By Keighla Schmidt, Staff Writer

When Sandy Sweep moved to the Burnsville area seven years ago from Colorado, she got involved at Burnsville High School as an administrative assistant in the guidance department where she helped new students register.

Now that she’s no longer doing that job, she’s looking to get involved with the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage District again this year by running for a position on the School Board.

While she doesn’t currently have students in the district, Sweep said she wants be on the board to always watch out for the students. Her youngest son, Aaron, graduated from BHS last year.

“I’ve been a long-time volunteer at the elementary level and an advocate for volunteering at all age levels,” she said.

Sweep is a 1980 graduate of Colorado Smokey Hills High School and got her bachelor of arts degree in communications from Metro State University in 2006. She currently works as marketing director for the 934th Air Force Reserve Services Squadron in Bloomington.

Q & A

Why are you running for school board?
ISD 191 is a good district. I am a strong advocate for student and public education. We need people on the board -- not to say that there isn’t now -- but we need people that don’t have a personal agenda and want the best they bring for the students. Sandy Sweep: Sandy Sweep is running
for one of three, four-year terms on the
District 191 School Board.

What do you believe is the greatest challenge the school district is facing?

It ends up encompassing a lot of things, but I believe public perception. Within that, comes comprehension of fiscal responsibility. If people aren’t in the schools to see what’s actually being done with the money, they don’t know.

Our diversity - that can be a challenge within our academics, but it can be an asset to the children in the district – they know and learn the culture. Our children will have an edge because they will be exposed to a variety of cultures; all this is in addition to the excellent education they’re receiving.

One thing we’re working on is curriculum that will be with them until they graduate.

If we’re not communicating, that leads to the wrong perception.

What are the school’s greatest needs?
It’s the same as any school district, and not to say we don’t have this or that we lack it, but you need community support. Burnsville has amazing parents and we need the support of our community, parents and the state.

And you have to have quality teachers – which we have.

What is the best way to combat declining enrollment and/or draw new students to the district?
Burnsville is not a growing city or area; its surrounded by other suburbs, so we do have limited opportunities for growing or increasing enrollment. The magnet schools are one thing we’re hoping will attract students to those special programs that we can offer to students who don’t have them.

Do you feel magnet programs address the issue they’re aiming to – that is to increase diversity?
As my understanding of the programs is, we were mandated to partner with a neighboring district. This is an increased opportunity for the immigrant students to give them educational opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.

How can AYP be reached in District 191?
The comprehensive curriculum plan the district as a whole and Dr. Clegg is initiating will help provide a more consistent curriculum from elementary school through 12th grade. So if a student moves from school to school, they won’t be having different textbooks; teaching styles may differ, but they will be learning the same thing.

That will help students meet the academic standards required to pass the tests. It will help not only the students, but will help keep immigration students on the same page and help them pass the basic standard tests.

Simply looking at AYP isn’t indicative of a school’s true academic standard. We have such a high minority population of students where English isn’t their primary language and they take the test in English … it’s going to have an adverse effect.

Is the current level of funding adequate for public education? Why or why not?

No. States are expecting schools to do more with less. They’re cutting all funding at the county level, not just schools … which requires the county to raise property taxes, so therefore when the school district has to go to the public for a levy, the public already had their taxes increased – of which a very small portion goes to the schools – and they have to try to pass a levy but the public is resistant. Most people don’t see or understand that cycle.

We all hear what’s wrong with education and that seems to justify lawmakers and public support of cutting. But the children are our future … it makes it an uphill battle. If the kids see officials cutting education funding it’s hard to tell children how important their education is.

 Keighla Schmidt can be reached at kschmidt@swpub.com [2].