[Music] Greetings. My name is Tina Cursstead and I'm a proud member of the League of Women Voters Dakota County and I would like to welcome you to this candidate forum. Please let me introduce our moderator, Lynn Lewis. Lynn is a trained moderator, an active member of our league, serving as a co-president, and a voter service co-chair. And we're honored to have Lynn moderating our forum today. Thank you, Tina. Good evening and welcome to the ISD 196 School Board Candidate Forum hosted by the League of Women Voters, Dakota County. We really appreciate the candidates for joining us tonight and we offer special thanks to the city of Rosemount for providing the venue and the cities of Apple Valley Farmington and Rosemont video operations for recording and broadcasting this events to residents across the district. We also acknowledge the other community TV stations in Dakota County that will be rebroadcasting this forum. We will also share the recording on the League of Women Voters social media platforms and provide it to the school districts school district and the candidates. The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan organization with a 115year history, is committed to empowering voters through education, engagement, and civic participation. We do not support or oppose any political party or candidate. League of Women Voters Dakota County aims to deliver unbiased information to voters irrespective of their political affiliations. This forum is a public service designed to offer you the chance to hear directly from the candidates about important issues. Please note that the views expressed here are those of the candidates and not those of the league. Our sponsorship of this forum does not constitute an endorsement of any candidate. We provide complete unedited recordings of our forums. Editing is permitted only for official media purposes and any excerpts or edited clips must be used for may may not be used for partisan or political purposes. Tonight, there are four candidates competing for three open seats on the 196 school board. There is also a special election this fall that was prompted by the resignation of a board member. there is only one candidate running for that seat. So per League of Women Voters policy of not holding candidate forms when there is only one unopposed candidate, we will not hold a forum for the second special election. We'll begin with opening statements given in alphabetical order. Each candidate will have two minutes for their opening statement. Closing statements will follow at the end in reverse alphabetical order with each candidate again having two minutes. The order of answering questions will alternate randomly among the candidates with each having 90 seconds to respond. Our timekeeper will signal with a yellow card when there's 15 seconds remaining and a stop sign when it's time to wrap up so we can move on to the next candidate. Questions for this forum were submitted electronically to the league and was were reviewed by our members for clarity. Additionally, some questions were created based on topics of interest identified in the community. Due to time constraints, we won't be able to address every issue that was identified. The form will include in about an hour. So, let's begin with opening statements. The order for opening statements will be Robin followed by Leah followed by Sakaladan and then Tracy. So Robin, good evening. I'm Robin Serio and I'm running for the District 196 school board to build on our district's successes while ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive. I'm committed to closing the achievement gap, celebrating the diversity in our communities, and improving graduation rates. I've lived in Egan for over 24 years with my husband and two daughters. Our girls began their education at a charter school in St. Paul, but when that no longer felt like the right fit, we moved them to District 196. And it's one of the best decisions we've made as parents. My own path through education or through school was far from traditional. I struggled to finish high school and I found direction at Normandale Community College. I went on to graduate Sumakum Laad from St. Katherine University with a degree in art education and a minor in English literature. and then I later earned my masters in art history from the University of St. Thomas. Education runs deep in my family where a long line of teachers, reading specialists, and administrators, including my grandfather, who capped his career as director of finance for Iowa public schools. My priorities are making sure every student feels safe and supported, closing the achievement gaps that all students have the same opportunities, and preparing every graduate for success. I also want to celebrate the diversity in our schools. It's one of our greatest strengths and something that makes public education so powerful. I bring experience to the board in several ways, including service on another school board, deep volunteering experience in 196 on a variety of advisory councils and parent leader groups, along with board service on other nonprofit boards, including the Minnesota Children's Museum. Most importantly, I bring a commitment to listening, collaboration, and keeping students and teachers at the center of every decision. I'm running because I know the difference public education can make and I want to make sure that that's available to every student in our community from our earliest learners to our K12 students and those who take community education or adult basic education classes. Together we can create a future where every student is empowered to succeed. >> Thank you, Leah. >> Hello, my name is Leah Gardner and I am a proud member of the District 196 school board. I've been in that role for approximately a year and a half and in that time I have learned so much and I've become even more passionate about what I hope to achieve in this role. Um when we talk about our mission to educate, develop and inspire our students for lifelong success, that needs to mean all students. Um so that means making sure that every student has what they need to be successful. That's why I recently led the charge to uh pass the hunger-free schools um issue where we secured uh free school meals for all students. And that's why we must ensure that our schools are a safe and welcoming environment for our BIPOC and our LGBTQ plus students and really all students. And that's why I'm committed to supporting better communication so that our special education families and differently aabled students are all getting the supports that they need. Long story short, I'm committed to finding new avenues to consult with parents, youth, staff, uh, and the community just to make sure that we're growing and always learning what our community needs so that as schoolboard members, we can do what we um what we do best, which is advocate for uh the community. Thank you, S. Coen. Well, uh, good evening. Uh, just wanted to take a quick minute to say thank you for the League of Women Voters, uh, of Dakota County and everyone that's watching. Uh, my name is Sakawian Muhammad. I'm honored to serve on the ICD 196, uh, school board. I'm running for reelection because I believe deeply in the power of public uh, education to transform lives because it transformed the mind. Uh I came to this country about 30 years ago as a refugee uh and uh uh public schools open doors that changed my future. Um committed to helping open those doors, the same doors for every child in our district. Uh about my qualifications, I bring over 20 years of public finance experience uh including leadership roles at the Minnesota State government and multiple multiple uh local county governments where I manage the multi-million dollar budgets and capital improvement projects. I'm a certified uh government financial manager and I'm in I'm also an certified internal control editor. uh have completed extensive leadership and both training uh through the Humphrey uh policy fellowship and Wilder Foundation as well as MSBA statute all the board required uh uh trainings on the board. I've helped uh hire superintendent expand and modernize our school our school facilities uh for safety and address overcrowding uh approve a critical uh funding and also advocated for more diverse educator workforce. I've served as a clerk u and a treasurer before and also key uh committees pretty much all the committees that the district has. of SEO. I've always focused on a fiscal responsibility and student centered uh uh uh student centered policy. I'm a parent of six including current students, recent graduates and also preschooler. I I live the realities of uh our schools every day. I'm proud to be a voice for our families all. Thank you, >> Tracy. Thank you for having me. I really appreciate being here. The great Dr. Bell Hooks once said that when we love children, we acknowledge by our every action that they have rights that they are not property and because we are the adults that it's up to us to protect their rights and respect and uphold them. Dr. Bell Hooks was a proponent of inclusion and creating community and I as a doctor of education also promote inclusion in the creation of community. As a doctor of education leadership, I pride myself in using systems thinking and in using systems thinking, I realize that adults are static in the system and that systems were made for students, namely school systems. I also use salt action leadership and that's where I reflect on my own leadership style and the impact that it makes on other people, namely students in our community. As a voice for the community coming from Rosemont, I realize I bring a special and uniqueness to the school board. Rosemont is a rural community that is progressive and is everchanging. And as our entire district honors all of our students and promotes the success of all of our students, I believe that I would be the strongest fit for school board because I actually work in school systems. This is my 25th year of being an educator and I have real experience and real results for our students and for our schools. Thank you candidates. Now we'll proceed to questions. The response order for the first question will be Sakawadan followed by Tracy, Leah and Robin. And the first question is what are two or three strengths of which this district can be proud? So Cowadan >> I think uh that's a good question. Uh there is a lot that district our district uh should be proud about but one or two or maybe three that I could list is that the uh the dedication of our educators. We have a high impact um dedicated educators and uh this is what really makes our district uh uh as a uh district of choice for many. So that's a great strength. The other thing is parent engagement, community engagement. It's a lot. I think that's uh uh something that we should be proud of. And our also our students students are really performing well and they're at the center of it. So, I think those are huge strengths that we should be proud about. >> Thank you, Tracy. >> Um, there are a lot of things that I think that 196 could be proud of. Two that really stand out to me. One is how the district does use QMP and the professional development services that come from the state of Minnesota. I really appreciate the fact that they have recently pulled on preK through five instructional coaches. And as a former instructional coach, I understand how coaching directly atties to student achievement. So I know that the test scores that came out for the MCAs were not very high. Um, you know, it came out as a 53.3%. However, I really feel with professional development and coaching that we would be able to bridge the achievement and equity gap for that. Um, another thing that I really appreciate about our district is the fact that we do have magnet schools and we do have a STEM track that goes through. Right now in the United States, only 28% of STEM careers are made towards women. So, I'm truly hoping that our district can continue to follow those initiatives so that women can be and other historically excluded group members can be a part of STEM careers. >> Leah, you know, as was said, I think that we are a really wonderful district and we have a lot to be proud of. Uh, one thing that I would note off the top is our uh, fiscal stability. We have gotten awards for fiscal transparency and I and I think there's just a lot that goes into a district of this size and making everything balanced and keeping um, keeping an eye toward the long term and making sure that we're able to ride out good and bad years. And I think especially right now with, you know, headwinds potentially in terms of funding for a budget from other levels of government, I think it's I think we're in a really good position. Nothing that we want to take for granted, but um I think we're doing quite well. Um, also we have a variety of opportunities for our students and you know this is is something that we really pride ourselves in but you know all different types of learning opportunities where we hope every student can find their individual strengths and passions. Uh, and a lot of different opportunities too to set our high schoolers up for success in their next moves uh, whatever career choices they might be making. And then lastly, I would just say our um our test scores and all of those data points are really above state averages. And that's not to say that that we don't have room to improve, but overall I think that that our performance outcomes show that we're doing quite well. and Robin. >> Um, I sort of love this question um because I think our district does a lot of things very well and one namely is our AAA philosophy of arts, academics and athletics. Um, I was appointed to the school board in January and I was able to attend graduations and as part of that I heard one of our principles say there should be a fourth A which is activities and going off of what Leah said that really does allow every student to find their place and to find their people. So I think that's definitely a strength of which we can be proud. Another thing uh benefit of being on the schoolboard is that you get to do school visits uh going to the elementary, middle, and high schools along with our transitions plus and um other learning centers. And one of the things you see on those