Eight vie for four school board seats

Eight local candidates are vying for four seats on the St. Cloud School Board this November. They are the following: Scott Andreasen, Al Dahlgren, Peter Hamerlinck, Shannon Haws, John W. Palmer, Jeff Pollreis, Monica Segura-Schwartz and Ric Studer. Seven of the eight returned questionnaires sent out by the Newsleaders. Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Scott Andreasen

Family: I live in the St. Joseph area. Sandi and I have been married 22 years. She is a psychotherapist. I have six children. Three are graduates of District 742 and have done well. Three attend high school in District 742. School-board decisions impact their lives.

Biographical background: I graduated from Minnesota State University-Mankato with a bachelor’s degree in social-studies teaching. I traveled overseas extensively. I was an insurance adjuster for 15 years. I have owned Scott Investigation for 24 years. I am fiscally responsible.

Highlights of education, jobs held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge: In high school, I lettered in wrestling and became an Eagle Scout. In college, I was a member of dormitory council. My travels include short-term missionary work in Jamaica. As an adjuster, I earned an associate degree in claims and was a member of the Central Minnesota Claims Association. I am currently a member of the Minnesota Association of Private Investigators.

Qualifications to serve as a school-board member: I have attended most school-board meetings and Board Finance Committee meetings for the past four years. I know the issues and players. I was a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and High School Solution Committee. I am currently a member of the Finance Advisory Committee and Community Education Advisory Committee.

Chief function of a school board member: The school board governs. It does not get involved in operations. It gathers information, makes and enforces policy. As a public body, its workings should be transparent. As an investigator, I am an expert at gathering information.

If the second attempt at a school bond isn’t approved, what would you take as the next step(s) to resolve the space problems in the district? Currently, there isn’t a space problem in the district. Four task forces during 20 years have recommended the replacement of Tech. It hasn’t happened. The district just keeps on patching it up. If the levy fails, patching will continue until the 1906 heating system fails and the school closes. Students will be moved to Apollo where they will attend in shifts. Tech and Apollo are obsolete. Unlike the homogeneous population of the past, a diverse population requires flexible learning spaces and commons to support college prep, career and technical education.

The district implemented many good ways to deal with the friction between Caucasian and Somali students at Tech. Are there other ways you can think of to lower tensions and foster harmonious interactions among all students? Somali culture respects education. It does not respect female authority. Charter schools have shown things run much more smoothly with Somali males as para-professionals to back up female teachers and to enforce harmony between races.

Have you examined the district’s policy regarding bullying? Is it adequate or does it need improvements? How would you change it? The state dictates bullying policy in Minnesota. There is little the board can do but implement it. In-school suspension has become common. I would push for the offender making reasonable restitution to the victim.

Everyone’s fear, of course, is the unthinkable: violence in schools. Do you think the district’s security measures are adequate? If not, which ways could they be reinforced? As a member of Apollo Site Council, I have been impressed by the intelligence system principals have developed. They really know what is going on and can lock the place down quickly. External security can be improved district-wide by controlling school access. Fewer doors and buzzer systems would be helpful. Kennedy is an excellent model.

Some people complain schools should get back to the ABC basics and too much technology and “frills” are taking over the basics. What would you tell those people? They are right and wrong. Technology makes much more knowledge available and encourages different approaches to solve problems. But it destroys socialization.

Are sports over-emphasized in schools these days? Extracurricular activities in general build great relationships. Athletics build good bodies and can teach good sportsmanship. Winning is nice, but there is a lot to learn in losing, too.

Students are under extreme pressures to achieve. Are there ways to lessen those pressures for them? Teach them to set priorities. In most situations, good enough really is good enough. Perfectionism is a killer.

Al Dahlgren

Family: Children Le Anna, Andrew, Alex and Luke.

Please give a brief biographical background

I have been a St. Joseph resident since 1991. I grew up in Roseville and attended Mounds View High School where my father was a teacher, coach and administrator.

Highlights of your education, jobs you’ve held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge:

I attended the University of Minnesota and graduated with a degree in agricultural business. I worked for the J.C. Penney Co. for 20 years in management and then worked for Winmark Corp. as a regional representative for 16 years. Concurrently, I opened the Once Upon a Child retail store in St. Cloud where I now focus full time.

Why are you qualified to serve as a school-board member?

I am currently clerk of the District 742 School Board. I am committed to honesty, transparency and common sense. I have served four years on the finance committee. I am currently chairing the board-development committee. I have chaired both the personnel committee and the integration and equity committee. I served on negotiation teams, community finance committee, community education advisory board, and I am the board liaison to Kennedy and Colts Academy schools.

What do you see as the chief function of a school-board member?

The role of a board member is policy governance, ensuring our administration is implementing a rigorous system of education meeting the needs of and challenging all children to become the best and brightest persons they can be. Board policies have to be fair to our administration and staff ensuring a safe and secure environment, willingness to listen and responsiveness situations calling for action.

If the second attempt at a school bond isn’t approved, what would you take as the next step(s) to resolve the space problems in the district?

The need for a bond referendum is more based on space allocation, configuration and curriculum than space needs. We need to convert our educational system to one that is in line with current educational best practices. We do a great job in District 742 preparing kids for college. We offer tremendous advanced-placement offerings. If a kid wants to learn, we will challenge them. Our district’s challenge is not all kids want to go to college. Many kids are hands-on-learners, much more interested in career and tech options than they are in post-secondary college opportunities. The current bond referendum would eliminate an old antiquated boxed classroom building and provide a flexible classroom setting in which we could add a hands-on career tech learning environment for all kids in the district. Working hand in hand with our business community, we could identify and prepare students for real jobs at real businesses. Our tools, equipment and work spaces need to resemble what kids will experience when they get out into the real world. Even students with college aspirations benefit from the application of hands-on, real-life learning experiences in combination with classroom learning. It bonds their education to life skills and gives it purpose and meaning. The old Tech is just not functional for this purpose. Apollo is, but it needs renovation. We cannot abandon these aspirations if the levy fails.

I served on one of the two listening groups established at Tech after the walkout. One of the biggest concerns of the group was the meetings could not result in any favor or special treatment for Somali students. Lack of understanding of cultures and customs on both sides can cause irrational fears and reactions. As the Somali culture assimilates into our schools, our board must assure our teachers and administrators have the tools and prioritize time to listen and guide students of both cultures, making sure they feel heard. I think we have taken major steps to improve interactions.

Have you examined the district’s policy regarding bullying? Is it adequate or does it need improvements? How would you change it?

Yes. We readopted a much stronger bullying policy in October of 2014 aligning us with the requirements within the Minnesota Safe and Supportive Schools Act. Because it’s statute, major changes are not really an option. As a board member, ensuring its full adoption and follow-through is of major priority.

Everyone’s fear, of course, is the unthinkable: violence in schools. Do you think the district’s security measures are adequate? If not, which ways could they be reinforced?

One cannot discount the need for safety in our schools. Maslow, in his pyramid of needs, makes safety a basic need for which no higher needs can be met until safety is achieved. Children cannot learn and teachers cannot teach if they do not feel safe. Our job on the board is to have in place exceptional resources to ensure our teachers can teach and our students can learn. Recently, we have added additional staff and resources to safety measures. We have updated several of our schools to ensure greater security from outside threats. We will continue to examine this and listen to our students, parents and teachers to ensure a safe environment.

Some people complain schools should get back to the ABC basics and too much technology and “frills” are taking over the basics. What would you tell those people?

We are no longer in a world where a teacher stands in front of 30 kids and teaches from a book, all at the same pace. Teachers in today’s classrooms have many students with varying needs. We need flexible spaces where teachers can teach different groups of students with differing needs at different paces. We need flexible spaces that one hour may be used for a math class but the next hour converted to an engineering lab. Students must understand technology. When a child leaves our schools they need to be prepared for the real world, whether that be college, Tech College or going straight to work in an auto shop, hospital or top-flight commercial kitchen.

Are sports over-emphasized in schools these days?

