attend MPS.
Why
are you running for a position on the school board?
I’m running because I believe in public schools. I believe in
their ability to be an instrument of social change, and to make a difference
for our families, children, and communities. The current school board has
balanced the budget and passed an enrollment plan, but now we need to take the
next step. We have to reduce the achievement gap and keep families in
Minneapolis Public schools.
What
do you think are the strengths of MPS? What are the areas for growth?
MPS has a wealth of diversity, both in terms of students,
faculty, and programs available. Like all public schools, it is our duty to
provide the best education humanly possible to each and every student that
walks through the door of one of our schools, no matter who they are or where
they come from. In addition to being a strength, this is of course a tremendous
challenge.
What
do you propose be done to close the achievement gap?
We must better deal with the level of diversity in our
students. This means not only hiring a more diverse work force, but also making
sure our current faculty have the cultural competencies to teach our student
population. This includes sufficient bilingual educators for students to learn
in their first language, for example. In addition we must have sufficient
supports in place to make sure we not only attract, but retain, great faculty.
JAY
LARSON
Larson has been a Keewaydin resident since 2001. He works in
Funeral Service at Washburn-McReavy Funeral Chapels.
Past
applicable experience: I have been an active parent-leader for the better part of a decade or
since my 6th grade daughter started Kindergarten at Lake Nokomis Community
School. One of my proudest accomplishments to date for our community was
leading a group of parents, teachers and community leaders in the successful
expansion and remodel of the Keewaydin campus of Lake Nokomis Community School.
How
are you connected to Minneapolis Schools?
I am a parent of three children that attend Minneapolis
Community Schools at Lake Nokomis Community School. My daughter, Rose is in the
6th grade, second daughter, Lily is in the 4th grade and son, Toby is in 1st
grade. I currently serve as Chair of the Site Council for Lake Nokomis
Community School and represent all of Southeast Minneapolis school on the
District Parent Advisory Committee.
Why
are you running for a position on the school board?
I am running for School Board as I believe it is important
that experienced parents with children currently attending Minneapolis Public
Schools serve on the Board of Education. As a parent on the School Board, my
children, their fellow students, their teachers and my community have to live
with the policies that I vote/approve. In other words, “I have skin in the
game”. In addition to being a parent, I have years of experience serving at the
school district level and have been involved in Minneapolis Public Schools
outside of my kids’ school.
What
do you think are the strengths of MPS? What are the areas for growth?
It is an
exciting time for Minneapolis Public Schools in Southeast Minneapolis. The good
news is, is that enrollment is up...way up. The bad news is, is that we need
more facilities to handle the increase in enrollment. Communities are
reinvesting in their community schools and like me, we recognize that community
schools are the backbones of great communities. I want to advocate for that on
the Board of Education.
What
do you propose be done to close the achievement gap?
One of my goals as a School Board Director and suggestions in
helping to close the achievement gap is to see that community schools thrive in
areas all over Minneapolis. I strongly believe that if we can get parents and
communities to trust and believe in their community schools again, there will
be a return of students to those schools. We are seeing this reality in South
Minneapolis and it needs to become a reality in North Minneapolis. Families,
teachers, schools and communities want to trust in the Minneapolis Board of
Education.
IRIS
ALTAMIRANO
Altamirano resides in the Logan Park neighborhood of
Northeast Minneapolis. She is a full-time mom.
Past
applicable experience: SEIU Local 26 Political Director; Immigrant and Community Organizer;
Wellstone Fellow; Trilingual in English, Spanish, and Italian; city of Minneapolis
Commissioner of Civil Rights; and BS in City and Regional Planning,
Cornell University.
How
are you connected to Minneapolis Schools?
My son Carlos (3) and daughter Sophia (1) will soon be
students in Minneapolis Public Schools. As a mother and a community
organizer, I know we need to improve our public schools for all Minneapolis
kids. I am also deeply connected to the immigrant community and I know
that the success of students from these communities depends on having access to
strong, public schools.
Why
are you running for a position on the school board?
I am a janitor’s daughter who attended Cornell
University. I know the transformative power of education because I have
lived it. I believe that adversity doesn’t equate to victimization, rather
resilience. My personal experience combined with my professional
organizing background, makes me uniquely qualified to address the disparities
within our public schools. I am running for the School Board to close the
opportunity gap and to ensure that all Minneapolis kids have opportunities to
succeed.
What
do you think are the strengths of MPS? What are the areas for growth?
Minneapolis Public Schools boasts an incredibly diverse
population. Students of color comprise 68 percent of our student body and
English Language Learners comprise 25 percent of our student body.
Teachers, staff, and leadership within our schools are passionately committed
to the progressive values of our community. Our diversity and commitment to
progressive values is often times not reflected in policy outcomes, in part,
due to poor implementation and not including all stakeholders in our
conversations.
What
do you propose be done to close the achievement gap?
We must acknowledge that the polarized debate of union versus
reformer is silencing the families we speak of when we refer to the
“achievement gap.” For me, these “gaps” are not abstract concepts- these are
our kids. We must act collaboratively, thoughtfully and expediently. I
propose that we invest in early childhood education and fully fund the High
Five Program. We must also expand global and multilingual opportunities
for all kids.
REBECCA
GAGNON
Gagnon resides in Fulton. She is currently on the School
Board and is a full-time mom.
Past
applicable experience: incumbent at-large school board member, Board Treasurer, Finance
Committee Chair, Member of Teaching & Learning, Policy, Audit, and
Community Engagement Committees, Assoc. of Metropolitan School Districts
Executive Board Member, National Assessment Governing Board Member, and City
Planning Commissioner
How
are you connected to Minneapolis Schools: Current At-Large school board member, Mother of 3
(5th grader Whittier, Junior SWHS, Sophomore Loyola Univ.)
