Election 2022: Stillwater Area school board candidates
STILLWATER AREA SCHOOL BOARD, AT-LARGE
Mark Bezdicek
Age: 71
What qualifies you to hold this position? As a Small business owner of two separate small companies for over 40 years, I bring to the board a common sense, conservative approach to spending and understanding what is needed for a student to be successful in college or on the job site.
What would your top priorities be if elected? 1.Reading proficiency, the ability to articulate clearly your thoughts in speech in writing are the basics to being successful in any curriculum that you take. 2. Having transparency in the finances, the curriculum, and then open communication between parents, school boards, teachers and principals.
What do you think is the primary role of government? The primary role of public education is to have a curriculum that prepares the students for the challenging classwork they have at each grade level and for them to be prepared to do post high school college, trade school or other careers. Handing out high school diplomas without proper academic preparation is doing them a major disservice.
Website or contact: aton23@aol.com
Jessica L Johnson
Age: (Candidate information not available)
What qualifies you to hold this position? Decades of experience in management & negotiations, construction finance & auditing, contract writing & practical application of state statutes. Not an establishment insider, I’ve no conflicts with oversight duties. As a youth basketball coach, CC Leadership graduate & engaged w/nonprofits & both private & public education, I have deep roots here.
What would your top priorities be if elected? Grade-level competency in reading, math, science, and history; 4 in 10 kids don’t have it here. Reverse this decade long failure. Raise, not lower, goals; fund and focus on these basics; monitor curriculum for effectiveness. Support what works. Change what doesn’t. Use transparency among board, educators, parents and community to ensure success.
What do you think is the primary role of government? To protect “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” through consent of the governed; listening to, and acting, within our consent. Ideally, this provides limited but enough government to supplement our individual efforts. Consensus exists for academic competency for all our children. Transparently, we must govern, fund, and focus accordingly.
Website or contact: VoteJessica834Schools.com
Pete Kelzenberg
Age: 59
What qualifies you to hold this position? I’m a longtime volunteer in the district. I’ve served on the Board one year & hope to continue the good work we’ve started. I’m proud we hired a Superintendent whose leadership & ideas are moving us in the right direction. I listen to the community, work respectfully with fellow board members and engage thoughtfully with administration.
What would your top priorities be if elected? 1) Good Strategic planning sets high academic standards & a framework for future decision making. 2) Quality facilities aid learning. We need to accommodate growth & replace aging Lake Elmo Elementary School. 3) Students & teachers are working hard to overcome pandemic setbacks. They need support, stability & effective tools to move forward.
What do you think is the primary role of government? Governance and oversight are the primary duties of a school board member; not managing day-to-day tasks. Good governance is advocacy, operational guidance and ensuring financial accountability. Working with our superintendent, we can improve academic growth and wellbeing in our schools by setting goals, creating budgets, and determining policies.
Website or contact: Pete@peteforstillwater.com
Eva Lee
Age: 44
What qualifies you to hold this position? I have substitute taught in our district for a three years with experience in all grades. I am currently a Long Term Substitute in the SCVALC. This job serves students in grades 9-12+. My substitute teaching experience gives me a unique perspective from other candidates because I work in our classrooms everyday.
What would your top priorities be if elected? I support academic achievement and am excited to see our newly passed tech levy is used to improve student achievement.
What do you think is the primary role of government? I will work to represent the people in ISD 834 and provide the students of 834 an excellent educational experience.
Website or contact: evafor834.com
Alison Sherman
Age: 48
What qualifies you to hold this position? I was elected to the school board in 2020. During my two-year tenure I have served in leadership roles including board chair and vice chair, participated in several committees including finance and operations, and successfully completed school board member training and professional development.
What would your top priorities be if elected? Our district’s strategic plan is expiring. Creating a new plan that includes community stakeholder input must be our top priority. This plan establishes goals with concrete action steps, benchmarks, and indicators of progress that ensure the district is supporting the academic success and emotional and physical well-being of every district student.
