Mary Vanderwert
Mary Vanderwert was an at-large member of the Saint Paul Board of Education in Minnesota. The general election was held on November 3, 2015. Mary Vanderwert won the general election on November 3, 2015. She did not seek re-election in 2019.
Biography
Mary Vanderwert resides in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Vanderwert earned her B.S. degree in consumer and family sciences from the University of Minnesota. She previously served as the director of childcare with the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation and as the Minnesota Head Start state collaboration director for the Minnesota Department of Education. From 1998 to 2009, she co-founded and led the Project Starfish program to support homeless and at-risk residents in Ramsey County.[1]
Elections
2015
The election in Saint Paul featured four of the seven seats on the board up for at-large general election on November 3, 2015.
The seats of incumbents Anne Carroll, Mary Doran, Keith Hardy, and Louise Seeba were up for election. Hardy, who was the only incumbent who filed for re-election, faced challengers Aaron Anthony Benner, Greg Copeland, Zuki Ellis, Linda Freeman, Steve Marchese, Scott Raskiewicz, Jon Schumacher, and Mary Vanderwert for the four at-large seats.
Ellis, Marchese, Schumacher, and Vanderwert won the four seats. All four were endorsed by the Saint Paul Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, and they campaigned together as an unofficial candidate slate.[2]
Benner informally ended his campaign on September 16, 2015, but he still appeared on the ballot since the formal withdrawal deadline was August 13, 2015. He stated that if he had won, he would not take office. Copeland previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the board in 2013.
Results
| Saint Paul Public Schools, At-Large, General Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Mary Vanderwert |
20.3% | 17,777 |
| Zuki Ellis |
17.4% | 15,290 |
| Jon Schumacher |
16.7% | 14,652 |
| Steve Marchese |
16.6% | 14,524 |
| Keith Hardy Incumbent | 9.7% | 8,548 |
| Linda Freeman | 6.7% | 5,914 |
| Greg Copeland | 5.1% | 4,468 |
| Scott Raskiewicz | 3.2% | 2,810 |
| Aaron Anthony Benner | 3.0% | 2,660 |
| Write-in votes | 1.19% | 1,047 |
| Total Votes | 87,690 | |
| Source: Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, "Local Results in Ramsey County," accessed November 4, 2015 These election results are not official and will be updated when certified results are available. You can submit certified results by contacting us. |
||
Funding
Vanderwert reported $23,121.50 in contributions and $16,410.41 in expenditures to the Ramsey County Election Office, which left her campaign with $6,711.09 on hand during the election.[3]
Endorsements
Vanderwert received endorsements from the Saint Paul Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, womenwinning, Saint Paul Federation of Teachers Local 28, Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Minnesota Council 5, St. Paul Building and Construction Trades Council and Teamsters Joint Council 32.
Vanderwert was also endorsed by Saint Paul Board of Education members John Brodrick, Jean O'Connell and Louise Seeba. She also received endorsements from Minnesota State Senator Foung Hawj (D-67) and Minnesota state representatives Erin Murphy (D-64A), Dave Pinto (D-64B), Alice Hausman (D-66A), John Lesch (D-66B) and Sheldon Johnson (D-67B).[4]
Campaign themes
2015
Ballotpedia survey responses
Vanderwert participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display her responses to the survey questions. When asked what her top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | I believe that the organizational culture of the St. Paul Public Schools needs to be improved. We need a school board, staff, parents and administration that have a common vision for the direction of the schools and are willing to work together toward those goals. While some school sites have really effective, positive cultures, it is inconsistent across the city. Culture comes from the leadership of an organization and we want one that is collaborative, creative, supportive and exciting. We need a culture that values the contributions of staff and provides them a voice in decision-making. With a healthy culture focused on the mission and with effective leadership, we can make SPPS the best school district in this country.[5] | ” |
| —Mary Vanderwert (2015)[6] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important:
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Minnesota. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Expanding career-technical education | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Improving college readiness | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer 10 questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column of the following table:
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| "Modifications are required before they are implemented." | |
| "No." | |
| "No." | |
| "No." | |
| "I believe that the earlier we start to support with children and families, the better our outcomes will be. The schools need to work with early childhood programs to provide support and information to families as soon as a baby is expected. Parents need help in navigating the maze of services available to them and they need information about child development and support in getting excited about being a part of their child’s life. When children enter our doors, we need to embrace their whole family and treat them with respect and openness. Families need to be regarded and valued as full partners in the education offered. Support for their family needs to be a part of what we do in Saint Paul.
