I am up for re-election for the school board this fall, and I have said that I plan to run again for the school board. However, last week, Myron Orfield, my state senator, announced that he would not be seeking re-election to the state legislature. Because there may be an open seat in Southwest Minneapolis, depending on the redistricting lines, I am seriously considering running for the legislature instead of the school board.
Half of our state budget is allocated to K-12 education, and I think I have a lot I could add to the discussion on how much is spent on education and how it is spent. However, I don't see myself as pigeonholed just in education; I have a variety of other issues that interest me and have done a great deal of work on other issues facing our community during the past 15 years. I am proud of the work that I've done on the School Board during the past 2 years. The school board has become more policy oriented, focusing on improving the quality of teaching and closing the achievement gap. The board has become more outwardly focused, working to reach out to the community, holding regular public hearings on issues that are important to families, and listening to what folks want before making decisions. Finally, the board has become more focused on fiscal accountability, encouraging the district to hire a chief operating officer to focus on the business end of the district's work. I believe Carol Johnson's choice of David Jennings for that position was a solid one. I'll make my decision on whether to run for the legislature after I see the redistricting maps on March 19th or 20th. I appreciate the supportive postings on my possible candidacy. Catherine Shreves Minneapolis School Board Chair _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