In St. Cloud schools, I don’t feel our budgets have allowed over-emphasis to occur. Sadly, we are ranked near the bottom in spending per student on activities and athletics ($198). Because of our district’s large (mandated, unfunded) special-education costs, we are forced to reallocate dollars, while other schools can spend more than double what we do. Activities keep kids busy and off the streets. They create bonds and lifelong friendships. I would like to see expanded activities and athletics opportunities in District 742.

We do need to look at the number and frequency of testing. It burdens teachers and kids. Teachers need time to teach lessons rather than program kids to test well. Parental, peer and societal expectations to achieve are a good thing. That is the foundation of motivation.

Please feel free to add any ideas or comments.

Children are one third of our population but 100 percent of our future.

Peter Hamerlinck

Family: My wife is Amy and together we have five children (all of whom have graduated or will graduate from Apollo).

Please give a brief biographical background: I was born in Wadena, Minn. and spent the majority of my growing-up years in St. Cloud. I’ve been a resident of the St. Joseph area for 20 years.

Pleases give highlights of your education, jobs you’ve held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge: I’m a proud graduate of Apollo High School and St. Cloud State University. My career has been primarily focused in sales and I’m currently employed by IVO Networks. I also work with the Activities Office at Apollo doing site management and public-address announcing. I’m a past president of the Kennedy Community School PTA. I’ve received the Volunteer Service Award from the Minnesota MS Society, Award of Excellence from the Minnesota Elementary Schools Principals Association, the Achievement in Education Award from the St. Cloud Morning and Noon Optimist Clubs and the Partners in Education Award from District 742.

Why are you qualified to serve as a school-board member? My experience as a PTA president and on multiple levy/bond committees provided me a base of knowledge as to how our schools operate. During my previous time on the Board, I was recognized as someone who was fair, balanced and truly interested in arriving at the right solutions. My activity with local and statewide legislators directly resulted in important funding for our District. I take the time to listen to students, parents and anyone with comments or concerns. I work to recognize and acknowledge both the achievements we’ve made and challenges we face.

What do you see as the chief function of a school-board member? A school board member is part of the group that establishes the policies of the District. Board members are responsible for high academic standards, transparency and accountability. Board members, along with district administration, establish a vision of high expectations that will lead to successful students.

If the second attempt at a school bond isn’t approved, what would you take as the next step(s) to resolve the space problems in the district? Should the bond not pass, the Board would need to work with the Superintendent as to next steps. Included in the next steps would have to be short-term solutions, long-term planning and “what if” (a boiler at Tech stops working for example) planning. Decision-making processes must include input from all aspects of the school district community with the leadership of the board and superintendent.

The district implemented many good ways to deal with the friction between Caucasian and Somali students at Tech. Are there other ways you can think of to lower tensions and foster harmonious interactions among all students? I believe for every negative incident that is relayed through the media, there are dozens – if not hundreds – of positive interactions among all our students. These are the positive things that happen every day and will continue to happen. As long as we continue to recognize and acknowledge these instances, we will continue to move to a positive school environment.

Have you examined the district’s policy regarding bullying? Is it adequate or does it need improvements? How would you change it? I have read Board Policies 514/514a that deal with bullying. They are complete and very specific. I see no changes that are needed. With that said, it’s the responsibility of school staff to make sure this policy is followed consistently and completely. There have also been efforts made in recent years reassuring students it’s OK to let a staff member know when they’ve been bullied. This is a positive step in the effort to eliminate bullying.

Everyone’s fear, of course, is the unthinkable: violence in schools. Do you think the district’s security measures are adequate? If not, which ways could they be reinforced? In recent years, much has been done in our schools to ensure security of students and staff. Main entrances have been made multi-layered, non-main entrances have been eliminated and security cameras have been added. As is current practice, we must continue to review and adjust as necessary the physical security features of our buildings. I would like to see all security cameras and recordings are digital (providing higher clarity) and that camera coverage is complete. We must continue to provide staff training in how to prevent and respond to emergency situations. I’ve been in a building during a lock-down drill and I felt the staff was very prepared and acted very appropriately.