We need to ensure that our instructional practices and learning environments meet the learning styles and needs of children living with stress. Learning needs to be active, exciting, exploratory and fun and include a variety of ways to express themselves. Children with stress at home need access to health services and mental health services within the schools. They need help with managing their own emotions, developing learning skills, using healthy effective means for solving conflict or problems and in knowing that they will get help from the adults around them if they need it. Children who have experienced trauma need to be able to trust the adults in their world and especially their teachers. When they come to school, they need to know that their teachers like them, want what is best for them and believe in their ability to achieve. This makes it imperative that we have staff/teachers/leaders that come from their community and look like them. SPPS needs to work with teacher training programs to include more training/experience in mental health, brain development, how to navigate many cultures and how to relate to parents. We need a system for integrating new teachers into our schools so they are equipped and supported in working with children who have challenges. Opportunities for reflective practice is important for their own health. Loan forgiveness, alternative pathways to licensure and other creative ideas need to be explored to ensure that the staff is as diverse as the families in Saint Paul. Finally, when older students act out we cannot send them back to the classroom without intervention. If we do, we ignore the warning signs they are showing us. We must have plans in place that will allow them to calm themselves and provide some restitution if necessary. It is important to teach and practice social emotional skills during classroom activities. Children need to learn how to regulate their emotions, how to recognize and respond appropriately to others’ emotions and to communicate with adults so they can form trusting relationships. Learning these skills early in the schools will help children to be successful as they go forward. The instruction the schools provide in emotional intelligence is as important as teaching the traditional subject curricula evaluated in standardized testing." | |
| "Expulsion cases must be viewed on a case-by-case basis rather than the district having an overarching policy." | |
| |
| "No." | |
| "Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district." | |
| |
| "I believe learning happens within the context of relationship. When teachers know their students and families, they can adapt their classroom environment and instructional practices to fit their students’ needs, and children will perform better. The systems in the schools need to support developing relationships. We need to shift the focus from testing children to ensuring that teachers have what they need to get to know their children to gain their trust and be as effective as possible.
Parents are critical to their children’s success. By providing a greater focus on support and family engagement our schools will be more successful. They need to be authentic partners in the decision making for their children and their schools." |
Vanderwert completed a survey conducted by the Pioneer Press:
| “ | Why are you qualified to hold this office?
I understand systems and organization change and I understand families and how children learn. As an early childhood education professional, I have studied and continue to study brain development and the implications for policy and instruction. We must have schools that support families, children's health & mental health & allow teachers to have strong relationships with students. What will be your top priorities if elected? The culture of the SPPS needs to improve to one that is more collaborative, creative, supportive & exciting, that values the contributions of staff, parents & the community & provides them a voice in decision-making. Implementation of Universal Pre-K must work for children & we need to ensure that teachers have the structure & support to form strong relationships with students and families.[5] |
” |
| —Pioneer Press survey (2015)[7] | ||
Vanderwert published the following on her campaign website:
| “ | Why are you running for the Saint Paul School Board?
Based on my conversations with teachers and other staff, I believe the schools need culture change. We need to change and adapt to move the district forward, but how that change happens is important. Everyone – teachers, administrators, and the Board – needs to pull together in the same direction. We can’t afford to lose a minute of student learning time because adults are busy getting organized. It’s up to the Board to help set a collaborative tone and high expectations for how policy is established and implementation plans created and carried out. The culture must be inclusive and collaborative with high expectations for student growth, where teachers and parents/caregivers feel informed, supported and valued, and are full, authentic partners in educating our students. Collaboration is core to who I am. I will engage students, teachers, parents, caregivers, and community members in making the hard decisions about how we prioritize our limited resources – and always put kids first. What changes to the ‘status quo’ are you seeking? How will you partner with students, parents, educators, and the community to achieve it? I respect teachers and professional staff. Their work is critical to the success of the schools and the success of students in the schools. I’m running because I want to bring my experience and expertise in early childhood education to the school district. I know SPPS staff share a philosophy of supporting parents, ensuring physical and mental health, and providing environments where teachers feel supported and are able to form strong relationships with the children they see every day. I also know that when we do education well, everything else in our world works better. Our students are the future workforce for our economy. I always say it takes a village to raise a child; I’m fast learning that it also takes a village to elect people to positions where they can make the right decisions for our community’s children If elected, what are your top three priorities as you take office? My experience in working in Head Start and in the development of systems has led me to believe that the culture of an organization often is a determining factor in the success of that organization. SPPS need to have leadership that creates a culture including: 1. Parent Engagement – Parent engagement is absolutely critical to a child’s success. As their child’s first educators, parents must support and encourage their child for him/her to excel. Everyone in the schools needs to support parents early on in their child’s career in school. Parents need education about child development, community-based resources, connections to other parents for social support, and information about the schools so they can be engaged in their child’s learning and effectively advocate for their child. When parents are prepared with information and confidence, they can be full partners in their child’s education. School staff and leadership must be representative of the diverse communities we’re fortunate to have in St. Paul. Parent input must be integrated into district and school-based policies and procedures. 