Article #5
Current (As of January 2023) Membership of the MPS
Board of Education
Thus, there has been a
highly favorable trend toward electing truly progressive candidates against
those endorsed by the establishment entities in the Democrat-Farmer-Labor
(DFL)/Minneapolis Federation of Teacher (MFT) cohort.
This trend continued in the election of 8 November 2022.
Sonya (now Joyner) Emerick’s election over Kerry Jo Felder for an
at-large seat will now bring to at least three and perhaps five board members
capable of moving beyond education establishment modes of operation, toward
support of the initiatives of Interim Superintendent Rochelle Cox and Senior
Academic Officer Aimee Fearing to bring knowledge-intensive, skill-replete
curriculum and teachers capable of imparting that curriculum to the
long-waiting student of the Minneapolis Public Schools.
The MPS Board of
Education membership seated as of January 2022, in order of promise for change,
is as follows >>>>>
>>>>>
Adriana Cerrillo (District
4)
Sharon El-Amin (District
2)
Sonya Emerick (At-Large)
Abdul Abdi (District 1)
Fathia Feeryarre (District 3)
…………………………
Ira Jourdain (District 6)
Kim Ellison (At-Large)
Collin Beachy (At-Large)
Lori Norvell
(District 5)
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Results of the Tuesday, 8 November 2022
Election For
Seats on the Minneapolis Public Schools
Board of Education
Observe that Collin Beachy and Sonya 9Now
Joyner) Emerick, the top two vote-getters for the at-large contest were in
January 2023 seated on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education. Lori Novelle was seated for District 5. Abdul Abdi (District 1) and Fathia Feeyarre
(District 3) were unopposed and were also seated.
Vote totals in the election of
November 2022 were as follows:
At Large Vote Total (Percentage of Vote)
Collin Beachy 68,084 (33.06%)
Sonya
Emerick 52,365
(25.43%)
KerryJo
Felder 51,872
(25.19%)
Lisa Skjefte 31,941
(15.51%)
Write-In 1,686
(0.82%)
District 5
Lori Novell 19,774
(68.11%)
Laurelle Myhra 9,062
(31.21%)
Write-In 195 (00.67%)
District 1
Abdul Abdi 15,335
(98.01%)
Write-In 312 (01.99%)
District 3
Fathia Feeyarre 11,159
(98.29%)
Write-In 194 (01.71%)
The following information was onveyed
on Sonya Emerick’s website in her successful campaign for a seat on the
Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education
>>>>>
Meet Sonya
Emerick
A
Minneapolis Public Schools graduate (Hale/Field, Anthony, South High) and
lifelong Minneapolis resident, Sonya was raised on the Southside and built
their own family on the Northside. This love for the whole city drives Sonya’s
commitment to address the needs of ALL Minneapolis students in each and every
school in every neighborhood.
Sonya
is autistic and their six-year-old with complex disabilities is enrolled at
Marcy Arts Magnet. Sonya sits on the
Site Council at Marcy as a parent rep, serves on the MPS Special Education
Advisory Council, and is on the Board of Directors for the Autism Society of
MN.
Sonya’s decades of community
organizing experience include work with homeless and at-risk youth, launching a
Minneapolis community center, and organizing food distribution.
As a youth case manager, when
Sonya’s homeless or highly mobile clients faced barriers to school enrollment,
Sonya was known for sitting in school administration offices and staying for as
long as it took for their students to be enrolled.
Sonya
has continued to show up and stay put on behalf of students.
Sonya
is >>>>>
>>>>> A Minneapolis
Public Schools graduate
>>>>> A lifelong
Minneapolis resident
>>>>> Transgender
and non-binary
>>>>> A disability
justice advocate
>>>>> The parent of
a child with complex disabilities who attends MPS
>>>>> The parent of
a recent high school graduate
>>>>> The parent of
a child with complex disabilities who attends MPS
>>>>> A member of
the Board for the Autism Society of Minnesota
>>>>> A Site
Council member at Marcy Arts Magnet
>>>>> A member of
the Minneapolis Public Schools Special Education Advisory Council
>>>>> A community
organizer who has worked with homeless and at-risk youth, has launched a
Minneapolis community center, and has organized community food distribution.
