Centennial School Board – Local Decision 2020

In 2020, voters in the Centennial School District will elect three school board members. The candidates are:

About the Candidate: I have been a golf course manager for nearly 30 years. My wife and I moved to Centerville 13 years ago so that our boys could attend Centennial Schools. Since moving to Centerville, I have enjoyed being very involved in the community. I have been a member of the Circle/Lex and Centerville Lions for the past 12 years participating in many projects that give back to our community. I have also been involved as a member of the Centerville Park and Recreation Committee, Fete de Lacs Committee, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Centennial Hall of Fame Committee and numerous Centennial Sports Booster Boards as my boys have grown up. I am currently the Vice President of the Centennial Area Education Foundation (CAEF). I was elected to the Centennial School Board in 2016 and am currently acting as the Treasurer of the board.

Important Issues: Obviously right now the most important issue is safely educating our kids during this pandemic. Our teachers and administration have been dealing with unprecedented and difficult times since spring. I am so proud of the job that our Centennial Staff have done to keep Centennial going forward for our students. In addition to the challenges a pandemic brings to education, inequitable funding by the State is a major issue for Centennial. This is and has been an ongoing problem for schools that are business tax poor like Centennial which is why I will continue pushing to change the formula at the state level.

Goals if Elected: I hope to spend more time going down to the Capital to push for equal funding for the schools in Minnesota. I also plan to work hard to address the achievement gap among our students. I have worked hard over the past 4 years on the School Board because I have a passion for this community and in particular Centennial Schools. My goal if elected is to continue my work to keep Centennial moving forward and improving in every aspect. These are difficult times but we can get through this together because “We are Centennial.”

Endorsements: None listed.

Connect with Me:
Phone: 651-274-2336
Email: bettinger.chris@gmail.com

Candidate Interview: Did not participate

About the Candidate: I have been a resident of Circle Pines and Centennial School District for 35 years. I am married and have three grown children that attended Centennial Schools. I am a former public-school teacher and coach. I am a former two term Centennial School Board Member and served on the transportation and boundaries committees. I have been involved with our local Legislative Action Committee. It is important for me to give back to our communities. I served as a Youth Coach for the Lino Lakes Parks & Recreation. I am a current Board Member Edison Community & Sports Foundation and former Board Member Minnesota Amateur Sports Foundation. I have served on the Circle Pines Planning & Zoning Committee. I earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. Master of Science Program Speech Pathology Minnesota State University Mankato. Mini Masters Information Technology University of St. Thomas. My occupation has been in professional sales of technology & software solutions to help businesses operate more efficiently. My private sector business experience has a lowed me to be fiscally responsible and be a team player.

Important Issues: Five priorities/Issues

Equity – our Strategic Plan highlighted the work we were doing and going to do to support equity in Centennial.

Fiscal prudence – as part of our operational plan, the current levy provides us on-going funding which would help to support some of our costs moving forward.

Long term capital plans – since 2013, we’ve identified all of the needs of Centennial School District and worked on a plan to address them.

Pandemic – the pandemic has changed the way we teach and learn at Centennial. We will learn from these innovative approaches and continue to grow our capacity in education now and in the future.

Technology – we have launched ourselves into the 1 to 1 world for student’s devices. We have started to devise how to keep this plan going knowing the impact it makes on learning as well as providing access to all.

Goals if Elected:

Equity, I will work closely with the Superintendent, School Board and community leaders to make sure our equity work will continue to evolve based on feedback and best practices and be a guide to making Centennial the best it can be.

Fiscal Prudence, I will work with the District to make fiscally sound decisions, make necessary adjustments and work with legislators to address inequities in funding.

Long Term Capital Plans, I will support good financial decision making to address the greatest needs in our District for generations to come and use dollars wisely to maximize the long term impact on our District and communities.

Pandemic, I will work to assure you we work in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and a plan is in place if this virus affects our schools.

Endorsements: None listed.

Connect with Me:
Phone: 612-600-9344
Email: jpburns30@gmail.com
LinkedIn: John Burns
FaceBook: John Burns

Candidate Interview:

About the Candidate: My name is Stephanie Carlson. I am married and have a son who is a Junior at Centennial High School. We have lived in the district for 16 years. For the past 11 years, I’ve volunteered in classrooms and at many school events (including 3 years as Volunteer Coordinator for Centerville Elementary). I have coordinated the Listening Lunches program at Centennial Middle School and volunteered in the media center for the past 5 years. As a member of the Systems Accountability Committee, I collaborate with staff, students, and community members on curriculum and planning. I am also one of the founding members of Centennial C.A.R.E.S. (Community Advocates for Racial Equity in our Schools).

