School board swears in new members after November election
February 5, 2023
These interviews were originally published in the Heights Herald fall print edition.
The Columbia Heights Public School (CHPS) District has received two newly elected members of the School Board, Ms. Jessica Medearis and Ms. Julie Houle. Elections took place on November 8 and the members have now been in office for one month after being sworn in on January 3. Medearis and Houle spoke about their excitement to join the board and what they envision for the future of CHPS.
Julie Houle
This interview was originally published in the Heights Herald print edition.
I am most excited about learning all there is to know about our schools and to have the opportunity to work with our Superintendent, Teachers, Parents and Students to make our schools the best they can be!
Our current proficiency rates in Read- ing, Math and Science reported by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) are really low. I don’t believe that the rates are indicative of the true proficiency of our students. However, parents choose to move kids out of the district if they feel the school isn’t doing well. Therefore, I would like to work on
finding a solution to reporting our true proficiency rates and find ways to have them increase.
As a new board member, I am not familiar with all activities of the schools. I am excited about our vocational training that we are providing. Many schools have removed vocational training from the curriculum, but not Heights! This means many of our kids can actually apprentice or even start their careers right out of high school and don’t need to spend thousands of dollars for a college education to make a good income.
Jessica Medearis
This interview was originally published in the Heights Herald print edition.
I’m looking forward to serving the school district community in a different way than I have as a parent, to expand on district successes and find creative ways to work together in advancing inclusive and equitable student success. I’m excited to connect with those involved in the district to learn more about the governance of our schools, and to work collaboratively in decision-making and in celebrating our Hylanders. CHPS has a lot of challenges before us, including evolving academic and student support needs, employee recruitment, retention, and funding our schools at a level commensurate with similar districts. To successfully meet these challenges, the district will need to bring diverse perspectives to these tough conversations and amplify the tangible impact that policy and finance have on the experiences of our students and families. One of the strengths CHPS has is the breadth of activities offered to students and families across our schools. Activities are where many students find a sense of belonging and connection, and rich extracurricular opportunities positively impact student academic success, too.