Some people complain schools should get back to the ABC basics and too much technology and “frills” are taking over the basics. What would you tell those people? Technology has become the norm for so many aspects of our lives. It’s been and will continue to be part of everyday life. I’ve seen that in the classroom, technology (laptops, tablets and more) has become a piece of the puzzle for teaching the basics. Technology hasn’t replaced the basics but instead allows us options to help engage and educate in a way students can relate to. I’ve seen students who, when allowed to integrate technology, have become more active and interested in learning.

Are sports over-emphasized in schools these days? The short answer is no. I work a few days a week for the Activities Office at Apollo, either as a site manager or PA announcer. So I see a great number of practices and games throughout the year. What I see are kids who want to be there – they enjoy the teamwork and friendships. Student athletes also benefit from the structure sports present. I see coaches who help emphasize sports are just a part of the student’s high school life…the overall goal is to make them better prepared for life after high school. Our schools offer a wide variety of sports, activities and clubs, allowing our students the opportunity to participate if they choose to.

Students are under extreme pressures: homework; tests; extracurricular pursuits; all sorts of parental, peer and societal expectations to achieve – not to mention lack of sleep. Are there ways to lessen those pressures for them? First, parents need to be involved in all aspects of their child’s life – know what classes they’re taking, what their homework is, who they hang out with both in and out of school. Parents should expect easy communication between themselves and teachers. Students need to have someone, besides a parent/guardian, who they can feel comfortable talking to should they have problems. We need to make sure our schools are appropriately staffed with counselors and mental-health professionals.

Please feel free to add any ideas or comments. My pledge is this: I will be transparent in all my board work, acting in an open and honest manner. I will always speak the truth and monitor that my colleagues do the same. I will continue to earn your trust by being student focused, financially responsible and an advocate for our entire district.

Shannon Haws

Please give a brief biographical background: I was born and raised in St. Cloud, a community I value and love. My parents: Larry and Faith Haws. I have two sisters, Kelly and Colleen, and one brother, Ryan. My spouse, Tim, and I have four children: Zander, Haiden, Olivia and CrystalAnne.

Please give highlights of your education, jobs you’ve held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge: Bachelor’s degree in business management and human resources, St. Cloud State University; currently general manager of Comfort Keepers Home Care; also EBT Information booth organizer for the St. Cloud Area Farmers’ Market; and past experience as Head Start teacher and swim coach

Why are you qualified to serve as a school-board member? I am the mother of four children. My youngest daughter is a freshman at Tech High School. I am passionate about both education and our community. I am a thoughtful and pragmatic person. I am running on the campaign platform of “Community Solutions.” I think trust, transparency and a community connection are needed in our school-board leadership.

What do you see as the chief function of a school-board member? I see my role as a school-board member as one to continuously address the quality of education all of our students are receiving. The success of all of our students in turn will be the success of our community.

If the second attempt at a school bond isn’t approved, what would you take as the next step(s) to resolve the space problems in the district? I was part of the high school’s design committee and post-referendum listening sessions. The listening sessions provided an opportunity for our community to give feedback regarding what they liked and what they did not like about the referendum. From this feedback the school district has created a second proposal. I see four fundamental groups of voters. Group 1: Will most likely always vote no. Group 2: Will most likely always vote yes. Group 3: Votes yes because they like the proposal. And finally, Group 4: Wants to vote yes to a solution but dislikes something(s) about the proposal. If the referendum fails again, my recommendation is to ask Group 4 “What would it take you to vote yes?” rather than our current approach of asking them “Why did you vote no?” Then, most importantly, empower this Group 4 to create a proposal they would support. Take this proposal back to Group 3 and ask them if they would support this new proposal. This is a slightly different approach I believe could result in a solution.

The district implemented many good ways to deal with the friction between Caucasian and Somali students at Tech. Are there other ways you can think of to lower tensions and foster harmonious interactions among all students? Have school disciplinary actions transparent and equal regardless of race or gender. Hold all students equally accountable for rules regardless of race and gender. Find opportunities to foster cross-cultural relationships in daily active learning. Increase cultural education for all staff and students. Provide more options to educate all families on school-behavior expectations. Increase classroom parent volunteers. Continue attempts to recruit qualified, diverse job applicants so our students have greater exposure to role models of multiple cultural backgrounds.

