Minneapolis School Board Election and Governance Reform

As residents of Minneapolis, we believe that all families and communities deserve representation on the Minneapolis School Board. We believe that Board decisions should be grounded in the rich mosaic of all families and neighborhoods in Minneapolis, and that the Board be accountable, responsive and accessible to the community. We support equal representation on the school board, regardless of place, race, or income.

The present system of all at-large elections undermines the concept of representative democracy, favoring vote-rich areas of the city over broad community representation. It creates a barrier to broad community participation, and limits the ability of community leaders to step forward and run for elective office.

Therefore, we the undersigned, support efforts to reform the governance structure of the Minneapolis Public Schools, such as Minnesota House File # 295/Senate File #358, in order to make the Board more accountable, responsive, and accessible to the entire community. We believe that now is the time for bold leadership in support of Minneapolis public education.