Throughout my involvement with these activities, I have had the opportunity to develop close relationships with Centennial staff, students, and families. I care deeply about the overall well-being and education of every student, and I want to be a voice for our community.

Important Issues: There are many important issues facing our district. Some of them are related to racial equity, access to mental health resources, COVID-19, social-emotional learning, the need for diversity in staff and curriculum, funding inequalities from the State, and lack of communication.

Goals if Elected: I would like to see definitive action taken on racial equity issues, increased and easier access to help with mental health issues, an interweaving of social-emotional learning into the curriculum, more diversity in staff and textbooks, and a more welcoming atmosphere where all students feel safe.
Another goal of mine would be to make communication more open, thoughtful, informative, and consistent across the District.
I also believe we need to continue to advocate for more equalized funding from the State.

Endorsements: None listed.

Connect with Me:
Email: scarlson4isd12@gmail.com

Candidate Interview:

About the Candidate: Sue Linser and her husband, Jon, moved to Lino Lakes 15 years ago because they wanted to live in the Centennial district. The mother of a middle schooler (Delaney) and Centennial graduates (Anneke and Tevis), she has been actively involved in the district since 2005. She served on the Blue Heron PTO board, which focused on funding art opportunities, updated classroom technology, and playground equipment. Sue has advocated for all students through her service on the Systems Accountability Committee (SAC) since 2011, supporting AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination), LEAP (Lunch, Energize, Achieve, and Participate), and Odyssey for Gifted Students as classes and programs to be recommended to the School Board. Sue has worked on several levy campaigns and participated in the 2016 Strategic Planning sessions because she believes we need to guarantee continued excellence in our schools. She served as treasurer for the girls’ high school hockey parent board for 4 years, working closely with the school district on the locker room remodel project and the 2018 State Hockey Tournament run. In her professional life, Sue is an experienced data analyst with Rockwell Automation, a role that helps her understand the art and science behind decision making and fiscal responsibility.

Important Issues:

Operating schools during COVID-19—continuing to provide quality education while ensuring students, teachers, and staff are supported, are safe, and remain healthy.
Quality education—providing equal access to education and a welcoming environment for all students while continuing to work on closing the achievement gap.
Funding—preserving adequate funding so Centennial can continue to provide a quality education to students and provide the support that teachers and staff need to do this.
Addressing racial issues—working with students and community members to ensure that Centennial provides equal access to education, promotes equity and antiracism efforts, and provides resources to support all students.
Community involvement—finding new ways to engage and work in partnership with the community in creating the best schools.

Goals if Elected: Sue is running for the school board because she believes education is a lifelong journey and having a strong, well-rounded foundation is critical for future success. She has been an active parent representative for many years in the district but feels it is time for her to do more for the community that has offered so much to her family. She believes that the Centennial School Board will continue to face difficult decisions during these unprecedented times and that her experienced leadership can help the district not only survive, but thrive.

Sue’s goals if elected are to:

Listen objectively and approach decisions with the greater good in mind.
When faced with a major decision, to not only look and analyze data but also listen to the experts in our schools and community.
Communicate clearly and plainly and seek to meet the needs of students, families, district members, and community members.

Endorsements: None listed.

Connect with Me:
Phone: 612-850-2375
Email: selinser97@gmail.com
LinkedIn: Susan Linser

Candidate Interview:

About the Candidate: Gina Schmittdiel is married to Brian, an active Air Force Reservist Technical Sergeant and small business owner. She is a mom of three young kiddos; Deacon, Gunnar and Layla. And has been a personal trainer and Pilates instructor for lifetime fitness for 9 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in sports and coaching psychology. Gina and her family live in Centerville and chose to move there over six years ago to be in centennial school district. Gina serves on the board of the Down syndrome association of Minnesota, is a Partners in Policymaking 2020 graduate, and is currently enrolled in the division for early childhood council for exceptional children leadership cohort.

Important Issues: Issues that are important to Gina are access, equity and inclusion for children of all colors, races, abilities, and disabilities in our schools.

Goals if Elected: Gina’s first goal if elected is to have inclusion of all children with an IEP to be in the general education classroom at the start of their schooling years. Starting inclusion at the preschool level will ensure access to their same-age peers so students of all abilities can learn from each other and no child will feel segregated or like an other. Her second goal is to continue the work centennial has started on racial equity sharing her newly lived experience of raising a black daughter. Gina plans to hold centennial schools accountable to their promise to “raise the achievement of all students while eliminating the predictability of academic achievement based upon class, race, gender, or disability.”

Endorsements: None listed.

Connect with Me:
Facebook: Gina Schmittdiel for Centennial School Board

Candidate Interview: