Welcome to the next episode of the Inside Wisetta podcast. Today we have a very special guest with us. It is Sarah Johansson. Who are you done with board meetings now? >> I'm officially done with board meetings. No, I have a Citizens Financial Advisory Council meeting next week. So, I've got one more. >> One more meeting. >> Mhm. So Sarah is concluding her 12-year run on the Wisetta School Board. First elected in the fall of 2013 and started your your tenure in January of 2014. So how's it feel? >> Oh my gosh. Um it feels a little surreal and um I I will admit I'm excited about some of the things that I will be doing. Um, but I also am am a little sad and I know that I will miss the work that I'm doing and so mixed emotions. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Well, let's start off with after 12 years, what was the biggest factor in your decision not to seek re-election? >> Yeah, that's a great question. Um, you know, I think a lot of things went into it. Um, but ultimately it came down to I started my connection with the district as an early learning parent. And so I had a a 2-year-old and a new baby and we had just moved into the district and I needed some connection. And so I I landed at the early learning school and I quickly enjoyed um connecting with adults which put me on the parent advisory council and then um and where I got to do some advocacy around early childhood education and funding and also I got to meet all of the district leaders and I loved it and I was hooked and then a couple board members uh tapped me on the shoulder to run and so I did and then that's when I was elected and so starting ECF FE and then serving 12 years on the school board that in many ways parallels the experience that each of our students have with early childhood. And so, um, it felt like a good time. Our district's in an exciting new chapter, um, or on the cusp of an exciting new chapter. And so, it just felt like a good time to pass the baton and and look to, um, other people who are equally as committed and excited about serving our district. How much convincing did it take to get you to run to go from this is interesting, I like being a part of this community to now I'm running for an elected position. What was what was that process like? >> Yeah, that's fun. Um, in all honesty, it didn't at first it didn't take much, right? So, there were a couple board members that I was working with on the legislative action committee and they said, "Hey, have you ever thought about running for school board?" and and in my mind I was like wait I get to then work with these people every day or you know on a regular basis and and support this district and connect with students like sure I'll do it and then it was probably um when I went home and told my husband what I had um committed to and then started thinking about a campaign that there were certainly some times where I was like what am I getting myself into but um it felt like a really great fit from the minute I was um I didn't expect to be tapped on the shoulder. But then the minute the moment or it was introduced to me, I was like, "Oh, yeah. I think I could do that." >> Yeah. >> So, >> what is one thing knowing what you know now that you wish you had known on your very first day on the school board? >> It might be hard to narrow it to one thing. >> No, I don't think so. Um you know I think it's one thing to know is no decision is easy right there are things that um you think oh that's really clear or that's really evident and then and then if you just take a minute and I'm doing a lot of thinking about how to be more curious in the work that I do and in in life in general um it's not nothing is easy and I'll and I'll give you an example um so actually my first day. The board is supposed to assume their seat on the first Monday in January. And on the first Monday in January in 2014, which was January 5th, 2014, um m Minnesota was in the midst of historical cold. So the governor called the cold day. So my family likes to joke that my first day on the school board, we didn't have any school. Um but at the time it felt like an easy decision, like, oh great, the governor has called school off. everyone's staying home. We're all safe. This feels great. Well, no decision is easy. And um one, we had more cold days and it was soon clear that we couldn't close school every time we had cold days. And so, um, yeah, I've and so through it all, I think one of the things that's helped me on the school board as well as in life is just reminding myself to pause and to think about everything that might go into a decision that maybe on the surface looks pretty cut and dry, it's probably not. >> That's good. Okay. So, thinking about the district in general, we had um Dr. Anderson on a few weeks ago and he kind of illustrated how much the district has grown and changed um since he's been here and you know you I think he's he has been here for 17 going on 18 years so you're not too far behind him in your time on the board. How have you seen the needs of students and families and teachers change over the past 12 years? >> Yeah. Yeah. Oh, so so much right from um where our students are going to school and what those business buildings look like, right? And we'll probably talk about facilities at a different time. Um but also um what our world looks like and I and I think about specifically as I started on the board we were talking a lot about onetoone devices and that and it was called my way at the time and that felt like a really big deal but a lot of the conversation was like well it'll reduce the number of textbooks