Sep 28, 2024

Article #4 in a Series >>>>> Candidates Running for Seats on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education >>>>> Greta Callahan, Candidate for At-Large Seat

Four seats on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education are up for election on Election Day, Tuesday, 5 November 2024.

 

Two candidates are running unopposed  >>>>>

 

>>>>>    Sharon El-Amin is running unopposed for the District 2 seat, which she has held for four years. 

 

>>>>>    Adriana Cerrillo is running unopposed for the District 4 seat, which she also has held for four years. 

 

The other two seats are contested, as follows  >>>>>

 

>>>>>  Kim Ellison is running again for the At-Large seat that she currently holds;  her opponent is Shayla Owodunni.

 

>>>>>  Lara Bergman and Greta Callahan are candidates for the District 6 seat vacated by outgoing MPS Board of Education Director Ira Jourdain.

 

Thus, the candidates in the 5 November 2024 election are as follows >>>>>

 

District 2     >>>>>           Sharon El-Amin

 

District 4    >>>>>            Adriana Cerrillo

 

District 6     >>>>>           Lara Bergman

                                           Greta Callahan

 

At-Large    >>>>>             Kim Ellison

Shayla Owodunni          

                                           

The following provides key information and

personal statements from Greta Callahan’s website  >>>>> 


From Greta Callahan’s Website

I am a kindergarten teacher, single mom, labor leader, lifelong Southwest Minneapolis resident, and your DFL-Endorsed candidate for School Board in District 6.


Hi Neighbor, 

My name is Greta Callahan, and I look forward to serving District 6 as your school board representative. I am a kindergarten teacher, a single mom, a union president, and was born and raised right here in Southwest Minneapolis. I am running for School Board in District 6 because I believe that every student in our city, regardless of their race, zip code, and/or class, deserves an excellent, well-funded, and easily accessible education.

 

I’ve dedicated my entire life to making the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) stronger and better. I was born in District 6, raised in District 6, and am raising my son in District 6. This is my home and although my path to becoming who I am today was not linear, it all began right here.

 

My education journey started at Burroughs Elementary and subsequently Anthony MIddle School.

 

There, I received a foundational experience that included strong academics, lasting friendships, and critical thinking skills. I believe every student in our city deserves the same quality, well-funded education I received and that my son is getting at Southwest High School.

 

As a single mother, this is personal for me. I’ve watched too many of my neighbors and colleagues leave MPS because they do not trust this district. This adds to the destabilization already created by the Comprehensive District Design (CDD). Now there are talks of school closures, which further alienates and scares our families. It doesn’t have to be this way, and on the School Board I will be one of the many pieces to the puzzle who will help create the changes and stability we need to rebuild trust.

 

My North Star is always our students.

 

As a kindergarten teacher, and former finalist for Minnesota Teacher of the Year, I know what supports our students and educators need to succeed. My decision-making process always centers their needs first. I look forward to the honor of working side-by-side with this School Board and our new Superintendent Dr. Sayles-Adams.

 

This is a time of hope in the Minneapolis Public Schools. It is a time for leadership and further investment in our students. And a time for stability and safety. It is time to trust each other again. 

As a union leader, and President of the Teacher Chapter of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT 59), I’ve invested my time and energy into doing everything I can to make improvements to our district. I saw the incredible power the School Board has to change the lives of students, families, and educators. Through collective action, our union won life-changing wage increases for our hourly workers, groundbreaking language to support and retain educators of color and other underrepresented groups, class size caps, and a Social Worker in every building. Consequently, we are that much closer to having the schools our students deserve - but we’re not there yet. 

 

I have the experience, relationships, and passion to lead in District 6.

 

I bring a track record of improving MPS - both as a teacher and a trusted union leader. I’m excited to continue on the path of improving our public school system and working with our current leaders as a School Board member and I look forward to representing both our district and our beautiful city. I hope you will join me.

 

With love and solidarity,

 

Greta

 

 

My name is Greta Callahan.

I am a kindergarten teacher, a single mom, a former union president, a life-long member of our community, and a candidate for the Minneapolis School Board in District 6.

 

I have spent my career as a proud kindergarten teacher in North Minneapolis. on release, I am also the former President of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers. I’m a fierce advocate for public schools, a strong leader, and am unapologetic in my beliefs and values.

 

I fight every day for what's best for our students and I strive to ensure that they come first in all decisions.

 

I taught at a charter school for two years before coming to MPS. It is there that I learned that without collective bargaining, educators cannot advocate for their students when it comes to inequity and unfair practices. I made it my life's work to fight for public education so that all students receive the education they deserve.

 

I have served on the Education MN Governing Board, am the Executive Vice President of the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, was a 2017 MN Teacher of the Year finalist, and Midwest Labor Leadership Initiative graduate.

 

My leadership and governance experience is a critical piece to being an effective school board director.