2. Student physical and mental health – Students need to be well nourished, well rested and feel well to have the energy they need to learn. Regular health (including oral health) screenings and follow up treatment should be offered in the schools so access is not a barrier. Students that have potential for mental health issues need early intervention and access to services on site. Too many of our students are struggling with trauma that impacts their ability to focus on learning. We must do everything we can to remove these health-related barriers to help our children succeed. 3. Supporting teachers in building relationships and growing professionally– Teachers need support to form strong relationships with families and students. This could include regular home visits, more frequent conferences, regular e-mail and phone communication to provide extra encouragement or recognition. Class sizes should be determined by the needs of the children in the classroom and the experience and skills of the teacher. Children’s individual needs must be identified and plans put in place to support those needs so all adults are on the same page. Teachers deserve professional development that includes reflective supervision, professional learning communities, as well as adequate support in the classroom as they are faced with meeting a wide variety of differentiated needs of learners. In what ways can the school district work to connect students with job training, education and the world of work in general? Schools need to educate students about the impact and value of skilled labor in the curriculum. There are a variety of interests and abilities in our student body and these interests should be nurtured. I believe there should be programs for those who want to learn a skill that is marketable after graduation. I think the school district would benefit from working to provide apprenticeships, courses that teach specific trades, seminars, job-shadowing, and other opportunities for hands-on learning that would prepare students for the world of work. Your experience is in early childhood education. How will you support students in older grades? What children need in early childhood are the same things they need all the way through high school graduation: 1. Parents and caregivers need support so they can be active partners in educating their children. 2. Kids need to be healthy –physically and emotionally – so they have the energy they need to learn. 3. Teachers need support from administrators to create an environment that allows them to build relationships with children and families, and provides professional growth opportunities. Do you support the MN High School Leagues policy that allows transgender athletes to play on the sports teams that best matches their gender identities? This policy makes sense to me because I believe it honors and respects the students. Sports are meant to be a supplement to classroom education and can teach very important lessons and skills. They need to be available to all students with an interest and desire to participate. What do you propose for underrepresented students to learn about the historical achievements of their people? (i.e. African-American, East African, Hmong, Latino, LGBT, women and others) The curriculum in all disciplines in the schools needs to provide an accurate, unbiased picture of the accomplishments of all people. Discussion about inclusion, systematic discrimination and the implications for all members of society should take place. Youth need an open, accepting environment to share beliefs, opinions, experiences and ideas in all classes. Fostering a school culture that emphasizes collaboration, the need for everyone to be involved, and a focus on the school goals will do much to end discrimination and marginalization. If you elect me, I will commit to you three things: 1. I will advocate for a school system that supports ALL our students – from our most vulnerable to our most successful. 2. I will promote tools and opportunities for our talented teachers so they have the resources they need to succeed. 3. I will collaborate with all of you because that is what I do. I will engage students, teachers, parents, caregivers, and community members in making the hard decisions about how we prioritize our limited resources – and always put kids first.[5] |
” |
| —Mary Vanderwert campaign website (2015)[8] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Mary Vanderwert' 'Saint Paul Public Schools'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Mary Vanderwert for St. Paul Kids, "Meet Mary," accessed October 19, 2015
- ↑ Pioneer Press, "Ellis, Marchese, Schumacher, Vanderwert: We're of varied background and opinion, and we'll keep doing our homework," April 25, 2015
- ↑ Ramsey County Election Office, "Campaign Finance Reports - 2015," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ Mary Vanderwert for St. Paul Kids, "Public supporters," accessed October 19, 2015
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, 2015, "Mary Vanderwert's Responses," October 5, 2015
- ↑ Pioneer Press, "Your 2015 Pioneer Press voter's guide," October 9, 2015
- ↑ Mary Vanderwert for St. Paul Kids, "Issues & Actions," accessed October 19, 2015
| 2015 Saint Paul Public Schools Elections | |
| Ramsey County, Minnesota | |
| Election date: | November 3, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Keith Hardy • Aaron Anthony Benner • Greg Copeland • Zuki Ellis • Linda Freeman • Steve Marchese • Scott Raskiewicz • Jon Schumacher • Mary Vanderwert |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