that are in their backpack because we were talking about middle schoolers and high schoolers shoulders that were so heavy. Um and then you know to to think about from that moment when what is this iPad thing that we're going to be giving and of course you know um to reduce the textbooks to to where we are now and um one how that allowed us to continue our learning um through the pandemic but then also how much we've learned. It's just it might sound cliche to reference technology, but it's it's really striking to think about the journey of our district over my 12 years of service. >> Yeah. It kind of feels like a microcosm of society, right? Like there's this been this shift and you know, I I was having a conversation with someone the other day about whether it was in high school or in college like going to buy textbooks and like the thought of explaining that to someone at like the high school right now, they'd be like, "What? you had to go buy books. Um, it's just crazy. And that's only 12 years, right? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> So, obviously the district has grown a lot and with that has come a lot of different budget situations. So, how how did you what was your approach, I guess, for um balancing the district's budget and resources all while ensuring a quality education? What did that look like from your perspective on the board? >> Yeah. Yep. Uh students have to say stay centered, right? I mean, and and if we talk about how have things changed to go back to that question, I I think I remember talking about a district budget of of a hundred million, right? And now I think in our last in the audit we're up to what 250 million or something like that, right? I mean it's just it's it's just remarkable to think about. Um and and although our budget has grown um a lot over that time uh and and although we went through this cost containment process, which I think is what the question is about, um the challenges around balancing the budget have been everpresent in in my board work. And I think every year that I was on the board when that I engaged in a budgeting process, we were really thinking about efficiency and how to maximize our resources. And at that core is keep it out of the classroom and do what you can to um protect the student experience, which then subsequently protects the family experience. And then also um as our staff um and teachers make up 80% of our our budget roughly and benefits and salaries um you know really finding a way to to insulate that. >> Um sometimes we had lowhanging fruit or things that we could do to be efficient which might be good. Um but the cost containment that we went through a couple of years ago um because of our growing enrollment, we hadn't felt that in a district in in decades and we really didn't have any institutional knowledge about how to navigate that. >> Um and it was it was really hard. I think we kept it away from classrooms as much as possible. I know our sizes have gone up a bit and we need to get back to that. Mhm. >> Um but we've also we've also been as we always are and why we are really creative in in finding ways to ensure that the student experience ma stays at the center um and that our students as they go to school each day are really having the best experience that they can. >> Yeah. You mentioned the some of the cost containment some of these budget situations. There's obviously been a handful of we call like major events that have happened and hopefully these aren't too like triggering. Um but you know related to cost containment was the pandemic. We've had um you know as I was thinking about this we've multiple bond referendums um school start time changes. Um, what is there any way you can kind of encapsulate what it was like to be on the school board through some of those major events or what that was like? And yeah. Oh, so here's a really good one. There's there's a number of stories in this process. So, school start times was a was a huge transition for our district. Um, it was not a a new idea. Um we had had community members asking for that change for for years, arguably almost a decade. Um and uh there came a point where it made sense uh to to implement or to really dig into that. And so we did I was relatively new on the school board at the time and I had elementary students um so we were very much in the front end of you know switching that 9 or 9:30 start time to the 7:30. And one wintry day, kind of like today, we were driving. I was driving my girls to elementary school. And sitting on the corner, was a yard sign and it had a big school bus that was splashing ice and mud into the face of young children waiting for the bus. And it said, "What school board member thought this was a good idea?" question mark. And my girls in the most innocence of second and first grade looked at me and they said, "Mommy, is this you?" And I said, "Yes, yes, this is me." And um it is never a good idea to have children in the dark being splashed by a school bus, but there's certainly more to this story. And I think that that is one of the number one jobs of a board member really is to listen to the level of concern that's coming from any decision. And that was a really real concern. And dark bus stops is is a is a real valid issue. Um and listen to that and and seek to understand it and then work to tell the story of the of the learning and the research and uh the decision-m processes that we've engaged in. um to share why we think it's the best decision for that moment. Of course, every decision, no decision is easy and all decisions have tales and headwinds and