Five candidates are seeking a seat on the Columbia Heights School Board. Two are incumbent. Voters will be asked to choose three. The Northeaster asked them to tell us about themselves.
Adam Davis
Why are you running for school board?
I’m a 1994 graduate of Columbia Heights High School. I grew up in this community and want to see it thrive. I believe in our children and want them to succeed to their fullest potential. I have a track record of working together on important issues. I will work with parents to ensure a welcoming and safe environment for their children.
What’s in your background that makes you a good candidate for this position?
I’ve been a music teacher for over 20 years, both privately and in the public schools. Bringing the joy of music to children has been an integral part of my life. Public service has also been important to me. I can advocate for teachers as someone who has been in the classroom and taught individual lessons to students. I’ll empower our teachers with the tools they need in the classroom and address the unique challenges in our school district.
How long have you lived in the district?
I’m a lifelong resident of Columbia Heights and married to my wife, Maria. I worked for the City of Columbia Heights and recorded their city council meetings for 20 years. I was previously chair of the Columbia Heights Traffic Commission.
Name three of the biggest issues you see in Heights schools, and tell us how you would remedy them.
The biggest issue currently facing the Columbia Heights School District is our influx of English learners. 48% of students are learning English or come with no English skills at all. This is magnified in our low proficiency levels in state testing, as many of these students are not at grade level.
Secondly, 75% of our school budget is restricted by state mandates, which limits our ability to provide flexibility in resources and staffing and fully address these issues. Worse yet, we had 65 additional unfunded or underfunded mandates added this past session by the state legislature. I would work with the legislature to provide school boards with more local control and fully fund any item they mandate.
We have a property tax base with many fixed-income and single-earner households. Residents’ ability to pay more will be difficult in the future despite the increasing needs of the school district. We must prioritize the basics of reading, math, and science while being creative to maintain other important areas such as art and music through grants and other resources. I will make sure the education dollars we do have are well spent. Long term, I would advocate moving education funding away from the local property tax as the quality of our children’s education should not be dependent on the land value of their community.
Cheri Ekstrand
Why are you running for school board?
I want to serve in my community and I have a passion to help children. I care about their safety, well-being and overall success. My vision is to see all students in the Columbia Heights school district be successful at accomplishing their education goals so that they will be able to prosper and have a good future.
What’s in your background that makes you a good candidate for this position?
I have two adult children and two grandchildren. I attended Anoka-Ramsey Jr. College and Anoka Vocational College, pursuing a medical career. I attended Modesto Jr. College, taking liberal art studies focused on childhood development. Since 2017, I volunteer in the children’s ministry at my church.As a semi-retired small business owner, I work with diligence and I have a trusting relationship with my clientele. I know and care about my neighbors. I stay abreast of the current issues at the legislative level, communicating with my local representatives through phone and emails.
How long have you lived in the district?
I have lived in the Columbia Heights School District for 17 and a half years.
Name three of the biggest issues you see in Heights schools, and tell us how you would remedy them.
One concern is that 50% of all public school students struggle to read. With the majority of the student population in Columbia Heights School District being Hispanic, we need to prioritize English as a second language. Students need a safe learning environment free of disruptive behavior that inhibits learning. Student accountability is key. SROs need to be present in our schools.
We need to champion parental involvement. Parents have the right to be informed and to know the curriculum their students are studying–the supplemental resources and speakers that are brought into the classroom. Parental involvement in committees at the school can be a great starting point.
Mary Granlund
incumbent
Why are you running for school board?
In 2020, I ran for school board to increase transparency, accountability and safety. As an incumbent, I am running on these same issues because our work is far from over. While updating our strategic plan, I helped push the board and district to solicit feedback from our community. With 36 different languages spoken within our halls, it was important to make sure that everyone’s voices were heard. While our district successfully passed a referendum that in part helped increase physical safety at North Park School for Innovation, the pandemic has shown us that safety also needs to include mental health. I have been a tireless advocate for making sure everyone who walks through our doors–students, families and staff, have access to services that provide for their mental health and wellness. That includes supporting collaborations with agencies such as the Sanneh Foundation which provides youth empowerment while focusing on the importance of community.
What’s in your background that makes you a good candidate for this position?
I am a licensed child and family therapist with a masters degree in social work, specializing in early childhood services. I am also a mom to two students who have spent their entire school career at CHPS, starting in pre-k 4 to now (11th grade and 8th grade, respectively). I have volunteered in my children’s classes and schools nearly weekly since 2013, stopping only for illness and the pandemic. I also served as the Parent-Teacher Organization President at Valley View from 2013-2017 where I worked with families and staff to increase a sense of community and inclusion for all. I was the co-creator of “Citizens for Safer Streets,” where we successfully pushed state, county, city and district staff to come together to make 49th safer for all, with a particular focus on the area in front of Valley View and Columbia Academy.