school visits is the dedication of our teachers, our administrators, our nurses, how much they work well together for the betterment of our students at every level. So those are two strengths I think we can be proud of. Thank you. >> Thank you. And the response order for our next question will be Leah followed by Robin, Tracy, and Sakawadan. The second question is, how has your participation in community activities and your professional experience prepared you to serve as a school board member? Leah. >> So, my day job, in my day job, I um have worked in the nonprofit sector basically throughout my whole career helping people who are struggling to make ends meet and over the past 10 years really focusing on uh the hunger relief uh community. And I a a big part of what I do every day is um make sure that we're engaging the voices of marginalized communities so that we can best understand um how to how to move forward with with the best solutions possible. So that's something I'm really passionate about um and have a lot of experience doing in my day job. Um my work is also advocacy focused in terms of hunger relief and um really my roots of that started as a community organizer. So, I feel like I'm I'm struggling even to have all the words for how much it means um and and how much of my entire focus in my life has been um engaging in community and making sure that we're building community, that we're making spaces welcoming for everyone. Uh, so I think that that is absolutely a strength that I bring into the school board is making sure that we're not just using one or two ways, but we're finding new ways to bring in new voices to make sure that we're getting all of the input that we need to serve all of our students. >> Thank you, Robin. Um I have been involved in our district uh as a volunteer for about seven um plus years in a variety of ways. I've served on PTO's. I've served on site councils and booster clubs. That gives me a very good idea of what's happening at the school levels. I've served on parent leader groups working with the superintendent. I've also served on the community education advisory council as both vice chair and chair, the equity and inclusion advisory council along with the curriculum and instruction advisory council as just an example of some of the volunteering I've done in the district. Um, as a board member, I've served on a variety of nonprofit boards and both operational boards and strategic boards. An operational board does really get into the weeds of an organization and a school board is very much a strategic or governance board. and my experience on boards such as uh the Minnesota Children's Museum board along with others gives me a good view of that delineation between um a strategic board versus um a more operational one. The Minnesota School Board Association has a great graphic that explains what a school board does. And I I just think it's wonderful because I understand that on the school board, my vote is one of seven. It's not my agenda. It's how I have to collaborate with my other board members in order to move forward and come to consensus. >> Tracy, um, my participation in community activities has been extensive. I'm really lucky that my HOA is right next door to the superintendent's office, so I even go over there and pick up garbage for them um because it might blow into our association or into the lake as well. Um, I've been I'd served as secretary for my homeowners association for about four years and then I was acting president as well. Um, I just recently stepped down since I am campaigning for school board. I felt like I needed to give up some kind of responsibility, which was really a big disappointment because um you know, working on budgets and analyzing budgets and understanding how people on a fixed income feel about tax increases and property tax increases and that kind of thing, especially when it goes to schools and school systems, has been really significant for me to have a voice for them and to be a voice for them as well. Um, I also served as a pension action leader for the state of Minnesota. So, even though I come from California and my years of teaching out there don't count, um, I still felt it was so necessary that teachers should be able to retire at an adequate time. Um, namely, you know, this was 6030 what we pushed for and for me it would be 6535 when I would finally get to retire. But I don't think that retirement's going to be in my wheelhouse anytime soon. Cowardan. >> Yes. So, um I mentioned in my opening that I'm a proud father of six kids and I have attended countless many school activities and um through uh throughout the years I attended many graduations uh all the events that uh all the volunteer events that the school puts together. So at one point I used to interface at least the four different uh schools in all levels. So uh my involvement has been deep in that way just doing my dad duties alone that was that but my day job I've know I've been with the state and state government and I've been all around the policies and policy making uh put together legislative uh proc you know legislative recommendations multiple different agencies over the years I have been active and also I've been appointed by um multiple governors to serve uh serve Minnesota uh which is pretty much run all the Americanore programs approved the budgets that way. I've been in different um uh nonprofits that I can uh not list here. So I've been I'm a believer of uh uh public service. So that's uh my involvement has been deep in that. I believe all those experiences really help. I've closed and open um uh uh fiscal years and that finance background serves me well and also my community involvement throughout my kids and also the board experiences that I've done and the trainings that I've done over the years serves me well and prepped me to be an effective school board member. Thank you. >> So, let's break things up now by going to a lightning round. will ask you a question that requires just a yes or a no answer. And the response order for the lightning round question will be reversed alphabetical order. Tracy followed by Sakawadan, Leah, and Robin. And the lightning round question is, do you support creating a Spanish immersion quest program in ISD 196? Remember, just a yes or no answer, Tracy. >> Yes. >> I would say yes. >> Yes. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. So now we'll go on to the third question which the order for response is Tracy followed by Sakawadan, Robin and Leah. And the third question is please explain your response to the lightning round question why you would support or not support a Spanish immersion program and if you do support it how would you fund it? Tracy. Um, the reason why I said yes to supporting a Spanish immersion program is because of coming from San Diego and living right at the border of Mexico. Um, I wouldn't say I'm fully proficient in Spanish, but I know quite a bit. And what I've really seen is students that are multilingual learners have significant success in schools. Um, I do get concerned about the students in 196 again when I look at the test scores and I really feel like there's going to be a significant impact on MLS's on multilingual learners. So creating schools like Spanish immersion schools to me are just the first step. I would like to see a Somali immersion school as well come into the district and any other languages that are honored Mong immersion school as well. One of the ways that it could be funded um would definitely be by restructuring just within the school district itself. Other ways that it could be funded as well or by specific groups that support Spanish immersion programs, different service agencies even in Minnesota and those servant agencies that work with the federal government. Um there are also many companies like I just think of 3M for example they would be interested in funding something like this because this would promote their international relations that they have with other countries. So I definitely support Spanish immersion programs. I work in a district now that has one as well. It's been highly successful and it has really helped our district um that I work in to retain students and that's what I want to do for 196. >> Is it Cyn? >> Yes. So uh the reason why I say yes is that as a district we have a strategic goal. If you have seen our strategic goals pretty much says that we are you know equity and inclusion is really important to us being uh inclusive basically is why I'm saying yes we already have a program and all our students we need to target if there's a needs uh in a huge segment in in our student population why not provide and meet uh you know equitably uh provide those needs but uh how to fund it is the other thing. So I think we have some pilot project at some point we have some programs that we have looked at it and the thing is that with the uh limited funding and the budget is what usually uh puts it puts it you know harder so I'm not sure how we're going to fund it uh so it is something that we have been looking and uh yes I support it in general because that's what you know inclusive uh district does. So, thank you, >> Robin. >> Um, I did say that I would support a Spanish immersion program within our schools. Um, and the reason for that is, um, at our schoolboard meetings, we have public comment from the community. And we also have opportunities for smaller groups of schoolboard members to get together to hear from the community. They're like community feedback sessions. And in one of those, relatively recently, a very impassioned group of parents and teachers came to speak about this very thing. and they gave, you know, all of their reasons behind it. I'm a firm believer in it. My niece and nephew went through a French immersion program in St. Paul and I know how powerful it can be to have these programs. The the one issue is the funding as Saken mentioned. And through that community feedback session, I know the superintendent was talking with those parents and teachers of what could that possibly look like? Could it be that it's more easily funded if you house that within an already existing school? you don't stand up a whole new school that's a complete program, but just within an already existing school. Um, with my niece and nephew school, I saw that, you know, everyone spoke French from the janitors to the lunchladies to, you know, everyone in that community, which helped that emerging piece. And in order to make that more available in our district and more easily funded, it would be better to have it just a smaller program within an already existing school. >> Leah, yes. So, I think this is a really important opportunity for us to keep talking about as a district. As was already mentioned, I think that um there has definitely been interest demonstrated from the community on this topic. Uh, what I have found the most interesting is when I've been out door knocking in community and I've had this come up from Spanish-sp speakaking families. And I will admit that was the first time it clicked for me that this is about if your first language is Spanish, think about having to learn to read in your second language. And so when we look at where we have gaps in achievement um you know I think as soden said this is really in line with our equity priorities. Um and so it is it is a matter of funding and how to make this fit within all of the many things we have going on in this district. So, um, you know, and I and I talked to, uh, a Spanish emerging teacher actually in another district and kind of said, you know, any lessons learned. Um, and one thing she said is you don't want to dip your toe in without a long-term plan. So, if you have a a pocket of an elementary school going, well, you want to see those students all the way through their career. Um, and in district 196, we tend to really think things over. Um, we don't just jump in. So, I think this is going to take further discussion and exploration, and I and I absolutely hope we get there. >> Thank you. The response order for the first question or for the fourth question will be Robin followed by Leia, Tracy, and Sakaladan. And our next question is, each time a tragic school shooting occurs in our country, there are calls for increased safety measures in schools. What actions would you support be taken by the school board to increase safety in our schools? Robin, >> thank you. Um, I had a feeling something like this might come up considering the recent shooting at Enunciation. And um I'm happy to say that our district was thinking of this um some time ago with our bond referendum where we um created safe uh vestibules in or secure vestibules in all of our schools along with the software for checking people in uh buzzers to allow people in which is just a a way to pause things that might happen. I know from talking with our safety and security people that there is a lot going on that we don't talk about publicly in our schools to make sure that they're safe. But at our board meeting last night, we just had a presentation on different sensors that are being put in our buildings, how we're putting um there was a lot of thought into how intruders are getting into buildings. And that's through doors that are unlocked or propped open. And we're create uh putting sensors on all of those doors to make sure that if a door is propped open or unlocked, something goes off pretty quickly and alerts administration so that the door can be closed. So I would just continue I would support us continuing to think about these things um as unpleasant as they may be um and continue to do the work. >> Leah, yeah, thank you so much for this question. And uh as I was preparing for tonight, I was able to find my notes from preparing for last year's forum. And it broke my heart that this came up because there were shooting. There was a school shooting the day of this forum last year. This has been going on and getting worse for far too long. Um as a parent, I share the heartache and anxiety that comes with it. It was my son's first day of school when the annunciation shooting happened and I was standing out there waiting for him to get off the bus because I just had to see him. Um, it's not something that schools can address alone. I think, you know, when we talk about multi