In 2025, voters will elect a school board member to serve on the Anoka-Hennepin School Board in District 4. The candidates are:
About: Matt Audette is the current Anoka-Hennepin School Board Director for Area 4, representing Ham Lake, Andover, Ramsey, Oak Grove, and Nowthen. He is a lifelong resident of Andover and a graduate of St. Francis High School. Matt is the father of two Anoka-Hennepin graduates who attended Andover schools from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Matt earned a BBA in Finance and Business Economics from Notre Dame and an MBA in Finance and Supply Chain Management from the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota.
Audette is a proud U.S. Army veteran and a conservative. Matt has over 28 years of leadership and management experience. He began his career serving on active duty as an officer in the United States Army, and since then has served in dozens of leadership roles in privately held business and the Fortune 500.
Matt has been an active, visible leader in the community for many years, including previous service as the Community Board Chair at the Emma B. Howe YMCA in Coon Rapids, a youth football coach, and the Cubmaster of Pack 414 in Andover. He taught Confirmation and religious education at every grade level (K-9) at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Oak Grove.
Important Issues:
Putting Kids First
Our children have a right to an excellent education. Matt prioritizes educating our kids over the radical political agendas of Education Minnesota, the MN Department of Education, and others who aim to indoctrinate children.
Student and Teacher Safety
Matt puts the safety of students and staff front and center, fighting to change district policy and advocating for changes to state laws that have caused unsafe schools. He would provide legal protection for teachers and school staff who act to curb violence or disruptive behavior in our schools.
Curriculum and Community Values
Matt is at the forefront of the fight to remove divisive content from our schools. He believes schools should provide a solid academic curriculum that reflects our community’s values and provides an understanding of American history, civics, and citizenship. He leads the public fight against the presence of CRT and its divisiveness on our children
Goals if Elected:
Rapidly improve academic performance
Half of our children are not grade-level proficient in reading & writing, math, and science. We need a turnaround plan with measurable goals and accountability metrics. This will need to include the total removal of cell phones from our school environment.
Make our schools safe for students and staff
During the 2024-25 school year, our classrooms were evacuated 400+ times due to out-of-control student behavior. Our teachers experience serious injury at the hands of students at alarming rates. Teachers cannot teach and students cannot learn in this kind of environment. This must be fixed.
Restore parent voice in our schools
Excellent schools require a partnership between school administration and parents. Our administration and our teacher’s union have pushed parents away. Failing academic performance provides all the evidence we need to prove that the ‘trust the experts’ mentality is failing our kids. Trust, but verify.
Endorsements:
Anoka-Hennepin Parents Alliance
MN Parents Alliance
Connect with Me:
Web: www.mattaudettefordistrict11.com
Facebook: mattaudettefordistrict11
Email: audetteforisd11@gmail.com
Phone: 612-559-0953
Candidate Interview: Coming soon.
About: I’m an experienced, passionate Education professor who knows the importance of strong public schools. My career has been devoted to helping students at all levels succeed. After nearly a decade teaching in Anoka-Hennepin schools, I earned a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction and began instructing new teachers, first at Bethel University and now at the University of St. Thomas. As a mom of three school aged children, I am invested in giving back to our community by serving on the school board. I am the Vice-Chair of The Reading League Minnesota, a non-profit organization that works to transform reading instruction to ensure all students, including those with dyslexia and special needs, learn to read. In my free time, I enjoy cheering on my children as they compete in track, swimming, and gymnastics. My interest in architecture led to me designing the home my husband Micah built. I was the general contractor during the build and learned a lot about managing a project with many moving parts, and being flexible during inevitable challenges that arise. Our family has planted our roots in Andover, and I plan to keep our schools strong for the benefit of everyone. I love this community!
Important Issues: A major issue our school district faces is the dysfunction and infighting of the current board. Nearly every topic becomes contentious, and important decisions the board must make, such as approving curriculum and adopting state standards, get pushed to the very last minute, leaving teachers in a bind and causing unnecessary stress. At this point in time when we are facing budget shortfalls at the state and school district level, we need highly-qualified board members who show up to work as a team to solve problems, not to pontificate about their political views. I am a non-partisan candidate who has not accepted money from either political party. Instead of being beholden to political ideologies, I will hear multiple perspectives from our community members, parents, and district employees on topics, and weigh the evidence behind the competing perspectives to then make the best decision for students, teachers, and our school community.
Goals if Elected: Increasing student achievement and engagement are my highest priorities. My background in literacy education means I know how to make the dream of strong foundational skills a reality. Ensuring that students become strong in reading, writing, and math in elementary school means middle schools and high schools can focus on teaching students to analyze, compare and contrast, think critically, and apply what they’ve learned to real world situations. Public schools with strong rigor and robust secondary opportunities means students are prepared for life after they graduate, whether that path is college, trade school, or the workforce. Key to this is increasing student engagement, agency, interest, relevancy, and buy-in. Humans are naturally curious – excellent schools and systems build on this curiosity and encourage the love of learning with the ultimate goal of fulfilled, healthy, thriving, contributing members of society.
Endorsements:
- The School Board Integrity Project
- Anoka-Hennepin Education Minnesota
- Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation
- Service Employees International Union
Connect with Me:
- Web: www.abbeypayeurforschoolboard.com
- Facebook: Abbey Payeur for Anoka-Hennepin School Board
- Instagram: Abbey Payeur for Anoka-Hennepin School Board
- Email: abbeypayeurforschoolboard@gmail.com
Candidate Interview: Coming soon.