tailwinds. Um but yeah, so then that became the journey is to really work to educate our community and and in that moment my daughters about why despite what it may look like, it it really was a good idea. >> What about the pandemic? Oh god. >> I know we've all kind of It seems like it was 50 years ago and it was, you know, I don't know, four or five years ago, but >> yeah. >> What was that like? >> Uh, it was it it was awful. Um, and it was uplifting. Um, and it and we're still feeling the impacts of it, right? So, um, telling so some things that stand out for the pandemic, telling my students and the students friends. My daughter had a bunch of friends over working on a project um, like in the the day or in the leadup to the decision to close schools, right? And so, um, and and as a parent watching my kids, um, in that journey was really hard and and I knew that that we probably had some some strengths that maybe some other families didn't. And we certainly also had our share of challenges. And so that was really hard. We there are lots of reasons why we say it's important for kids to come to school and to to not come to school um was probably one of the worst decisions that any public school or private school or educator can make. Um and at the same time um one of my favorite moments from the pandemic was when I was able to volunteer with the Thanksgiving food giveaway in in our space on Highway 55. And um I was gifted the opportunity to smile at parents and pass along turkeys and toeurkies and and all that we gave away um or shared with our community. Um I also really enjoyed the times that as a board we we sent messages to our teachers and to our community um and found the different ways to connect with them. Uh we are seeing I was worried about mental health and youth mental health before the pandemic. Um, I was gravely concerned during and and after the pandemic and I'm I'm uplifted in seeing the results that just came out yesterday of the new Minnesota students survey that says we're we're we're we're working on recovery and we are healing. Um, and that's an ongoing journey. >> Yeah. Well, let's shift away from all the fun things you got to experience a little bit as we talk about a school board. In your words, like what is the job? What is the role of a school board? >> Yeah. The school board exists to create the conditions so that everyone connected to the school community and that includes our students, that includes our teachers, that includes our administrators, that includes our staff and that includes our families can do the best work that they can do. So governance is really around ensuring that each one of those pieces are in place. Um hiring amazing educators or supporting the hiring of amazing educators that can go teach the students. um creating the spaces for students to come in um to learn um and setting high expectations for that achievement. Uh building community and listening and engaging so that families feel a sense of pride in the work that is being done in the district and that families are are um are connected and engaged and and then supporting all of that happening together. We have to balance a budget. we have to have buildings. Um, and then forward thinking. Um, you know, it's the job of the board to not only do really quality work in the moment, but then to do everything that we can to ensure that future boards will see the same, if not a higher level of success that we did based on some of the decisions that we made. >> Yeah. What advice would you give to So, you know, we have one new incoming board member. So, if they ask, you know, what's some advice you could give to me for um or anyone that's considering running for the board in the future, um what would you tell them? >> Yeah. Um >> good luck. >> Yeah. Yeah. May the force be with you. Now, in all seriousness, I think I um one, keep being curious. Um it's we enter there's a lot of pressure as a board member and you think that you have to know all the answers and you have to speak on something and speak intelligently and it's true you do want to speak on issues and you want to speak intelligently that means you need to do your homework just like our students you need to do your homework you need to understand um but your homework is intensified as our student learning is intensified when we're curious um and thinking about how to look at an issue from uh acknowledge where our original framework is and where we understand But then um and but then try to think about what are the different perspectives that other people might hold and what are the different impacts because sometimes what surfaces first as as an impact or or as an outcome for a decision um might not be um it might be a thing but it might not be the thing that really you should be thinking about moving forward um or continuing. So, um, yeah. Um, and then trust the wisdom of your community. The other thing is is that although you are elected and you just spent this entire campaign season talking about yourself and all the things that you're going to do, understand that when you come into the board, you are one of seven and you're joining what a staffing team of of um about 1,800 people in a community of um you know what, 70 plus thousand residents and 28 plus thousand parents. So you're not alone. you're a team member. Um, and and trust the wisdom around you. >> I want to dig into the curiosity piece a little bit. I think that's such a great word. >> Were there moments even, you know, now you're a a veteran of the school board, right? >> Yeah. >> Were there still moments when you would encounter