multiaceted issues like this, we need multiaceted solutions. So, I will say that more needs to be done. That includes more access to mental health and sensible gun laws. I will say that I am so proud that our students took leadership on exactly that. Um there were recent walkouts and we've had students uh I was able to attend a follow-up conversation between a group of student leaders and um and state and a state legislator on this topic and they are so thoughtful and impressive on what they what they want to see happen and they're unwavering um in the call for uh gun laws but also mental health. It's both. Mhm. >> Tracy, >> every day that I walk into my job, I'm afraid for my life and for my students lives. Every single day. Um I became a teacher right after Coline happened. Um to live in that kind of fear every single day at your job is taxing um on you emotionally and physically. Um there are nights that I don't sleep. There are nights that my students don't sleep. school shootings are at such a big level. Um we need an amendment to an amendment. And when I think of the fact that we have a tech levy that is going through for 196 soon, um I think of different programs that are out there, for example, like the SAS Halo system. And that is a system where it puts a perimeter about a mile outside of a school and can pick up on any kind of weapon that would be coming into the school system. um a sensor goes off and it it literally shows where the person is, what they have on them because it can pick up on infrared. Stop it solutions um is another consideration. Again, I've seen their I've seen their devices work and it's where the teacher can control or hit a button and that's to an alarm a school system. So, I really hope that we can start to pull from technology that maybe isn't a priority right now and that we can concentrate on pulling in technology that is because if our students and teachers are afraid to go to school and afraid to be in school, then they aren't learning and they aren't working successfully for a future for our country. >> Cowardan. >> Yeah. Um, I was just doing some thinking here. Uh um safety is a top priority for me as a parent. There's no time that my kids and I talk about uh safety. I mean every time. Um one thing is that also safety is non-negotiable. Uh it's safety is something that is really really important. I agree with um Leah um to the the point that we need multi-layered approach and safety is everybody's responsibility. I think we need to come together and uh uh and support our students. I mean every student deserves a safe learning environment. The staff deserve to have a work that's safe. For us as a parents also deserve peace of mind that our kids are learning and they're safe in their schools. And with that said, I think it's really important that we need to have that um multi-layered approach. Um and the other thing is that the multi-layers to me means a lot is that I mean there has to be partnership there has to be connections uh meaning students have to you know get involved mental health support they invest continue the investments that we have done to our buildings and things like that. So but I think there's a lot work to be done um and I literally support our students and for their voice in this as well. Thank you. >> Thank you. The response order for our next question is Sakawadan followed by Tracy, Robin, and Leah. And our next question is, in November, ISD 196 will ask voters to renew and increase an expiring technology capital projects levy. The levy would provide approximately $15.5 million annually for the next 10 years for educational technology, security technology, computer science education and technology infrastructure. Do you support this levy? Why or why not? >> Yes, I absolutely support the levy because if you look at today, it's really technology is an important aspect of education delivery. I mean a lot of the learning goes through um through technologies not only the 101 devices but also the future uh careers all demand they demand uh better technology. So I think I support it is part of our education system. I think it is a right investment. It's not only investment to the education in the classroom. I think it is and absolutely believe it is investment to the future. So because of that, I 100% support it. >> Tracy, >> I absolutely do support the levy and I know I had started to talk about it in the last question um mainly about safety and security. However, if we want students to compete on a global level, we do need to make sure that our technology is up to date and is upgraded. Like my own personal computer is about 15 years old, but my school computer is so much nicer and I do appreciate that a lot. Um, I know for technology upgrades, it would be, you know, making improvements to student Chromebooks and iPads as well as to staff and, you know, even district technology that they use as well. Um, just simple things like people don't consider the things like marquees and signs and everything else that would be considered in the technology budget. And I know there are some community members that really push against it because they feel like technology is being overused and people are on devices too much, namely students. But it's about creating a balance in the classroom and creating policies that support that kind of balance as well. >> Robin, I absolutely support the tech levy. Um, and the reason why I support it is technology isn't going away. Technology is a part of our lives. Um, and it is for all students from our kids who are going straight into career fields such as auto mechanics to our aviation programs that are are focused at some of our high schools, our robotics programs, our art students. All of them use technology that is provided and will be provided by this levy. Um, I fully support it. Leah, >> a lot has already been said and so I don't want to necessarily repeat um too much, but I will say that you know that it our technology is core to our curriculum and to preparing students for their futures. Just to just to say a little bit more of the mechanics of this, this is a renewal and a modest increase. So what that means is that if we don't re the renewal part means we're going backwards um approximately 9 and a half million if we don't do this. So, we will be cutting if we don't pass this. Um, maybe not in technology, but because I don't know that we can possibly go without um that as as so intertwined in our curriculum right now, but we'd have to make other painful cuts. And what it comes down to in terms of the modest increase is I think someone ever something everyone can relate to, costs are going up on everything. So, that's true for us as a district. And as I mentioned earlier, I'm afraid we're going to see, if anything, cuts from federal and state uh supports in general. So, we can afford to absorb um a cut. So, we absolutely do need to have um a renewal and a modest increase to be able to continue providing the services we are right now. >> Thank you. Okay, let's uh break things up again by going to another lightning round. We'll ask you a question with a yes or no answer. The response order for the