This year, voters will elect two candidates to at-large school board seats, and one candidate to each of three district seats. To help our readers learn more about the candidates and the issues they’ll be deciding on the school board, we invited each of them to our office to record a short video interview.
We asked them each the same five questions, based on issues we’ve heard parent and community groups raise in recent months. We gave each of the candidates the questions in advance, so they all had time to research and prepare their answers. We gave each candidate two minutes to answer each question, though we encouraged them to consider that in an online video format, shorter, clearer answers might be more effective. With the exception of those false starts identified by the candidates, we’re presenting their answers unedited from start to finish.
Below, you’ll find a video for each question we asked, separated by at-large and district candidates. This is a bit of an experiment in civic engagement for us, and we’re hoping it’s a constructive contribution that helps Minneapolis voters make informed choices when they make their decisions. We hope you enjoy this video forum, and that you’ll share it with others who will find it enlightening.
For ease of viewing, we’ve made playlists to make it easier to watch them all straight through:
MPS District list, MPS At Large list
Question #1: Parent and Community Power
Question #2: Full-Service Community Schools
Question #3: School Closures
Question #4: Racial Bias in Special Ed
Question #5: Access to Experienced Teachers
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