How long have you lived in the district?
My husband Neil and I moved to Columbia Heights in 2006 and have lived in our first home since then. We are proud parents to our sons and enjoy volunteering to support our school and community in whatever way possible.
Name three of the biggest issues you see in Heights schools, and tell us how you would remedy them.
While it’s true that districts across the state have received “historic” investments in public education, we also received an unprecedented amount of unfunded mandates. I’m grateful to our community for passing the levy in 2023; we still need to make sure that the state and federal governments fund their mandates. With 36 different languages in our schools, it’s also imperative that we continue to make sure that we provide more than just “adequate” support for these students and families. Our students can read and can do math; we need to continue to push for tests that look at students’ needs from a variety of angles and provide real-time assessment information. Our school communities need to continue to push for mental health support. Access to mental health supports has decreased while the needs have increased, post pandemic. Our district is making good strides towards these ends; however, our schools don’t exist within a vacuum.
Michelle Pettway
incumbent
Why are you running for school board?
Although I was involved in my daughter’s education at the school level, I realized I could be involved in a different capacity that could also help me advocate for more families in our district. I am running for re-election because I would love to have the opportunity to use the knowledge and connections I’ve gained in this role to continue helping our district grow and provide the best education and resources to our community.
What’s in your background that makes you a good candidate for this position?
My most current experience as a school board member has taught me many logistical and policy-driven viewpoints that I can take back to the community and that helps to close some of the existing gaps between the two. In my professional and personal life, I always found that relating to and advocating for others came naturally to me. I am mindful, organized, dependable, and a team player. I am also very empathetic and that helps me to understand the needs of others and act on their behalf to support them. The school board has allowed me to advocate on a larger scale and learn about my community simultaneously. I have also learned that my journey isn’t far from that of many of our families’ lived experiences and that I can relate to them on a more personal level than most.
How long have you lived in the district?
We’ve been a part of the district for 6 years now; we live in southern Fridley. I love that our district has such a unique boundary and reach that allows us to still bus to school and participate in Columbia Heights events.
Name three of the biggest issues you see in Heights schools, and tell us how you would remedy them.
Finances/funding, how we provide to the diverse cultures in our community and how we communicate to the community as a whole impact our success as a district. All of these things affect our staffing, program offerings, enrollment, the overall academic success of our students and how we are seen as a district. Finding a balance helps to ensure that every student, family, and staff member will feel that they can belong, learn, and teach in our district effectively. I will advocate at the local, state, and federal levels so that our legislators understand the needs of our district and will work to provide the necessary funding. I will also continue to have a presence in our community and make myself accessible to families so that we understand their needs when it comes to governance and policy.
Corenia Smith
Why are you running for school board?
I was honored when our community invited me to run for this seat, and I felt compelled to say yes because of my dedication to ensuring that all voices are heard and represented at the decision-making table. Education can be a very powerful tool for determining the health of our community and I want each and every student to have the opportunity to build, engage and give back to our communities. As a first-generation high school graduate, I understand the transformative power of education and believe that everyone deserves the same chance to achieve their academic goals.
Our students in Columbia Heights, Hilltop, and Fridley are brilliant, multilingual, and caring. They deserve safe and magical classrooms where they can thrive. We need to prioritize their well-being, address learning loss and ensure that our schools support them in reaching their full potential. I’m committed to fostering collaboration and supporting our educators – because we know when our educators flourish, our students do, too. Together, we can build a community where every student has the opportunity to become a compassionate leader and every educator has the resources to get them there.
What’s in your background that makes you a good candidate for this position?
I am a dedicated advocate, small business owner, and nurse. I hold a master’s degree in advocacy and political leadership and I have dedicated my life to serving our community. I’ve coordinated after-school programs, hosted internships via my small business and fostered social and health equity.
How long have you lived in the district?
I have lived in Columbia Heights for four years.
Name three of the biggest issues you see in Heights schools, and tell us how you would remedy them.
1. Adequate staffing in schools: we need more nurses, counselors and teacher’s aides. Adequate staffing impacts classroom sizes, recovering from learning loss and programming.
2. District communication including accessibility, website updates, and translated materials. We have a large open enrollment population, so consistent and strong communication is important.
3. Expanding creative school partnerships within our community for collaboration and mutual success that centers youth. Our community is full of wisdom that can enrich our schools.
See above for voting information. The general election is Tuesday, November 5. Information about how Minnesota’s elections work can be found at https://www.sos.state.mn.us/ele
ctions-voting/how-elections-work/
Ballot information can be found at https://myballotmn.sos.mn.gov. Find your polling place at https://pollfinder.sos.mn.gov