lightning round will be um Robin followed by Leia, Tracy, and Sakaladan. And that lightning round question is, do you support the district's current boundary adjustments to address overcrowding? >> Yes. Yes. >> Yes. Yes, I do. >> So, our our next question, which will be Leia, followed by Robin, Sakawadan, and Tracy. The next question is, explain your response to the lightning round question. Do you support the district's current boundary adjustments to address overcrowding? Leah, >> yes. So, um, you know, I was on our board at the time where we were having to dig in on this and I know that, you know, we're talking about moving uh moving where families may have deep connections to to their schools. So, I I'm aware that, you know, for some families, this was a big change. Uh but when we talk about the level of crowding that we that we were starting to experience in some parts of the district while in other parts having schools that frankly aren't efficient anymore um you know aren't fiscally um efficient anymore but then also not being able to offer all of the wraparound services that we need because it just doesn't make sense with a lower population. there's just a lot of reason that we want to provide a consistent experience for all of our students. And so that does involve a shifting and we don't take that lightly. Um it really was the administration that that spent a ton of time looking at population changes, forecasting those out, and really thinking this through so that we don't have to do boundary adjustments more often than necessary. But I think that what we did uh recently was absolutely necessary. >> Robin, >> um to Leah's point, I know some of our current adjustments were um hard for some families, but I do think our district did a good job of trying to communicate and listen to feedback. Um excuse me. One of the things that I mentioned school tours earlier and I was able to tour Rose Mount Elementary uh relatively recently and with the principal and he just said compared to last year we can breathe. >> You know, it's you know uh the class sizes are more reasonable. You know, we're not just crammed in every nook and cranny of this school. Um so I think that's a positive for all students that they're getting more space to move. Um, a little inside baseball of the district, and I just know this because I was on parent leader groups and um, other uh, booster clubs and things is that the district does use a demographer whose name is escaping me, but they've used her for a long time to predict trends. So any changes are very thoughtful and they take a lot of time to make them. They try and predict where things might happen so we can prepare for them so decisions aren't made in a vacuum or quickly. So I do um think the adjustments were necessary but also very thoughtful and considered. >> Yes. I mean both uh uh Robin and Aaliyah saw um what they said is really accurate is what I was thinking is that uh when I first got elected and I was running uh I went uh I talked to parents as I was door knocking and even when I got elected this was question that was right on the table every time asking us why the districts is not proactive. We see the district is growing one area. But then I went to Rosemont for the school my first school visit and I it was right on I think we had a legislative uh advisory board meeting. When I looked at it the hallway was really crowded overcrowded. It's not good for anybody. I mean uh we you know students deserve better. Learning happiness at the schools our schools have to be safe not overcrowded. larger class sizes is also impacted slanted. We know that and just going to what exactly um parents were telling us, you know, we were supposed to address that overcrowded. I know some of that just means that that was done. It come through input and the district did good communicating that. But at the end of the day, the big issue that we had to address was overcrowding and um and that's why I uh said yes that just I support them uh given that uh some parents were you know not you know they were connected to their schools the areas but the overcrowding was much more important in address. So >> Tracy, >> um I support this because restructuring for any kind of group or company is absolutely crucial. And when I think about the fact of students being in classrooms that were over capacity in buildings where students were at over capacity, um those students were in an inequitable situation for education. And I think about students from historically excluded groups, namely students who are in special education, namely multilingual learners. Um I know that they were not being serviced the way that they needed to because of the overcrow crowding. Um that teacher ratio to students was just it was it was saddening. So if we want again if we want students to compete on a global level um restructuring and resoning within school districts is absolutely necessary so that students can receive the appropriate services from working with special education teachers to working with a counselor and even getting that teacher time one-on-one so the teacher can develop social capital with the students and make those lasting relationships so that students are pushed more for academic success and are not concerned about the overcrowding in their own classroom. >> Thank you. The response order for our next question will be Tracy followed by Sakaladan, Leah, and Robin. Our next question is, do you believe the district's current academic programs are meeting the needs of diverse learners, particularly in the area of reading proficiency? Why or why not? And if not, what improvements could be made? Tracy, >> um, you know, this is a really tough question. I could say yes and I could say no to this. Um, you know, again, looking at the reading scores, they came out to 56.7% with reading scores that low, students cannot compete on a global level. I mean, and when you look at the demographics breakdown of those students as well, it's students from historically excluded groups. So I think that even though the read act went through last year, one of the things that I'm very concerned about is mathematics and I recently wrote an article for education allies about um how high standards are absolutely necessary for mathematics as well. Um the 2025 state of the student report came out and it talked about how college professors are even saying that students are lacking reading and critical thinking skills and analysis skills going into college. So um as a K12 system, we need to be preparing our students much better. I know from No Child Left Behind and the COVID pandemic, teachers stopped teaching things like social studies and science to only concentrate on reading and math. But again looking at the math scores and the science scores like students just can't compete on a global level. So if long as we start going crosscontent with reading I think that that could be a good route to improve the achievement gap. >> So Cardan. >> Yes. So um I think as a district uh we are um we the AAA philosophy is a district of choice and we are doing academically we're strong in many ways but then uh since the pandemic we have been