Have you examined the district’s policy regarding bullying? Is it adequate or does it need improvements? How would you change it? Our school district has made diligent efforts to address bullying within our school buildings. Our ever-changing world requires our efforts to focus on cyber bullying. The idea of school and home being two separate spaces is not how our digital children view the world. Student-conduct policies need to be applied on and off school property. Our schools do not have the capabilities or resources to monitor social postings. We need to create an environment where students are encouraged to stand up to social-media posts that are hurtful to others. We need an atmosphere where students are comfortable reporting cyber bullying and where victim-blaming is nonexistent. All reports need to be taken seriously. It’s also our responsibility to teach Internet safety and etiquette.

Everyone’s fear, of course, is the unthinkable: violence in schools. Do you think the district’s security measures are adequate? If not, which ways could they be reinforced? Schools have made significant improvements on school security. Increased quality and quantity of cameras on the inside and outside of our schools would aid in making our schools safer for students and staff.

Some people complain schools should get back to the ABC basics and too much technology and “frills” are taking over the basics. What would you tell those people? We need to educate and prepare our students to be competitive and successful in today’s and tomorrow’s society. The ABC basics still exist and are the building blocks to our cradle-to-career responsibility. The ABC basics are an essential foundation to successful adults. The technology and “frills” are representational of our school district adapting to meet the needs of our changing world and ensuring our students have the knowledge and skills needed for all post-high-school paths.

Are sports over-emphasized in schools these days? No. In fact we need to increase student participation in our schools’ sports and extracurricular activities. These activities promote inclusiveness, break down barriers and keep kids connected to school. The activities play a vital role in promoting a sense of belonging and school spirit which in turn improves our graduation rate. Students participating in extracurricular activities learn time management and the activity involvement itself, aids in better choices of free-time usage. Students form friendships and benefit from interaction with positive role models. Students also are engaged in activities that will most likely carry into their adult life.

Students are under extreme pressures: homework; tests; extracurricular pursuits; all sorts of parental, peer and societal expectations to achieve – not to mention lack of sleep. Are there ways to lessen those pressures for them? There are some students who are heavily involved in activities and others who may have a little too much free time on their hands. These expectations and caseloads may be family value driven. Schools can aid in lessening pressures by scheduling distant competition (such as Moorhead) on Fridays and Saturdays rather than a school night. Also a team approach for core subject staff to communicate and structure tests and projects on different due dates would aid in lessening pressures and also improving results.

Please feel free to add any ideas or comments. Please visit my website www.shannonhaws.com. You can also find me on facebook: Shannon Haws for School Board. You can reach me by email shannonhaws@hotmail.com. My cell phone: 320-250-3893.

Jeff Pollreis

Please give a brief biographical background: My parents were Robert and Betty Pollreis. I was one of 14 children and grew up on Eighth Avenue N. in St. Cloud. I graduated from Apollo in 1978 and went straight into the U.S. Air Force for the next four years, serving our country. I married Lisa Klaverkamp from St. Augusta in 1987. We have three beautiful children – Shannon, Dustin and Thomas. Our entire family attended District 742 schools and we are proud of it.

Highlights of your education, jobs you’ve held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge: I graduated from the Security Specialist Technical School in the Air Force and obtained the rank of sergeant. Graduated from Pinellas County Technical College’s firefighting program, then the St. Petersburg Junior College’s Emergency Medical Technician program and attended general classes at SCSU. I have worked as front manager at Crossroads Perkins. The last 29 years I’ve worked for the Stearns County Sheriff’s Department in the Jail Division. My job title is programs and resources coordinator. I was nominated for the county Lifesaving Award, and for the Minnesota Jail Programmer of the Year Award three times. My Release Advanced Planning Group won Best Program of the Year in Minnesota, and several of my volunteers won best volunteers of the year for Minnesota. One of my past inmates I have helped won NCAAP Father of the Year Award.

Why are you qualified to serve as a school-board member? I help those employees and all people around me become the best they can be. I am trained in interpersonal communications – health realization, I am a union member and worked on contract negotiations as a team member for six contracts. I listen well, include all involved and seek out a win-win solution if possible. I am always a positive person. I am someone you can trust because I will earn it by both my actions and my words.