 

I spend my free time doing yoga, walking my two pugs, taking my niece and goddaughter to the park, fishing in the summer, and playing piano with my son, Morris.

 

Recognitions, Roles, and Professional Accomplishments:​

 

·       Bachelors in Psychology, Augsburg University

·       Master of Arts in Education, Augsburg University

·       Fox 9 Top Teacher 2016

·       MN Teacher of the of the Year Finalist 2017

·       Designed and presenter of professional development on Social Emotional Learning and Play

·       Presenter at ECET2 MN Play Conference

·       Speaker at MRLF Housing Summit 2018

·       Designed innovative, “Read to Our Children” Program

·       Former Early Childhood Arts Integration Coach for Minnesota

·       Turnaround Arts Delegate and presenter to Washington D.C. conference 

·       MPS Shark Tank grant recipient, to implement Stop Motion in Pre-K – 1st grade

·       Designed and presenter of professional development course on Stop Motion in the Classroom

·       ENVoY Certified Host and Demonstration Teacher

·       Executive Vice President; Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO

·       Former Governing Board Member; Education Minnesota

·       Former General Board Member, Minnesota AFL-CIO

 

Vision

 

Our students deserve a world class education. There is no quick-fix or reading curriculum that can solve the crisis we are in. Some of the issues we face in MPS are due to government’s failures and society’s inequities. Others are things we can control. As the most qualified candidate in District 6, I will continue to work with our families, educators, and leaders to create the schools our students deserve.

 

Students First, Always

 

Our budget, strategic plan, and strategy around the future of MPS, must center on what is best for our students. At present,  MPS is not spending money on par with districts of similar size and demographics. We must re-prioritize our spending to maximize the students’ experience. We fought (and won) tens of millions of dollars in new money from the legislature. These are dollars that should be invested directly into our students and into making MPS a destination where people want to send their children. This also means creating a more straightforward and transparent process for co-creating district strategic plans. Additionally, the School Board must direct district leadership to create a comprehensive recruitment plan for new and returning students that includes partnering with local elected officials, school staff, and neighborhood organizations.

 

Stability

 

We need stabilization across MPS. I was, and still am against the Comprehensive District Design (CDD), which broke trust with our families. Building back trust is essential to making changes in MPS and is one of my top priorities.

 

42% of eligible MPS students are enrolled outside of the MPS system. The CDD was a prime contributor to this. It’s time that we make a plan for safe, stable, and thriving schools so that our families trust this institution again. This isn’t rocket science. As parents, we want to know that we can enroll our children at excellent schools, trust that they will have relationships with the people in the building, have individualized attention, be safe, and continue on the path through middle and high school that we had planned on. We want to trust in the system. We want our children to learn, make friends, be happy, and grow up to be contributors to society. It all starts with stability, and I’m running to be a part of the solution.

 

Meaningful Support Services

 

As a former kindergarten teacher, I know first-hand that all students need access to mental and clinical health support - access to nurses, clinicians, mental health workers and social workers. The proven model of Full Service Community Schools meets many of these needs. I want to continue the work we’ve started at Green Central, Cityview, and Bethune to create Full Service Community Schools’ pathways, while partnering with the city. With a growing housing crisis and more students facing homelessness I see supporting the Stable Homes, Stable Schools work as critical to providing stability to housing-insecure families. In our 2022 strike,  we started the hard work of creating safe and sustainable staff-to-student ratios. On the School Board, I will champion those efforts so that special education, English language learners, all of our new-to-country students, and those needing special medical or emotional care get the one-to-one services they need.

 

Continue the Momentum We Have at the Legislature

 

Fully funding our schools is essential for ensuring that we have the schools our students deserve. As a board member, I will build on my existing relationships with legislators to secure additional funding for Minneapolis Public Schools and work to finally close the gap between state and local special education funding, removing the extra burden on local districts. We must also remember that charter schools drain money and take taxable land from public schools. To further support fully funded schools, I will work with City Councilmembers to stop new charter schools from being created in the city.

 

Focus on Educating Students, Not Fighting at the Table

 

Educators with MFT59 Teacher and ESP Chapters teach our kids, SEIU 284 members make sure our kids have nutritious food and clean buildings, members of Teamsters 320 transport our kids to and from school, and AFSCME members run the front office and keep our schools moving. These union members are the people who make our students’ education possible. We should be co-creating the future of MPS with those that make schools happen.

 

As a taxpayer, I am livid that MPS decision-makers do not sit at the negotiating table with union leaders. Instead we pay middle management to run negotiations with some of the largest contracts in the city. This is dangerous and a disservice to our students and city.

 

As a Board member, I will be present at negotiations so that we can work closely to settle contracts in a timely fashion. The 2022 strike was hard on all of us and the best way to avoid that from happening in the future is for the real decision-makers to be present throughout the negotiations process. We must put our bargaining units in a position where they can focus the majority of time on educating, feeding, and supporting our students.

 

No comments:

Post a Comment