doing some catching up. some sense that you know some of the scores uh uh and the data has been pointing that uh this is issues with around the state that after the pandemic people had to do some catching up and uh I believe uh I'm one thing that I'm proud of is that we're looking at the data now we have a a data coordinator uh we're we're we're kind of a every time uh focused into improving I think there's always a room for improvement uh with the needs of diverse uh learners. I think uh we are doing some work but there's always room for improvement and um I know for sure um as a district is something that uh we're um focused on and we've been having this discussions but the thing about it is that uh something that I'm supporting in a way to kind of have our experience educators kind of lead and get a feedback and input from them to see what we could do to improve it. And uh thanks >> Leia. >> Yeah. So this is this is certainly a hot topic I think across the board in the education field, not just in in district 196, but as I mentioned earlier, you know, we we're consistently doing better than state averages, but that's not something that I think anyone in district 196 is satisfied with. um we have a lot of strengths and and we want to make sure that we're setting up all of our students for success. We do have gaps by both race and income um on this and so I I would like to see those gaps go away. Um and I would like to see everyone um be performing better and like Sakan said, I do think some of this is catching up from a really rough time. Um, but I also think it's making sure that we're adapting as a district and a ton of work has gone into that in in the last year uh to change our model um to look at the data and to look at where we are seeing students struggling and then to apply certain tools and best practices so that we're providing a team approach to supporting students that are struggling or that we feel aren't meeting their full potential. So, you know, there's there's a lot going on. Um, so that I I do think we're on the right track and I hope to see us continue moving in the right direction. >> Robin, thank you. Um, as several people have touched on, while our district is doing better than state average, there is still a lot of room to grow and I don't think anybody is satisfied with the numbers that we have. I do want to acknowledge that our teachers did a very heavy lift with new curriculum last year and they really hit the ground running implementing that. Um, and one of the things we are doing or two of the things we're doing actually. One is a program called FastBridge where we're testing students to get some baseline data so that teachers can then use that data to more differentiate within the classroom and meet students where they are. So that's something that we can continue to use that we're currently using. And there's also um technology that we're using and the name has escaped me that um has allowed teachers to cut down on the number of days they're doing any sort of standardized test by a wide margin which allows for more instructional days. So those are some improvements that could continue to be made. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. And we are hit our eighth question and I think this will be our last one. The uh response order will be Robin followed by Leia, Tracy, and Sakawadan. Our last question will be, how will you ensure families, staff, and students have meaningful opportunities to provide feedback and shape policy? Robin, >> um this is a great question and um how you can ensure that families, staff, and students have the opportunity to provide feedback is be available to listen. Um I volunteer a lot in the district um on committees with my board service, but then also just as a parent in the district. And parents come up to me pretty frequently with um feedback, with um questions, with concerns. They work in the district. they would like to be pointed in the right direction with students. I think there is a very meaningful opportunity to have students as a part of our school board. We're still working out and hammering out the details of how that could happen because we want to do it thoughtfully and correctly in a way that's meaningful for both the student and so that we are getting meaningful information as well. And um staff I my uh pet project is to allow staff um to have 360 reviews of their leadership. I think that's helpful for both leadership to see how they're doing in an unvarnished way and it gives staff a voice um to provide that feedback. >> Uh Leia. >> Yeah. So I think that um you know this is one of the key areas where I I do hope to contribute in my role as a a board member and just feeling that there's a lot um to be gained from ensuring open dialogue. And so one thing that I'm looking for and pushing for is is more opportunities that aren't one-way conversation. Um, you know, I'm very open to getting emails from from parents, um, from staff, from students. I've told some students, I've never gotten one of those actually. So students can start definitely emailing. Um, but but you know, that's that's not the same as a dialogue. And so I really do appreciate um our advisory committees and spaces where we can sit down and really dig deep in into some of the topics that are most important to parents, students or or anyone. And so I do think that we need to look at opening up those spaces. Maybe they can be virtual so that we remove some barriers to people coming at a certain place in time. Um, you know, I I think we need to restructure how those conversations happen and and who's able to speak um on what topics. And as was already mentioned, I think student voice um is lacking a little bit and and one exciting opportunity is to figure out how to get their their leadership on the board. Specifically, >> Tracy, >> um I'll ensure that families um staff and students have meaningful opportunities by just having an open door policy and an open heart policy. And my personal belief that I always share with my students is that if you have an open heart and an open mind, you can go anywhere you want to go and you can be anyone that you want to be. And so as I come in as a doctor of education um and the daughter of a language learner, I think to myself that sometimes people do struggle in formal situations with institutions. And so just providing informal instances where they can come and speak to members of the school board or call them. Um again using Zoom or any other just meeting for coffee. I mean I know I I've done that with my own school board members that I've worked with as well. And sometimes it does doesn't have to be so formal. It can be just something more informal too as well. And then in terms of students, um I love student voices because student voice gives us choice. When we learn what they need and what they want, we're able to make our schools better because again in using systems thinking um adults are static in the system and it's all about students. students move through the system kind of like in the human body like like their blood and the circulatory system and the adults are the bones >> collagen. >> Yes, I