Article #1 >>>>> Two New Members of the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education Who May Emerge as Surprisingly Independent Voices (Thus Harmonizing with the Definitely Independent Voice of New Member Sonya Emerick and Those of Members Adriana Cerrillos and Sharon El-Amin)

Abdul Abdi

Adriana Cerrillos and Sharon El-Amin are the current members of the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Board of Education who may be counted upon consistently to exercise independent judgment,  making decisions in the best interests of students, especially those long academically abused by the district.  Sonya Emerick, elected on 8 November 2022, will be a similarly independent voice.

Newly elected members Abdul Abdi (District 1) and Fathia Feerayarre (District 3) had the backing of the DFL/MFT (Democrat-Farmer-Labor party/Minneapolis Federation of Teachers) cohort but ran unopposed and may be positioned to exercise more independent judgment than current members Kim Ellison (MPS Board of Education Chair) and Ira Jourdain and newly elected members Collin Beachy (At-Large) and Lori Norvell, both of whom had the backing of the DFL/MFT against nonendorsed challengers. 

Abdul Abdi in particular gives evidence of having very encouraging potential as an independent voice.  The self-description that Abdi 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 resolution.                                                      

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.

Article #2 >>>>> An Overview of the Background and Positions of Highly Promising New Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education At-Large Member Sonya Emerick

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

Article #1 >>>>> An Overview of the Background and Positions of Highly Promising New Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education At-Large Member Sonya Emerick

Of the two candidates (Sonya Emerick and Collin Beachy) who were victorious in the Tuesday, 8 November 2022, election for an at-large seat on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education, Sonya Emerick is most promising for being a prospectively independent voice for students long neglected by the district.

The following information is conveyed 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.

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.

Results of the Tuesday, 8 November 2022, Election for Seats on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education

 

Results of the Tuesday, 8 November 2022, Election for Seats on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education

 

Observe that 

Collin Beachy 

and 

Sonya Emerick,

the top two vote-getters for the at-large contest, will now be seated on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education.  

Lori Norvell

will be seated for District 5.  

Abdul Abdi (District 1) 

and 

Fathia Feeyarre (District 3) 

were unopposed and will be seated for those districts.

 

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 Norvell                                          

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%)

Vote for Progressive Candidates Sonya Emerick and Lisa Skjefte for At-Large Seats and Laurelle Myhra for the District 5 Seat in Today's (8 November 2022) Election for Seats on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education

Minneapolis Public Schools

Board of Education

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

(Citywide  >>>>>                                                               

All voters may select these candidates) 

At-Large       

Sonya Emerick       

Lisa Skjefte

                            

District 5  (South Minneapolis)

Laurelle Myhra

Genuine Progressives Should Follow >Star Tribune< Endorsements for Sonya Emerick (At-Large) and Laurelle Myhra (District 5) But Vote for Lisa Skjefte (Instead of Collin Beachy) for an At-Large Minneapolis School Board Seat

In the November 2 edition of the Star Tribune, the editorial board correctly endorsed Sonya Emerick for one of the two contested at-large seats and Laurelle Myhra for the contested District 5 seat.

But genuine progressives should cast their vote for Lisa Skjefte for the other open at-large seat, rather than for Collin Beachy, the DFL-endorsed candidate who was also endorsed by the Star Tribune editorial board.  Progressives must be sophisticated in understanding that votes for school board candidates require different reasoning from rationale used in state and national election.

In this electoral season, those of us on the left in the political spectrum will lean more heavily than ever toward candidates of the Democratic Party.  With Republicans mesmerized by Donald Trump and with a Supreme Court dominated by far-right judges, averting control of the United States Congress and statewide seats by reactionaries and extremist supporters of Donald Trump is imperative.

Thus, the impulse on the part of those who do not comprehend the intricacies of politics at the local level of school board will be tempted to cast their votes for candidates endorsed by the DFL, even more so if they know the close relationship that the DFL has with unions such as the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT).  The latter, which always is highly influential and lends heavy support for funding and advocacy in behalf of endorsed candidates, negotiates effectively for higher wages and better working conditions;  however, although many rank and file members know that public education needs systemic overhaul, the MFT leadership opposes changes that would result in improved curriculum and teacher quality.

The three candidates endorsed by the DFL for the November 8 elections have satisfied the MFT leadership as to their prospects for loyalty in casting important votes in favor of protecting the status quo, and they have relied on the considerable resources available from the DFL and the MFT to generate and distribute campaign literature, and to provide party and teacher union members to knock on doors and staff phone banks.  But these candidates have failed to attend many forums at which the public was allowed to submit questions of interest to the community served by school board members. 

This was true even at an event sponsored by the venerable League of Women Voters, in conjunction with the Advancing Equity Coalition, held on October 15 at the Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center.  Beachy and the other two DFL-endorsed candidates for contested seats, at-large candidates KerryJo Felder and District 5 candidate Lori Norvell all failed to attend the October 15 event.  The editorial board correctly did not provide endorsement for Felder or Norvell.

The editorial board endorsement of Beachy was stated positively as due his experience as a teacher, his thoughtful demeanor, and the equity leadership role that Beachy assumed at his school in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.  But the endorsement was also influenced by an inability to reach Lisa Skjefte, one of Beachy’s opponents for the at-large seat.