What do you see as the chief function of a school-board member? A school-board member should help establish a very clear long-term vision and policies for the school district, keeping in mind responsible spending, ensuring all efforts and resources directly impact the learning of all students. They should hold accountable themselves and the superintendent when these goals are not met. They do not micro-manage.

If the second attempt at a school bond isn’t approved, what would you take as the next step(s) to resolve the space problems in the district? Have building meetings where all the space needs can be accessed and see if there are ways to better use the limited space we do have. Check for any redundancies. Listen to all staff, parents’ and students’ input. We must think outside the box.

The district implemented many good ways to deal with the friction between Caucasian and Somali students at Tech. Are there other ways you can think of to lower tensions and foster harmonious interactions among all students? The district should have more meetings, socials, icebreakers, newsletters and events that invite in the parents and students attending our schools. Parents should lead by example and learn more about one another to realize how we are not different when it comes to caring about the future of our students. Prejudice is a learned behavior and is taught at home early on. It can be stopped and eradicated once and for all.

Have you examined the district’s policy regarding bullying? Is it adequate or does it need improvements? How would you change it? Yes. I feel the policy means well but lacks consistent enforcement. It states “After the investigation has been completed, the building principal shall take appropriate action consistent with the bullying policy.” What appropriate action? There should be spelled-out consequences for the most common violations of policy, no exceptions. All students should be treated equally.

Everyone’s fear, of course, is the unthinkable: violence in schools. Do you think the district’s security measures are adequate? If not, which ways could they be reinforced? I believe we need to continue putting in secure entrances in all our schools. Train all staff de-escalation skills. Have more cultural diversity training for staff, students and invite parents as well. I believe in proactive measures rather than reactive. I would hold accountable all students and parents starting with the small stuff before it leads to bigger things. Mutually earned respect greatly affects security in any setting, even in a jail where I work in. All students need to know they are accountable for their actions. I will bring my background in law enforcement and safety to the board.

Some people complain schools should get back to the ABC basics and too much technology and “frills” are taking over the basics. What would you tell those people? I agree the basics are very important. I also feel to ready our students for the world they will be living in, they must embrace new technology. There should be a balance. I would rather know how to find an answer than to have it memorized.

Are sports over-emphasized in schools these days? I do not feel sports are over-emphasized in schools. I believe sports, music clubs and any extracurricular activities should be welcomed and nourished these days.

Students are under extreme pressures: homework; tests; extracurricular pursuits; all sorts of parental, peer and societal expectations to achieve – not to mention lack of sleep. Are there ways to lessen those pressures for them? We are all under the pressures we put on ourselves. Learning time management would help the student in all of us. Less TV, more family reading time to our younger children. More scheduled family meals together. Accountability by parents and students on what needs to be done and when. We must conquer procrastination.

Please feel free to add any ideas or comments. I want to be your choice for a new voice, someone who will bring a law-enforcement background to the board. Someone who has seen every day how drugs, bad influences, poverty and broken families affect our youth. I will be a hard-working board member who has no hidden agenda. I will always listen to all parties involved and together we will find the best solution possible. I will work to keep all our neighborhood schools open and thriving. I will work to stop wasteful spending. I have attended all board meetings since I was elected to run. I also have toured almost all of our schools. I am serious about wanting to do a good job if elected and have been preparing myself for the possible work ahead. Thanks for taking the time to read this article about my views. To learn more about me, please see my website jeffpollreis.com or call me at 320-248-3436 and I will try to meet with you or your group.

Monica Segura-Schwartz

Family: I’ve been married for almost nine years to Troy Schwartz, a St. Cloud native.

Please give a brief biographical background: I was born in Bogotá City in September 1972. I am the only child of a single mother. I grew up living with my mom and three aunts. My extended family has always been close to me. While working as an electrical engineer (about six years) in Colombia, I came to St. Cloud State University in 2001 to improve in English. As I was doing so, I enrolled in the master’s program in social responsibility, (graduated 2008). Shortly before graduating, I started working at Catholic Charities, with individuals with developmental disabilities, and later became the manager for the Immigrant and Refugee Resources Department, a position I currently hold.