>>>>> A lifelong
Minneapolis resident
>>>>> Transgender
and non-binary
>>>>> A disability
justice advocate
>>>>> The parent of
a child with complex disabilities who attends MPS
>>>>> The parent of
a recent high school graduate
>>>>> A member of
the Board for the Autism Society of Minnesota
>>>>> A Site
Council member at Marcy Arts Magnet
>>>>> A member of
the Minneapolis Public Schools Special Education Advisory Council
>>>>> A community
organizer who has worked with homeless and at-risk youth, has launched a
Minneapolis community center, and has organized community food distribution.
Why Sonya Emerick is Running
This year, after spending more hours in IEP meetings for their
child than their child received hours of instruction, Sonya not only refused to
give up their child’s right to an education, but made the decision to serve all
families by running for school board.
Our educational system holds a
standardized idea of how every student should learn and behave that’s based in
whiteness and ableism. When kids can’t fit that narrow standard, we too often
exclude them from the educational experience. That exclusion affects the
learning environment for every single student whose needs and identities are
devalued. Educators need to be supported to provide culturally sustaining
instruction and an environment of true belonging.
As is the reality for so many MPS
families, Sonya’s lived experience with marginalization - autism, disability,
and poverty - has built profoundly creative problem-solving skills,
adaptability, a deep familiarity with MPS programs and services, and a clear
vision for how our schools can provide education for all.
Sonya Emerick’s Platform in Her Successful Campaign for an
At-Large Seat on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education
The most
important thing our School Board does is set the strategic vision for
Minneapolis’ schools, incorporating the voices of students, community, and
district staff. The School Board also:
>>>>> hires and evaluates the Superintendent
>>>>> approves district budgets and funding
allocations
>>>>> makes decisions about curricula
>>>>> approves the closing or constructing of
schools
Sonya
believes that the MPS School Board must rebuild trust and heal historic harms
among students, families, and staff by being fully accountable in all these
areas.
As an
At-Large Director, Sonya will:
>>>>> Work to secure full funding
for Minneapolis Public Schools from the Minnesota State Legislature.
Currently,
the state of Minnesota does not provide districts enough money to cover costs
for all requisite academic programming and desired extracurriculars. Sonya will
work with the School Board to lobby the state legislature for full funding of
public education. This is a responsibility of School Board members that has
been unmet in recent years. Adequate funding is essential for MPS to be able to
fully address the needs of all students and appropriately compensate our
educators.
>>>>> Hire and evaluate a
Superintendent who will lead by listening, who will heal not harm, and who will
prioritize inclusion.
As a member
of the Board for the Autism Society of Minnesota, Sonya has experience working
alongside other directors to evaluate and support skilled and experienced
leadership. Sonya understands that the ability to apply, interview and be hired
for a job does not guarantee that a person will be good at that job. Sonya will
seek a superintendent who brings demonstrated abilities, proven outcomes, the
leadership and the will to truly implement MPS’s strategic plan to dismantle
systemic oppression in our schools.
>>>>> Pay our educators like
the skilled professionals they are.
Sonya is a
proud member of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) who believes
in valuing and compensating our workforce. Teachers are an invaluable resource
that we must protect and advocate for. Our educators are the stewards of our
children’s academic experiences and successes and often the first responders
when our students are struggling. We rely on them to be skilled and efficacious
instructors and to deliver social and emotional education that is effective,
strengths-based, and anti-racist. We need to equip them to succeed not just
with professional development opportunities, but with livable wages, manageable
class sizes and caseloads, built-out support services, and reliable prep and
due process time.
>>>>> Improve literacy in
Minneapolis Public Schools with culturally-sustaining evidence-based literacy
instruction.
Our students
need educators and administrators who believe they have futures worth protecting
and preparing for. In MPS, our collective belief gap is creating unacceptable
literacy disparities for many of our most underserved students. Sonya will hold
district leadership accountable for the use of evidence-based, culturally
sustaining instructional practices across our district, and for supporting our
educators with tools, development, and prep time to individualize instruction
for all learners.
>>>>> Advance strategic
initiatives that ensure belonging for every student in Minneapolis Public Schools.
Throughout
decades of organizing work, Sonya has centered the voices of those who are
being left out and underserved, and Sonya will continue to do so if elected.
