Local commissions, councils and other political entities, like the Columbia Heights Public Schools (CHPS) board for example, are important building blocks for our community. Staying informed can be difficult, but no one wants to be the person standing at the polls saying, “Wait… who’s Mary Granlund again?”
There are currently six members of our local school board, two of whom are running for re-election this year: Director Michelle Pettway and Director Mary Granlund.
Full disclosure: Granlund’s son is Lead Staff Writer for The Heights Herald and took the photo for this story.
In 2023 alone, the school board aided students and families greatly with new policies they have introduced, plus a referendum, which (after getting approval by voters) has provided our district with a historic increase in funding. In addition, the school board gathered and considered student and parent voices to create a five-year strategic plan that focuses on building a stronger community and increasing students’ sense of belonging. Current candidates Director Pettway and Director Granlund were a part of putting these into place during their current terms on the school board.
“The way that school board elections go, 50% of the board is up for election every two years,” outgoing Board Chair Lorien Mueller said. “This can result in a lot of change for boards. I believe that our processes and policies have set up future boards to be successful in the role of governance and policy. It is my hope that the next board Chair can bring all the board members together toward [their] common goals, while listening to and respecting the uniqueness they bring to the table.”
Director Granlund is the current vice chair of the school board and has been an active member since 2016. She lives in the community, has two children who attend school at CHPS and is the current school board liaison to Columbia Heights High School (CHHS). In addition to her time on the school board, she has spent time as the Valley View Elementary PTO president, a member of the Vote Yes Committee, which focused on promoting the approval of the referendum, and co-founded the Citizens for Safer Streets campaign. Her school board campaign focuses on transparency and communication with families. Additionally, she wants to focus on ensuring equity in our schools.
“I am a listener and I try to be as aware of my biases and privileges as possible. This means making space at the figurative table to make sure other voices and experiences are heard,” Granlund said. “We’ve made progress at CHPS and I am seeking re-election to make sure we are continuing to move forward.”
Director Pettway is a community member and parent of a student in the district. In 2022, she was appointed as the clerk of the school board. After completing a partial term, she is back on the ballot in 2024. She is the founder and co-leader of North Park’s Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Family Advisory Committee, a current board member of the Minnesota BIPOC Elected Leaders Network and the school board liaison to Valley View and the City of Hilltop. Her campaign focuses on building a stronger community by being active, available and willing to listen. She also wants to focus on providing our educators and school community with the resources they need.
“I will make sure that my focus is on the students and their families, our faculty and staff, and the needs of the community,” Pettway. “My passion as a school board member has been community engagement and my goal is to maintain the relationships that I’ve built so that I can continue making the most informed decisions when it comes to our policies and my advocacy.”
Along with two of the current school board members seeking reelection, three new candidates are running. Mr. Adam Davis is a lifelong community member and alumnus of CHHS. He teaches music lessons in the community and was a previous member of the city’s traffic commission. While he does not have a campaign website, his answers at the School Board Candidate Forum indicate that he prioritizes communication with families, increasing test scores and alleviating current state restrictions on funding.
“I will first work with state legislators to help them understand the unique needs of our district. By demonstrating a need, we can ask the legislature to waive those requirements from certain funding sources,” Davis said. “Secondly, the flexible funding will aid our schools by allowing us to provide additional staff and resources for our English learners, as well as students who need extra support to become proficient at their grade level.”
Ms. Corenia Smith is a dedicated advocate and community organizer for the Columbia Heights School Board. She grew up as a first-generation high school graduate. In school, she faced many challenges, including being discouraged from attending college despite her participation in Advanced Placement (AP) classes. Because of her experience, she has become determined to advocate for students so that all are given the ability to reach their full potential. Her campaign focuses on giving all students equal and quality school experiences and providing educators and families with the support that they need.
“Our educators are the backbones of our school system. By providing them with the resources, professional development and support they need, we can ensure they feel valued and equipped to inspire and educate our children effectively,” Smith said. “At the end of the day, parents, educators, and community members have insights and can advocate and collaborate with school board members to address the need of the entire district and work towards systemic improvements for all students.”
Ms. Cheri Ekstrand ran for school board in 2022, and despite her loss, she has come back to run again in 2024. She is a community member and parent of a former CHPS student. Her campaign focuses on increasing test scores and safety in schools, as well as financial transparency and parental involvement. Her website also details her opposition to “ideologies and harmful agendas” in the classroom. She cites the Child Protection League as her inspiration for this, although it is worth noting that this organization is a listed anti-government hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and many members of the group have been called out by human rights advocates for their homophobic platform.
“The emphasis on CRT [Critical Race Theory], DEI [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] and gender ideologies has resulted in poor proficiency levels when the focus should be on the basics of education,” Ekstand said.
The School Board Candidate Forum (available to stream at this link) held on September 12 by CHPS teachers’ union Local 710 and moderated by 710 union president and Columbia Heights High School math teacher Mr. Daniel Honigs is a great way to learn about the candidates and their ideals. A summary of key responses by the candidates follows:
Q: What issues do you believe our district needs to address in academic programs and offerings? Are there any changes you would recommend?
A: Ekstrand believes that we should champion parent involvement and reintroduce Student Resources Officers (SROs) to provide safety for our students. Pettway wants to increase funding to increase the accessibility of these programs to students. Granlund wants to focus on building a more efficient form of class registry. Davis wants to expand elective choices, specifically in the fields of foreign language and music. Smith wants to expand communication so that all students are aware of our current opportunities and increase our options based on student interest.
Q: In what specific ways would you be an advocate for the district on a legislative level?
A: Pettway’s response focused on staying informed and building relationships with legislators. Granlund’s response was based on her experience advocating for the school district—specifically, she stressed the importance of having good relationships with elected officials on all levels of the government, not just legislators. Davis believes that respecting and understanding our legislators, especially in extraneous situations, is important. Smith speaks of her experience with advocacy at the legislative level and how she believes she has the proper skills needed to do this with the school board. Ekstrand stressed the importance of speaking to not only legislators but also community members to find out things they think are priorities.
Q: What priorities would you focus on for the education of our students? Is there a particular issue that motivates you to serve on the board of education?
A: Smith’s response focused on supporting students and teachers. She also wants to focus on recovering from learning loss. Ekstrand wants to focus on increasing state test scores and parental involvement. Pettway believes in focusing on student literacy, test scores and assessments for all students including English Language Learners. Granlund believes that increasing community voice at the school board table should be a top priority. She also wants to diversify the assessments we use to test student comprehension to be inclusive for all learners. Davis wants to increase parental engagement by ensuring that we reach all parents despite communication challenges.
After this live Q&A and a separate questionnaire sent by Local 710, membership of the teachers’ union voted to officially endorse three of the six candidates: Michelle Pettway, Mary Granlund and Corenia Smith. A mailer indicating the endorsement was sent to registered voters in the CHPS district following this vote.
Full disclosure: Heights Herald Advisor Chris Polley is a voting member of Local 710.
We all love our CHPS community and want the best for it. Local elections are a great way to show this by getting involved, having your voice heard and gathering the knowledge necessary to make an informed decision at the ballot box. If you want to learn more about the candidates, click the links above to stream the forum or read the candidates’ campaign websites. Additionally, make sure you are registered to vote in this upcoming election using this link.
