“Thank you so much for trusting me to bring your voices forward and help lead St. Paul Public Schools on behalf of our children’s future and the future of St. Paul.“

<Inauguration! Join me and the other winners for our inauguration at 4:30 pm on January 10 (my birthday!) at the school district offices, 360 Colborne Street. Nothing too fancy or time-consuming, but you’re most welcome to be part of the formal conclusion to everyone’s collective hard work. Many thanks!>

I firmly believe that every St. Paul Public Schools student has the right to a world-class education and every possible opportunity and support. I was part of the board that created our current mission statement, “Premier education for all,” and that commitment is at the center of every decision I make. To prepare our students for their futures, we must continue to raise standards and help every student meet them — which means we must work both smarter and harder every day.

My service on the Board of Education since 2000 has delivered:

• Strong leadership and a clear focus on meeting the needs of ALL students and their families; see Strong Schools, Strong Communities plan and compelling data supporting the plan and track ongoing implementation
• State- and federal-level advocacy for responsible education funding
• Increasingly high-quality education and outcomes for all students; follow performance here
• More equitable distribution of resources across the school district
• More transparent and accessible budgeting and decision making, a robust data center, and both streaming and cablecast board meetings
• Faster and more respectful responses to student and family concerns
• Fair treatment for employees who work with our nearly 39,000 students every school day
• Efficient operations that support student needs and leverage city/county partnerships to save money
• An insightful and collaborative new superintendent

With your help, I am continuing that hard work to help our students, staff, and the Board live up to your highest expectations.