Skjefte was, though, very much present at the October 15 event, as she has been at other such forums.  Vice president of community engagement for the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, Skjefte has had multiple community involvements and manifests skill in uniting people of varying perspectives for mutually beneficial outcomes.  At the October 15 event, she cited her years growing up in the Little Earth subsidized housing unit as giving her particular sensitivity to the needs of impoverished and marginalized people.  And, along with both Emerick and Myhra, Skjefte spoke passionately of the need to impart culturally responsive, rigorous curriculum to students of all ethnicities.  These and other remarks by Emerick, Skjefte, and Myhra, may be found on the League of Women Voters website, with link given as https://t.co/zWxHQnY9Xz .

Sonya Emerick and Lisa Skjefte in the at-large contest and Laurelle Myhra in the District 5 contest for seats on the MPS Board of Education are best positioned to give Interim Superintendent Rochelle Cox and staff the support they need for academic innovations currently underway, hopefully to be continued with the permanent superintendent that will be selected by the newly elected board.  The opportunity to elect two young, energetic Native American women and a passionate advocate for special needs and LGBTQ students should signal left of center voters that Skjefte, Myhra, and Emerick are the truly progressive candidates on the ballot for school board seats on November 8. 

Lisa Skjefte may not have been reachable by the Star Tribune editorial board for an interview, but she has consistently made herself available to members of the community that she will serve.  She deserves the vote of progressives and all voters who understand the independent frame of reference needed to support the efforts begun by Cox and staff toward the creations of a national model of excellence at the Minneapolis Public Schools.

Genuine Progressives Should Vote for Minneapolis School Board Candidates Sonya Emerick, Lisa Skjefte, and Laurelle Myhra

Genuine progressives should cast their votes for Sonya Emerick, Lisa Skjefte, and Laurelle Myhra in the highly important election for seats on the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) Board of Education on November 8.  In making their electoral decisions, progressives must be sophisticated in understanding that votes for school board candidates require different reasoning than is the case for elections for state and national office.

In this electoral season, those of us on the left in the political spectrum will lean more heavily than ever toward candidates of the Democratic Party.  With Republicans mesmerized by Donald Trump and with a Supreme Court dominated by far-right judges, averting control of the United States Congress and statewide seats by reactionaries and extremist supporters of Donald Trump is imperative.

Thus, the impulse on the part of those who do not comprehend the intricacies of politics at the local level of school board will be tempted to cast their votes for candidates endorsed by the DFL, even more so if they know the close relationship that the DFL has with unions such as the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT).  The latter, which always is highly influential and lends heavy support for funding and advocacy in behalf of endorsed candidates, negotiates effectively for higher wages and better working conditions;  however, although many rank and file members know that public education needs systemic overhaul,  the MFT leadership opposes changes that would result in improved curriculum and teacher quality.

The three candidates endorsed by the DFL for the November 8 elections are mediocrities who have satisfied the MFT leadership as to their prospects for loyalty in casting important votes in favor of protecting the status quo.  These candidates have arrogantly failed to attend many forums, such as that sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Advancing Equity Coalition on October 15 at the Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center.

DFL-endorsed at-large candidate KerryJo Felder, who alienated many central office staff members and most of her fellow board members with her impetuosity and frequent factually errant assertions, was defeated for reelection in 2020.  Felder, Collin Beachy (the other DFL-endorsed school board candidate), and District 5 candidate Lori Norvell failed to attend the October 15 event.  By contrast, unendorsed at-large candidates Lisa Skjefte and Sonya Emerick and unendorsed District 5 candidate Laurelle Myhra demonstrated with their remarks why they are the truly progressive candidates on the November 8 Minneapolis school board ballot.

Emerick is an MPS parent of a child with special needs and a passionate advocate for academically substantive education for young people of all demographic groups.  Skjefte, vice president of community engagement for the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, has had multiple community involvements and manifests skill in uniting people of varying perspectives for mutually beneficial outcomes.  Laurelle Myhra is a member of the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe who holds a doctorate in Family Social Science and Marriage and Family Therapy and has training and personal experiences that give credence to her avowed mission to be an advocate for racial equity. 

When asked to define an excellent education, these candidates gave superb answers that in the case of Skjefte and Myhra focused on imparting culturally responsive, rigorous curriculum to students of all ethnicities, with particular sensitivity to the needs of American Indians, African American, and Latino/Latina students whose educational aspirations have been met inadequately.   Emerick sounded similar themes and added emphasis on the imperative to be sensitive to the academic and social and emotional needs of LGBTQ students;  and in a moment of exhilarating, impassioned oratory, she conveyed her conviction that education should be “thrilling,” exciting to students and teachers alike, energizing young people with hope for their future upon the foundation of a substantive and engaging public education.  These and other remarks by Emerick, Skjefte, and Myhra, may be found on the League of Women Voters website, with link given as https://t.co/zWxHQnY9Xz. 

Sonya Emerick and Lisa Skjefte in the at-large contest and for Laurelle Myhra in the District 5 contest for seats on the MPS Board of Education are best positioned to give Interim Superintendent Rochelle Cox and staff the support they need to bring a national model of educational excellence to the long-waiting students of the Minneapolis Public Schools.  The opportunity to elect two young, energetic Native American women and a passionate advocate for special needs and LGBTQ students should signal left of center voters that Emerick, Skjefte, and Myhra are the truly progressive candidates on the ballot for school board seats on November 8.