Highlights of your education, jobs you’ve held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge: Education: Electrical engineer degree from the Pontifical Xavierian University, in Bogotá, Colombia, and a master’s degree in social responsibility from SCSU. Sample of local boards: MCLA Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs, St. Joseph Church Parish Council and Hispanic Committee, St. Cloud Dioceses Parish Council, Create CommUNITY, GREAT Theatre, PERSEVERANCIA co-founder, District 742 Strategic Planning Core Team.

Why are you qualified to serve as a school board member? Because I really care about children, education and this community, and I have experience in boards and other governing bodies.

What do you see as the chief function of a school board member? The board’s function is to define policy, provide direction and assure accountability from the schools to their children, family and community. Board members represent the community in a team to embody the board’s main function. I believe in transparency and being present while consistently remembering that first and foremost our duty is to our children and our children’s success, safety and education above else. In summary, our chief function is to be attentive to community and work as a team to provide direction to the schools for the benefit of our children.

If the second attempt at a school bond isn’t approved, what would you take as the next step(s) to resolve the space problems in the district? To understand what the community wants from our schools and the “whys” of their vote. The bond is not only addressing limited space, it’s also addressing safety concerns, technology demands and in general how physical installations are competitive not only to hold our current body but to provide them with what is expected of high school education today and in the future. This is a community issue and as such we need to come to a solution as a community. My role will be to provide safe spaces for dialogue where we can hold tensions and move to solutions. I believe in our community and that we are able to come to a consensus, especially about the education of our children.

The district implemented many good ways to deal with the friction between Caucasian and Somali students at Tech. Are there other ways you can think of to lower tensions and foster harmonious interactions among all students? I propose looking deeply into the issue and considering all students while we foster harmonious interactions. White and Somali students are about 70 percent to 80 percent of Tech student body. Tensions are not exclusive of two ethnicities. It’s also important to continue to communicate achievements of the district and school not only in this area but in all others.

Have you examined the district’s policy regarding bullying? Is it adequate or does it need improvements? How would you change it? I have been part of the Safe and Supportive Schools Committee in the district since before the Law on Bullying passed at the state level. I am very familiar with the policy. The work of this committee has been in developing policy but also a process of addressing the issue at its roots. As a board member, I like to emphasize adult and community consciousness about bullying, so we are the example our children need to follow.

Everyone’s fear, of course, is the unthinkable: violence in schools. Do you think the district’s security measures are adequate? If not, which ways could they be reinforced? Security measures are always about enforcement, which is an act after the fact. These measurements will never be enough if there is no work on prevention, and fostering good and appropriate relationships. This task is more challenging than it sounds. We need to model a community of dialogue and compromise for our children to follow suit. At schools, I will advocate for and support spaces of reflection and fostering critical thinking to help children think before acting, reacting less, as well as to deal with their own feelings and tensions.

Some people complain schools should get back to the ABC basics and too much technology and “frills” are taking over the basics. What would you tell those people? Children learn in different ways and for some technology and “frills” may motivate them to excel, but for others it may just be the perfect distraction to avoid real learning. I believe children should be exposed to diverse ways of teaching because not all of them are going to complain with a chosen method.

Are sports over-emphasized in schools these days? Sports are very important and a good way to keep children engaged, and more. In the light of concern, I will look into what alternatives there are for children interested in other types of activities. I am a firm advocate for the arts, for example, and would like to see more and more arts explored and used in schools. Our challenge may always be a good balance of opportunities that provides enough choices to all.

Students are under extreme pressures: homework; tests; extracurricular pursuits; all sorts of parental, peer and societal expectations to achieve – not to mention lack of sleep. Are there ways to lessen those pressures for them? It’s important to consider all these pressures and to teach our students how to deal and cope with them. We are preparing children to be part of a world that moves faster than the one we are seeing now, with a storm of information to discern from many different sources and more diverse than what we’ve seen. Schools should provide a safe environment for students to learn to cope, to understand stress and to find ways to release themselves.

