A BRIGHTER FUTURE
Making Our Schools Strong
ABOUT ME
A brighter future...making our schools strong
My name is Mark Kelliher and I am running in the Mounds View District 621 school board election.
​
I feel strongly that the board leadership needs to be reenergized so that academic excellence comes back into focus. Enrollment in our schools is on the decline and I believe it is related to the erosion in academic performance that we have seen.
​
Here's a summary of the key issues. More detail can be found in "About."
Academic Excellence: We must get back to focusing on academic excellence. The erosion is not just related to Covid--the decline has occurred over many years.
Fiduciary Focus: A fiduciary is someone who manages financial affairs as though it's his own money. I have been a fiduciary the bulk of my career and will bring the same discipline to District 621.
Community Engagement: School board meetings must be opened up again to receive parent and community feedback.
I also believe that our students can benefit from utilizing volunteers and mentors from the community.
Shop and Trades: Not every student is interested in attending college, yet the curriculum in our schools is largely geared towards the college route. We must be open to offering classes that teach trade skills, recognizing that some of those skills can also be applied as hobbies later in life, e.g., woodworking.
​
Endorsements: I am running for election without political or financial endorsements from any organization. Furthermore, I have not sought, nor will I accept endorsements that would create a conflict of interest in my serving on the school board.
Equity: Everyone has an opinion as to what this word means, and it gets confusing. My view is very clear: Each and every child deserves a quality education that is academically focused. To do that, we need to provide our teachers with the resources to accomplish that goal. Each and every student is entitled to access the tools at our disposal so as to achieve their best individual results.
Conclusion: I have both the energy and the leadership experience to get our schools back on track. If, after exploring my website you find that you share my concerns and views, especially as it applies to academic performance, I hope you will consider voting for me.
​
Thanks for visiting my site, but before you go, visit the three other candidates running with me to bring about change by winning the four open seats!
​