things and you're like, well, I've never seen that before. I have no idea what that is. It's like how do you continue to have that mindset of learning and curiosity even when you're the most tenured person on the board, right? >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, and you know, these last two years have been a journey. Um and and I think maybe highlight that a little bit. Um we had in the first 10 years of my board experience, we had um pretty consistent board members who had been on a while. Um, and we were really really humming as a as a board and um and I am so proud and I I loved that the the work that we did in in that moment. Um, and it's been fun over the last two years as our board has changed over. Um, I served as the board member with with more experience than all of my colleagues added together. Um, and so then naturally there were there were new perspectives and and new questions and and new things to be curious about. And so, um, I we are a continuous I've said this a lot in my tenure. We're a continuous learning. We are an educational institution that promotes lifelong learning. Um, and it's important in in all that we do to continue to to hold that and to model that and to practice that. you mentioned it a little bit the you know there's about 28,000 parents guardians in the district and but it's a community of 70 plus thousand so over half of your I guess constituents are non family members in the community >> how important is community engagement because of that >> it's foundational um and I think about who are those 70,000 people, right? Like maybe they are uh people who grew up here that that loved it and wanted to stay. Maybe they're families that chose Weisetta as my family did because we thought that it was the best school in Minnesota and that's where we wanted to raise our children and raise our families. Maybe it's um you know people that came because they um work in this area or they wanted to connect. Um it's everyone is in this community um because um they want to be here and our roadmap calls out that we need um excellent relationships and partnership and trust and I think at the core of what we do as a board. We need to make sure that our decision-m is working to foster trust in partnership with the community. One of my favorite things in the world when we travel is is looking out for the people that are wearing Weisetta gear. And and so many times I've seen people on airplanes or even in different countries um that that we're connected to Weisetta and um I just have such a sense of pride to see our community members um and to connect with them both in the district and outside. As you think about the future, even though you know you're going to be not on the board anymore, what do you think is the single most important long-term challenge district is facing and and how do you see the board's role in facilitating and helping the district through that? >> Yeah. Um, one of the first years um that I was on the board or when I came onto the board, the board had just engaged in a in a reading of from good to great, right? And then um and then there's a subsequent book that talks about how the mighty fall. Um and we are an excellent district and and we work every day to equip each and every student um for success in an everchanging global society. Um that work of equipping each and every student for success in an everchanging global society is our long-term challenge. um keeping up with uh the skills and and the things that our students need to thrive, not just professionally or academically, but as humans and as community members. Um and and then doing that in a way too that holds true to the tradition that is Weisetta, which is really um you know um our commitment to we're here from you and creating a strong sense of belonging that values each and every student. um that takes a lot of work like we are not excellent. You don't hit excellent and then coast. Um and in fact that work and diligence to to make sure that that that you're doing that takes a lot of nurturing. Um and I think again takes a lot of curiosity um and listening as to what needs to happen. I think of the word adaptability a lot. Like we recorded a a podcast with a couple of high school students and Scott Torter for CT and and to hear them talk about the different classes and offerings they have and and how they need to adapt to what's changing out there. Like that feels like that's at the core of everything we do. Um, so I think that's a great a really great word to think about, you know, whether it's a school board or the district in general. >> Yeah, I'll add to that. Um, you may know that I'm also fortunate to work in this community. Um, and I I love my day job and what I do, but we talk a lot about agility and that is one of our four core values is is being agile. And um, there's a lot happening in our world right now. And I was at my desk just the other day and I was talking to a colleague and I was like, well, I'm trying to be agile right now, but it's not easy, right? I mean, and that agility is so important. Um, and and I think it sits at the core of each and every um and um but it's it it takes it takes work and it takes risk takingaking um and it takes perseverance. >> So, you live here, you work here. What else do you see for you as you transition off of the board? >> Yeah. Yeah. Um, I will always be um a a very a number one, not a number one, right? I I will always join our community in being an advocate and a cheerleader for Weisetta. I uh I I love this district. I'm I'm beyond grateful for our incredible teachers and staff