What do you think is the primary role of government? As it relates to a school board, the board’s role is one of governance and oversight. The board provides the strategic direction and objectives and is responsible for overseeing the budget. They represent the community’s voice and are advocates for our schools. The board is ultimately accountable to the community for achieving long-term results.
Website or contact: alisonshermanfor834.com
Philip St. Ores
Age: 64
What qualifies you to hold this position? 30-year executive leader in global transformative change with significant strategic planning and operational experience. Trained and educated 100’s of thousands of employees, experience in Learning Management Systems. I will lead/unify the district around achieving Number One in Minnesota for academics and settle the community differences.
What would your top priorities be if elected? My goals for District 834: number one in academics in Minnesota, stop the exodus from the district, settle community differences, be more transparent (place the curriculum on the website, greater financial visibility, limited closed door meetings, no more 3-minute, one way, no questions answered, authoritative school board meetings.
What do you think is the primary role of government? Governments role is law and order, majority rules through minority rights, finance R+D for advanced research, protect our country from foreign nations, protect the individual from corporations from onerous behavior (stripping our privacy, too expensive health care, organize to bring supply chain back) and ensuring a strong educational system.
Website or contact: philstoresfor834.com
Andrew Thelander
Age: 41
What qualifies you to hold this position? I have a passion for service and a vested interest in the success of our district as I have two children who attend elementary school at Stillwater Area Public Schools. Along with my business and finance experience combined with my track record of successful board leadership roles makes me qualified to serve on the ISD 834 School Board.
What would your top priorities be if elected? Support excellence in teaching and learning initiatives to meet the unique needs and interests of students; engage and honor the journey of students through a diverse offering of extracurriculars, support services, and district learning/training programs; and ensure all students have access to safe, effective, and equitable learning environments.
What do you think is the primary role of government? The role of a local school board is to be a nonpartisan governance board who represents the community’s voice of its public school system. It has a responsibility to foster trust and transparency and to ask important questions, make informed decisions, and vote intelligently with the best interests in mind of its students, schools, and communities.
Website or contact: Andrewfor834.com
STILLWATER AREA SCHOOL BOARD, SPECIAL ELECTION
Lawrence A. Becking
Age: 83
What qualifies you to hold this position? My life foundation! I have a very broad background of life experience. I grew up on a farm. Worked in the as a machinist. Served in the military for 6 years. Studied at a financial college and worked in the financial industry for over 30
years. Worked in management for a major insurance co. I have worked with many cultures effectively.What would your top priorities be if elected? My top priorities are: Making sure the students are prepared for the adult world when they graduate. (Back 2 Basics) Reading, Writing, Math, Science & History. Giving parents a voice in their child’s education. Getting & keeping great teachers. Making sure the tax payers feel that their money is being spent effectively.
What do you think is the primary role of government? To serve the people that they represent. Elected officials and government employees should be dedicated to serving the people that they were elected to serve or hired to work for.
Website or contact: back2basics834.com / 651-216-5507
Beverly Petrie
Age: 70
What qualifies you to hold this position? I have been involved for 25 years. I served on districtwide task forces and levy efforts. I was a board member and executive director of The Partnership Plan, which raises funds for classroom enrichment efforts. I served as School Board Chair in 2021 and helped pass a successful renewal of the operating levy and the first-ever technology levy.
What would your top priorities be if elected? 1. Achievement and 2. Addressing growth. Learning loss from the pandemic is real, and we must refocus efforts to regain that loss. We must also address the explosive growth in the south part of the Stillwater area district. New families are moving to the valley, and their students need to be served. We must address facility needs this year.
What do you think is the primary role of government? School board members are the community’s voice in reflecting what it expects of its schools. Boards don’t manage schools; they hire an excellent superintendent and then provide oversight to ensure the schools are managed to local expectations.
Website or contact: petrieforschoolboard.com