Each Minneapolis Public School must be an anti-racist, anti-oppression space
where students and their families are seen for their strengths and affirmed for
the diversity they bring to their learning communities. To create
belonging we must:
>>>>> Protect and grow our education
workforce to racially mirror the 65% of students in MPS who identify as BIPOC
>>>>> Deepen staff and student mental health
supports
>>>>> Reimagine special education services in
MPS to be inclusive and centered on students’ strengths
>>>>> Address inequitable use of suspensions/expulsions
and expand restorative practices
>>>>> Require instructional integrity and
cultural responsiveness
>>>>> Rebuild trust with educators and
families
………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The following information was conveyed
on Abdul Abdi’s website in his unopposed campaign for the District 1 seat on
the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education >>>>>
Abdul Abdi
Abdul Abdi gives evidence of having
very encouraging potential as an independent voice. The self-description that gives on his
election campaign website is as follows >>>>>
>>>>>
I’m Abdul Abdi, the father of five
Minneapolis public school students who has lived in North-East Minneapolis for
over 15 years. My children attended Wait Park Community School and are now
enrolled in Pillsbury Elementary, Northeast Middle School, and Edison High
School. I’m running for a seat on the Minneapolis School Board in District 1.
I’m running because I believe in the value of education and
the principles
of service.
As a father and member of community leaders,
I am well aware of the challenges that our schools face, as well as the many
concerns and ideas that you, as parents, educators, and community members,
have. Over the last ten years, I’ve spoken at a number of community meetings,
advising district leaders on how to improve education, reach out to families
and students who live in the school district but attend schools elsewhere, and
increase parent involvement in their children’s schools as a volunteer parent.
For the last four years, I’ve served on the
District Parents’ Advisory Council. As a DPAC representative, I oversaw several
parent listening sessions and presented the concerns of the parents to the MPS
administration for considerations and resolutions.
Accountable,
Knowledgeable, and Experienced
I am well-versed in the district’s
challenges and have a track record of forming diverse coalitions to improve
processes and communication between families and the district administration.
I’ve actively read school board meeting notes and attended many school board
meetings over the years, giving me an incisive perspective and keen insight
into the process and governance of a large and complex institution.
I am a software architect by trade, and I
have extensive problem-solving skills and experience, having led teams of software
developers to solve real-world technological and business problems. My ability
to navigate opposing viewpoints and find common ground has always been aided by
my calm demeanor.
A school board’s long-term vision, in my
opinion, should be to provide leadership and lay out plans to enable children
with diverse abilities, needs, and backgrounds to reach their full potential.
My decisions will be made with the best interests of the students’ future in
mind. I’m asking for your vote and support so
that I can serve and represent this district, which is very important to all of
us.
My Priorities
Below
are some of my priorities >>>>>
>>>>>
1. Prepare Students
for the future
I
believe all students should graduate from high school prepared for college,
careers, and life. and I will prioritize student
opportunities, academic support, and positive school environments. When
students are excited to learn, feel welcome, and have support, they will
be eager to pursue their dreams and experience academic success.
2. Promote Family
Involvement
I
believe when we honor family involvement in our schools, we support student
success. I value communication feedback systems to the Board and
Superintendent, such as the District Parent Advisory Committee (DPAC), and will
prioritize empowering parents.
3. Supporting
Teachers & Staff
I
believe teachers and school staff give their students a sense of
purpose and prepare them to be successful global citizens – they are
essential. Attaract and the retention of great treachers must take
precedence. Diversity in our staff contributes toward a positive school
environment for students. I will support policies that
promote staff diversity in our schools.
4. Build Strong
Relationships Between Community and Schools
I
believe students are the center of our schools, and it is important
that we move forward as a united front in supporting their
success. When we foster positive relationships among students,
families, and staff, everyone benefits. I want everyone to be
proud of the public schools in our community, and I will work hard to represent
your voices in developing solutions and celebrating our successes.
You
can always contact to me at this email: Abdulforschools@gmail.com or hello@abdulforschools.org
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The following information was conveyed
on Fathia Feerayarre’s website in her unopposed campaign for the District 3
seat on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education >>>>>
Fathia Feerayarre
"For
Our Children's Tomorrow"
>>>>>
I am Fathia Feerayarre, I am a daughter, a mother, a concerned
citizen, an activist for change, a Human Rights Advocate, a Word 6 Civil Rights
Commissioner, and I am running for Minneapolis Public School Board district 3.
“For Our Children’s Tomorrow”
Issues that I believe are priorities in the coming years for
Minneapolis school districts that I am passionate about working on and
achieving comprehensive, actionable policy changes that will benefit all
students and teachers include
I will be a champion of fully funding and advocating for more
funds for MPS at the state level.