Why
are you running for a position on the school board?
Equity is at the center of my work on the board to achieve
academic outcomes not determined by race, socioeconomics, zip code, etc. I am
running for re-election to continue my policy and financial work that supports
equitable academic outcomes for all students. I also want to hold the district
accountable for quality implementation of work I’ve strongly advocated for like
our behavior standards policy, equity policy, balanced budget, and shifting
more resources to schools.
What
do you think are the strengths of MPS? What are the areas for growth?
We have seen gradual increases in achievement for most
students but accelerating growth is critical. MPS plans to refocus our
resources and decision-making around schools as the units of change. We must
engage and include all stakeholders in the success of our schools, building
partnerships and sharing resources to meet the diverse needs (both academic and
social/emotional) of our student population. Strong schools need the support
and flexibility to address the unique needs of our diverse neighborhoods.
What
do you propose be done to close the achievement gap?
Relationships are at the heart of my work and at the core of
achieving college/career ready academic outcomes for all students. From the
classroom to the boardroom, building trust from our broad stakeholder group
requires authentic engagement, informed decision-making, and quality
implementation. Our educators must build relationships with students to
individualize instruction and meet their diverse learning needs. Overcrowding
makes this difficult and our district is growing. Capital planning and fiscal
stability are crucial to addressing this issue.
IRA
JOURDAIN
Jourdain resides in East Phillips. He is employed by Human
Services - Father Project worker at Division of Indian Work.
Past
applicable experience: Parent of students in MPS since 2003. Served on the Title VII Parent
Committee that developed the first Memo of Agreement for Native American
Students in the district. Have been an active volunteer since children first
enter MPS.
How
are you connected to Minneapolis Schools?
Current parent of 4 MPS students, 2 high school and 2
elementary
Why
are you running for a position on the school board?
Concerned that our district is moving towards a more test-data
driven system and not focused on the well-being of the “whole” child and not
taking into account the needs of our children outside the classroom that affect
them inside the classroom. As a parent of elementary students, I would like to
see our children be children at that age but also given the tools to learn
effectively. As a parent of high school students to be sure that they are given
the tools to be college and career ready.
What
do you think are the strengths of MPS? What are the areas for growth?
Our cutural diversity of our students, their families and
staff is strong. District’s budget is balanced and we can move forward and be
more transparent as to how we spend our dollars effectively and efficiently.
The attendance campaign is a critical component that has had success and can
continue to build on. Of course our graduation rate for all students needs to
be improved. Our Special Ed services need better support as well as our
teachers in the classroom and educational support, freedom and flexibility.
What
do you propose be done to close the achievement gap?
Improve our wraparound-civic engagement services for our
students and their families across the district. As we have moved towards
becoming a more test-data driven district, we need to realize that many
students and families face issues outside of the classroom that directly affect
what happens inside the classroom and directly impacts attendane, behavior,
grades, test scores, etc. I work in human services with families across the
district and I have seen firsthand that with help outside the classroom our
families can succeed.
DON
SAMUELS
Samuels resides in Jordan, and is retired.
Past
applicable experience: I am the proud parent of four and have acted as tutor, mentor, and
volunteer educator to public school students for decades. From
1991-1993, I was a Board Member of The Saturday Academy, a tutoring and
education academy for African American 9th grade boys in St. Paul Public
Schools. From 1992-94, I was Chair of the Curriculum Committee
to the St. Paul School Board. From 2003-2014, I served as
a Minneapolis City Council Member, and as part of my work passed several
resolutions celebrating high achieving Minneapolis schools. In 2007,
I co-founded the Hope Collaborative, an initiative that brought the
leaders of top 10 performing inner city and low income schools from across the
country to Minneapolis to present their winning strategies. As
candidate for Mayor, I made education the centerpiece of my campaign.
How are you connected to Minneapolis
Schools?
My daughter attends Anthony Middle School. I have
tutored and mentored many MPS students, have worked for years with MPS and its
families to improve our educational outcomes, and have developed good
relationships with the Superintendent and many others in the district. As
a community activist and long-time resident of North Minneapolis, I have
witnessed the struggles of students and parents in finding high-quality
educational options and have witnessed the impact academic failure has on individuals
and communities. This is why I made education a centerpiece of my work on
the City Council and my campaign for mayor.
Why
are you running for a position on the school board?
While some great things are happening in MPS, much can be
improved. Only half of our students graduate in four years. Most students
aren’t being prepared for today’s jobs, let alone tomorrow’s. We have one of
the nation’s worst achievement gaps. These are moral issues and they are
also a threat to our economic future. There hasn’t been a sense of urgency on
the board about them. I will bring that sense of urgency.
What
do you think are the strengths of MPS? What are the areas for growth?
Our strength is in our people – we have a rich diversity of
backgrounds, many outstanding educators, and many dedicated students and
families. As Minnesotans, we care about education! However,
we’ve tolerated our achievement gap for too long. As adults, we ALL need
to work together with urgency – on the School Board, at the District, in
schools, and at home – and hold ourselves and each other accountable for
achieving equity and excellence in educating our children.
What
do you propose be done to close the achievement gap?
Teachers are the most
important in-school factor in student achievement - we must invest in and
adequately support them. Parents must be informed and empowered to take
ownership of student success. Schools must have flexibility to institute
measures that best suit their communities’ needs. Funding must be
allocated transparently and equitably. The School Board and MPS must
clearly communicate goals, use real-time data to track progress and improve
performance, and be held accountable for outcomes.
This story was published in the October 2014 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.