members and families. um my children have to have graduated and and one is um loving his experience and so I um as as a parent I can I I'm excited to lean in into that. Um and I and I want to do what I can to support our district um and ensure that it's it's strong. I I have my sights set on on this spring and and the exciting opportunities that we have for facilities, but um I hope that that as I move forward, there will be just um that new things will come up where where I can support and and be helpful in whatever way I can. >> What are you most proud of over your 12 years on the board? >> Oh gosh. Um what am I most proud of? Um, we have I'm proud of our students. I'm proud of, you know, the the thousands of thousands, what is it like 750 to to a thousand graduates that we saw each year and and then and then the 750 to 1,200 kindergarteners that we welcomed, right? And so I am so proud of of the work that we had done with the students. I do love the work that we did with with start times and um and with some of the facilities to ensure that each and every student has a quality experience. Um and I'm proud of um what we were able to do to continuously support our staff and our administrators through what were some pretty difficult and trying times. What is if you could think of one final message you'd share with students, teachers, families of the district, what would you leave them with in this official capacity? >> Oh my gosh. This is where the right this is where the um the excitement and then the sadness comes in. Um I have a lot of gratitude um for trusting me um for placing trust me. I was elected three times. Uh two of those times were were pretty wild um elections and then and then one we were able to do um to support our operating referendum. And so just a lot of gratitude for placing trust in me over the 12 years. I'm grateful for all of the people that I worked with, our administrators and our teachers and our students for teaching me things. Um I and and for uh calling me out when when I needed to learn more, but then also for partnering me with me and jumping in. Um and um you know, Wisetta is amazing and um I will I will tell everyone I know just how amazing Wisetta is and I'm just so grateful to have had this chapter with this community. Having known you, I I think it's, you know, being on the board for 12 years, you know, and knowing you've had kids go through the system, um, and I don't know, in college and and on the other side, right? How does it feel knowing that the decisions you made during that tenure directly impacted your family's educational experience? Yeah. So, this was a hot topic at my house um throughout the course of and I and it is true, right? Like I really my my um my kiddos sort of went through it all. Um and and I always operated in the the perspective that I didn't want my children to either have any additional benefits or negative impacts from their experience. And um that was actually a perspective um that Dr. Anderson had shared with me but um throughout right I would we would have different things um there was a time when the the lunchroom um was serving uh I don't know funnel cake or something for lunch which felt problematic for me and then and after my kids came home and said they had funnel cake and I said and I hope that you will never have funnel cake again and they were like mom you're not going to take away the funnel cakes are you and I said well I I'm not taking away the funnel cakes for you but um you know I I I'm hoping that we can feed our kids something a a little healthier than funnel cakes. So I my kiddos would um and my children I I am really proud of the experience that they have and I and I do see my girls have launched into college and they were so prepared um as as academics, as humans um as friends. Um, but I I do hope that the decisions that I made um were made in really good faith and and with a deep consideration for for not my kids, but for students that that um maybe have similar or maybe very different experiences in Wisetta and each one of them um I hope that each one of my decisions really worked to um guarantee excellence for all students. >> Yeah. Well, the last question. What are you going to do on Monday nights now? >> Right. >> Oh, hold on. Are you going to watch the first board meeting January whatever it is? Are you going to tune in and watch the meeting? >> Of course, I will tune in and I will be clapping at home when we do the recognitions. So, for sure. Um, I do also have high hopes for other things. I have a very long book list of um some some fictional books, right? Or or just some things that are not education related that that I look forward to reading. Um I've connected with some friends about learning to play maong. Um and uh so that's a new hobby that I hope to pick up and uh and then who knows, >> explore some community ed classes, >> right? Yes. Explore some community ed classes, continue to learn. Um hopefully this summer be out on the boat a little bit more. >> Um and uh yeah, so we'll see. I'm curious about what comes next. >> Maybe someday you'll be able to tune out and not uh uh tune into the live stream and take a take a Monday night and relax. >> In full disclosure, I probably won't watch every meeting. >> It's probably good. Well, I think I speak for a lot of people. Thank you for your dedication to the district and your service. Um, and we wish you all the best as you move into this next chapter and also know you're not going far. So, thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you so much. It's been a really It's been an honor. Thanks.