● We need to stop the outflow of students from our schools and to
achieve this I will focus on reaching out to the community to build strong ties
and renew trust in our school district.
● I will lead by listening, improving engagement and
decision-making so that students, families, and educators are at the center.
● I am committed to working to improve graduation rates by
offering a curriculum that focuses on student choices to include a path towards
learning workplace skills and trades as well as the traditional college
preparatory pathway. I believe that we must engage and partner with regional
technical and community colleges to institute more engaging career paths and
opportunities.
● I believe that the board has failed to respond to the changing
diversity reflected in the student body. Therefore, I am committed and
passionate about working to recruit and hire more teachers and ESPs of color from
HBCUs, and to help educational support professionals get the recognition they
deserve.
● I am committed to listening to the community, educators and
students.
● I will work on building the trust lost in between the families,
the school board and the school district.
A new world of inclusion is upon us now. The students, teachers,
parents, and administrations are calling for emergency assistance to provide a
new direction for the present and future. The Minneapolis school district must
answer the call NOW! I will answer that call day and night as the school board
member who is not only concerned and able to discuss the problem, but one who
will ACT! Together WE must rebuild and re-prioritize our commitment to the
schools. My first priority is and will be the children of the Minneapolis
school district.
<<<<<
In her campaign literature, Ms. Feeyarre issued the following
statement >>>>>
“I am seeking Your VOTE. Please vote for equality, change,
commitment, and action “FOR OUR CHILDREN’S TOMORROW.”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The following information was conveyed
on Collin Beachy’s website in his campaign for an at-large seat on the
Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education
>>>>>
Collin Beachy
>>>>>
Collin Beachy
Meet Collin
Collin has been a public schools educator for 19 years. Born into a family of educators, he is
passionate about public education.
Collin became a special education teacher to change
lives. His current positions include
special education teacher and equity lead at Transitions-Plus Services in
Minneapolis. He has worked at T-Plus for
the last seven years and has worked as an educator, coach, and activities
coordinator for 19 of the past 25 years.
Transitions-Plus is a school for special education students ages 18 to
21. Collin is passionate about
project-based learning, social and emotional learning, equity, and restorative
practices, and he believes that relationships are vital for education.
Collin understands that the pandemic has been detrimental to
learning, but bis firm in his belief that the classroom is where learning
should take place, and he wants to assist students in transitioning back to the
classroom. Collin opposes privatization
of our schools.
Collin grew up in Staples, Minnesota, and he graduated with
a B.A. in elementary education and coaching from Concordia College in Morehead,
Minnesota. He has an M.A. in Autism
Spectrum Disorder from Concordia University in St. Paul. He lives with Mark, his partner of 11 years,
and their dog, Hijinx.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Why Collin is Running >>>>> The Policy Positions of Collin Beachy
United Leadership
Strong Collaboration & Mutual Trust
Effective school boards lead as a united team, each from
their respective roles, with strong collaboration and mutual trust.
For three weeks in March, our teachers and support staff
took to the streets to demand our administration begin to make serious moves
towards creating systemic change within our district. Running a school district
through a top-down, one-size-fits-all model has been proven to be a failure.
This three-week strike did not have to happen, yet it did.
Where do we go from here? To begin, we can no longer afford
to view each other as adversaries.
We can:
1. Conduct a post-strike
examination of what went wrong from both sides
2. Panel a commission
of students, educators, administration, board and community members tasked with
creating measures to reduce the chances of a future strike
3. Create more
concrete working relationships with parents and community stakeholders
4. Increase the
transparency of the administration and board so we can begin to restore the
public trust in our public schools
Fully Fund Our Schools
The state and federal
governments have not lived up to their promises to fully fund our schools. We
live in a relatively blue part of the state, so our focus needs to expand into
creating alliances with school board members in outstate Minnesota where there
is more resistance to providing funding at the level that is needed.
More funding for special
education from state and federal sources would reduce the burden on the
district's budget that currently has to make up the shortfall
Request independent
audits of MPS' budget and spending
Ensure charter and magnet
schools are required to provide the same level of services that our public
schools deliver
Provide pay equity and
longevity for our Adult Educators
Accountability &
Focus
Transparency &
Oversight
We are in a budget crisis
and there are no easy solutions. However, when
that sentence is spoken, how many of us immediately turn to “budget crisis”.