think this is really a good question. Uh one thing is that um uh one thing that I do is that uh to every time that there's a piece of policy or decision that comes in that I know will impact uh our students, families and then um staff I always ask you the question did we get a feedback? I think you you can see it right now. there's a community input survey that's going around and one thing that I always do is um I like to read the advisory committee meetings uh minutes because there's all those meetings specifically the ones that I'm not assigned um I like to read those because those groups are made by parents, students and staff and also the administration and I kind of uh uh let that kind of a guide uh my decision as I as I vote. And the other thing is that there is a community um listening sessions. There's on the agenda uh community input time of the meetings. I literally take notes and then also follow up afterwards the things that I need input. I let staff and then also the people that are impacted uh with the decisions that we making that to have their input at least the ones that I need help with. Uh I usually do not pretend that I know everything but I like to sit and then follow up with people. I also like to read uh most of the um uh minutes and agendas of the committee advisory meetings. So I take that seriously. Thanks. >> Thank you candidates. And that brings us to closing statements. Candidates will have two minutes. The response order will be Tracy followed by Sakaladan, Leia, and Robin. Tracy, >> when I began the forum, I talked about Dr. Bell Hooks and I would like to end with her as well. So, when we create community and we create spaces for people to become learners, they will excel. I truly believe that the job of a school board is to provide governance around the education system. However, I do understand that school boards are changing and are ever morphing and I do believe that it's very important to have a member on a school board who actually works in the system and understands all of the components of the system as well. And again, I truly hope that you will vote for me and I appreciated being here tonight. Thank you very much to the League of Women Voters for having us as well. >> Thank you, S. Howardan. Um, I would like to also end uh where I started just to uh take a quick time uh to thank you for your time and for caring about the future of our schools. I'm running for reelection because I believe every child deserves a safe, inclusive and high quality education and I have the experience, passion and commitment to helping make uh that happen. I bring a unique perspective as a public servant, experienced board member, a parent, and finance professional. I have helped guide ICD 196 through critical decisions from hiring leadership to expanding facilities and advocating for equity. I've worked hard to ensure our policies reflect both fiscal responsibility and education excellence. My priorities remain clear. support our educators, invest in the student success, and ensure every family feels heard and valued. I am proud of what I have accomplished and I'm ready to keep building on the progress that we have made together and put my experience to work on day one. I ask for your vote. And finally, I want to end again, thank you for the continued support. Thank you much, >> Maya. I also want to thank the League of Women Voters for hosting this conversation and everyone who's tuning in. Uh I've hope you've learned a little bit more about me and that you feel comfortable reaching out to me anytime. Um as your your current and committed uh school board member, I do want to be responsive and take uh seriously getting any input from community. I also want to thank those that supported me last November. Um I was just on the ballot last year and I am on again this November um for a full term this time. And I also want to thank the teachers union for endorsing me. Um, my priorities in a nutshell are, as we talked about, increasing student and family engagement, making sure that we have a nurturing uh, safe and welcoming environment for all of our students, making sure that we don't have economic stigma for anyone, and that all students have the freedom to learn and that we're delivering that in an equitable way. I hope to earn your vote, so I continue my service. Uh, it does take a while to get your to get your footing in this arena and I feel like I am just now learning everything I need to need to know to be able to really be most effective in my role. You can find out more about how to support my campaign or more about me at leardner for96.com. Thank you. >> And Robin, >> thank you to the League of Women Voters and to all of you watching or listening for taking the time to be a part of this conversation. Your engagement shows just how much our community cares about our schools and the future of our students. I was appointed to the school board in January and I chose to run for election because I believe deeply in the power of public education to change lives and strengthen communities. Our schools are the heart of our community and they deserve leaders who will listen, collaborate, and always keep students and teachers at the center of every decision. My priorities are clear. Making sure every student feels safe, supported, and welcomed. closing the achievement gap so that opportunity isn't defined by circumstance and ensuring our graduates are prepared for life beyond high school. I also believe that celebrating the diversity in our schools is one of our greatest strengths and something we should continue to build on. If you choose to vote for me, you're choosing someone who will work hard, who will listen, and who will fight to make sure our schools remain strong, inclusive, and focused on preparing every student for success. Thank you again for your time, for your commitment to our community, and for your belief in the power of public education. I am proud and honored to say that I have the endorsement of the teachers union. I hope I can earn your vote and I hope that you also vote for the technology levy. Thank you. >> Thank you candidates. The school district has asked us to remind voters that there will be a question appearing on the ballot asking voters to renew a tech levy as one of our questions to the candidates indicated. And to learn more about this ballot question, you can go to the district's website at tech levy. And so that concludes our forum. On behalf of the League of Women Voters of Dakota County, we extend a sincere gratitude to everyone who participated tonight. A special thanks goes to our candidates for their willing to commit to the democratic process and their willingness to serve our community. The League of Women Voters is dedicated to researching critical issues to our members and for the well-being of our communities. If you're interested in learning more about our work and discovering how you can make a difference, please visit us at lwvdotac county.org. For additional information about voting and candidates, please check out mnvotes.org and vote411.org. Thank you once again for tuning in and don't forget to vote by November 4th. [Music]