Please feel free to add any ideas or comments. I believe the board needs voices like mine. As an immigrant, a woman and a person who has worked as a family advocate in relationship with the schools, I kept waiting to have more representation of every sector of our community in the board. I felt the call to offer options in these elections. I also have been part of a number of committees during my career in St. Cloud and before coming to the USA, which has given me experience in the type of dialogue and work the board is set to do. I have experience on many boards. I am very patient, persevere and dedicated. I really care about children in our schools and community.

Ric Studer

Please give a brief biographical background: Born and raised in St. Cloud; 1966 graduate of Tech. Have lived on the West Coast and in the Twin Cities Metro area and returned to St. Cloud in 2002.

Highlights of your education, jobs you’ve held, memberships, honors received, special skills and knowledge: I have a bachelor’s degree in history and an associate’s degree in sound arts. I’ve been a professional musician, worked in hospitality-industry management and was a caregiver to my parents for 12 years. I have been, or currently am, a board member of Unite, CMSP, St. John’s Episcopal Church (three separate times) and the Central Minnesota Independent Musicians’ Collaborative. I am a published songwriter and have produced band and songwriter demos during the course of 15 years.

Why are you qualified to serve as a school-board member? Anyone is qualified to be a school-board member who has a passion for the future of our culture. I in particular am qualified because I have a unique ability to synthesize analytic deliberations into a short, simple and essential explanation and express that solution clearly.

What do you see as the chief function of a school-board member? The function of a school board member is to facilitate the development of our youth and interested adults to become happy, successful and productive members of society.

If the second attempt at a school bond isn’t approved, what would you take as the next step(s) to resolve the space problems in the district? Explore alternative plans to make the current location of Tech viable as a modern high-school campus and bring Apollo up to modern standards while concurrently refining and clarifying plans for building a new high school up to and including finding a different location. Any plans for a new school must be explained and heavily promoted by the school district in a more personal, conversational way.

The district implemented many good ways to deal with the friction between Caucasian and Somali students at Tech. Are there other ways you can think of to lower tensions and foster harmonious interactions among all students? Any social upheaval among students begins with parents, as parents are responsible for a young person’s world view and understanding of societal norms. Therefore, racial and ethnic sensitivity classes and/or seminars can be developed and provided for parents who wish their children to graduate. I realize this is a harsh solution and will be subject to intense resistance, but the issue has a harsh nature with intense resistance to change. This parental development would be mandatory for all parents of all racial, ethnic and religious persuasions.

Have you examined the district’s policy regarding bullying? Is it adequate or does it need improvements? How would you change it? I have not examined it.

Everyone’s fear, of course, is the unthinkable: violence in schools. Do you think the district’s security measures are adequate? If not, which ways could they be reinforced? The district is instituting new safety and security measures and I will wait to determine if they are working and adequate. To be fair they must be given time.

Some people complain schools should get back to the ABC basics and too much technology and “frills” are taking over the basics. What would you tell those people? While I agree renewed emphasis on the basics is desirable, the old-school approach was accompanied by deep parental involvement that is no longer prevalent. Therefore, even the basics must be augmented by modern and advanced teaching methods that reflect modern society. Jobs today involve group problem-solving using cutting-edge technology rather than individuals in cubby holes. Our educational process must reflect this or our matriculating and immediate job-seeking graduates will be at a distinct disadvantage.

Are sports over-emphasized in schools these days? Yes. Although they remain a viable learning experience, they must remain valuable as a teaching tool with less emphasis on community identity, recruiting and facility arms races. Academic and arts achievement should be brought on a par with athletic achievement through recognition programs and student assemblies for high achievers in those areas.

Students are under extreme pressures: homework; tests; extracurricular pursuits; all sorts of parental, peer and societal expectations to achieve – not to mention lack of sleep. Are there ways to lessen those pressures for them? Less emphasis on test scores and grades and more on life skills and personal development. Less busy work and testing and more time spent on cooperative problem-solving and development of critical-thinking skills. This will have the value-added effect of facilitating longer and less-stressed sleep. Once parents determine activities are safe, they should allow students to plan and participate in the extracurricular activities of their choice. Peer pressure has been part of the high-school experience since the neolithic age. I’m not certain anything can be done about that.