Let’s remember the first word of that sentence. We. The top-down model has
broken trust within our school district. It is past time we try to fix it. We
can throw this model out and begin a grassroots movement to create the
community schools we desire. Our power through the board has been delegated to
an administration with limited ties to our communities. It is time to bring
that power back to our students, families, and educators.
We can start by:
1. Returning to a
community minded vs. corporate-minded mentality within the district offices.
2. Vetting the flow
of information coming from the administration. Administration has lost the
trust of the community and their own workforce.
3. Enacting more
oversight of the administration and their cabinet.
4. Reset our
budgetary priorities to ones that more reflect our values as a community and
city.
Equitable Programming
Shared Belief & Values
Our curriculums,
programming, and professional developments can provide culturally responsive
teaching methods that reflect and respect the intersectionality of every one of
our students. As teachers, we are meeting our students at the crossroad of
their realities and their journeys. In order to keep those journeys moving
forward, it is our responsibility, together with the community to ensure the
education we are providing is relevant to our students' realities.
Implementing culturally responsive methods will:
>>>>> Center student voices and concerns
>>>>> Honor BIPOC experiences
>>>>> Bring visibility to Indigenous People
and traditions
>>>>> Protect transgender and non-binary
students
>>>>> Provide opportunities for students to
connect their learning to their own lives and how they can use that information
to take action
Recruit & Retain
BIPOC Staff
Strengthen Contractual Protections
Over the past several
years, MPS has been losing not only BIPOC families, but also their teachers.
Our BIPOC staff now have Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist (ABAR) protections embedded
into their contracts. This is a good first step towards addressing the needs of
our current BIPOC staff as well as becoming more responsive to the specific
complexities of teaching in our society and the toll it can take on educators
of color.
How else can we begin to create a more welcoming environment
for our BIPOC communities and staff?
A Commitment to Aligning & Sustaining Resources:
RECRUITMENT
1. Dismantle the current process in how job
descriptions are created and interviews are conducted.
2. Strengthen protections from
'last-in-first-out' and seniority layoffs.
3. Where are we looking to find BIPOC educators?
We can grow our own! Who do you know that could make a positive influence on
the lives of our students?
RETENTION
Once employed, our BIPOC staff need support. Some initial
steps we can take are:
1. Increase the number of ABAR mentors. Two
mentors covering the entire district is nowhere near sufficient.
2. Provide affinity spaces for BIPOC educators
to brainstorm, collaborate, and receive emotional support.
3. Increase opportunities for BIPOC support
staff and community members to become teachers.
<<<<<
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
The following information was conveyed
on Lori Norvell’s website in her campaign for the District 5 seat on the
Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education
>>>>>
Lori Norvell
My family and I moved to
Minneapolis 10 years ago. When we moved here, my husband Travis and I knew we
wanted our children to attend public school. We chose Minneapolis Public Schools
for its rich diversity, variety of programs, focus on arts and cultural
expression, and academics. I want other families to choose Minneapolis Public
Schools for those same reasons and more. I expect Minneapolis Public Schools to
provide the very best education to all students, regardless of their race,
their address, or their socioeconomic status.
I have worked for Minneapolis
Public Schools as a Special Education Assistant in a preschool classroom, as a
substitute teacher, and for 7+ years as a middle school math teacher. I have
also spent time volunteering at my children's schools and with their athletic
teams.
My experience as a recent MPS
teacher and my views as a parent and community member allow me to see MPS
through various lenses. I made the difficult decision to resign from my
teaching position due to unsustainable demands placed on myself and other
educators. I want to see change in MPS, where we prioritize the health and
education of the whole child, where we prioritize the well-being of our
educators. I have taught during the pandemic, have felt the struggle from a
lack of support for my classroom, but have also experienced successes in MPS
with students in my classroom and my own children. These successes, such as
learning new skills, working together, challenging inequities, bring us closer
together as we are learning and growing. We can work together with district
leadership and community for a stronger MPS.
A school board member is a
representative of the community and someone who will advocate for students,
families and educators. I will gather your stories and experiences and
represent you, your hopes and dreams, and your concerns. I will encourage
student-centered decision making, while working with district leadership, other
school board members and community for what is best for all our
students. I hope I can count on you to partner with me in this time of
adjustment and change. I am excited to meet you and hear your stories
so I can learn how to best serve my community.
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