Vernosh for WBL Area Schools
Fulfilling the Promise of Public Education
I believe in the White Bear Lake Area Schools ability to deliver on the promise that public education holds for our community. We already provide a great educational experience for our children, but there is room for growth. We must celebrate what we do well while being bold enough to admit where we come up short. Only then can we truly dedicate ourselves to always moving towards better.
My vision for White Bear Lake Area Schools is grounded in four areas:
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Support Our Teachers and Staff
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Inclusion and Accessibility
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Opportunity for All
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Fiscally Responsible and Accountable
Support Our Teachers and Staff
We must continually examine how we can better support our teachers and staff so they can focus on what matters most: students.
Teachers and staff are being asked to do more and more, often times with less support. We need to be intentional about ensuring that every initiative, expectation, and responsibility we place on teachers is directly connected to improving students' academic and social/emotional learning. If we are going to add something to a teacher’s plate, we should also be willing to take something off.
Supporting teachers means listening to them, respecting their professional expertise, protecting their time, and creating conditions where they can thrive—not just survive. Strong schools begin with supporting the people who make learning possible every single day.
Inclusive and Accessible
Public schools should be a place where every child is welcomed, belongs, and thrives, regardless of their background, identity, needs, or previous experiences. Each student. Each day. No exceptions.
We know that children learn when they are valued for who they are, and provided access to supports to be their best selves. In order to do this, we need to prioritize:
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Mental Health Supports: Ensure students and teachers have access to the supports needed for student and staff wellbeing.
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Support for Neurodiverse Learners: Expand understanding, training, and supports for neurodiversity and special education.
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Safe and supportive schools: Ensure students are safe to show up as their true selves and that who they are matters.
Opportunity for All
Today's students must be prepared to thrive in a global community. That means each child needs to be a critical thinker while being proficient in reading, math, science, writing, and social studies.
Our job is to make sure that every door of opportunity is wide open for each graduate. Whether that is four-year college, technical school, apprenticehip, the trades, internship, military service, or career, a White Bear student should be prepared for their personal journay forward.
We need to be intentional in understanding why some students are excelling and others are not and address each barrier that is uncovered. We owe our students nothing less.
Fiscally Responsible and Accountable
A budget is a values document. It shows what organizations prioritize by what funds they dedicate to it. School districts are no different.
School funding is incredibly complex and has not kept up with inflation in Minnesota for decades. We need to make sure that every dollar in our control is targeted to helping our children excel academically and socially in school.
Approving a balanced budget is one of the top jobs of a school board. We need to ask tough questions and make hard decisions to hold our district leaders accountable to funding what we know works for student achievement.
