Minnesota and North Dakota Voter's Guide

Forum Communications Co., in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Minnesota and of North Dakota, is providing this voter guide to help keep you informed ahead of the 2024 election.

  • Learn where candidates running for office in your community stand on the issues.
  • Build your ballot before voting. Print or email the information to use as a reference when you actually vote.

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Voter Guide

ISD #861 School Board Member District 1

School board members oversee the care, management, and control of schools. This includes hiring, firing, and overseeing superintendents, who manage the day-to-day affairs of the district. They also set levies to fund the district and create school policies. Learn more here: https://www.lwv.org/blog/voting-local-matters-why-vote-school-boardIf your candidate didn’t fill in the guide below, visit the Secretary of State’s Candidate Filing site to find contact info (https://candidates.sos.mn.gov/). If you reach out, ask candidates to complete their Vote411 Voters Guide from LWVMN!

Click a candidate icon to find more information about the candidate. To compare two candidates, click the "compare" button. To start over, click a candidate icon.

  • Candidate picture

    Michelle Cochran
    (NP)

  • Candidate picture

    Ted Hazelton
    (NP)

Biographical Information

Why are you the best candidate for this position? (750 characters)

If elected, what will your top three priorities be and why? (500 characters)

If forced to cut the budget in the face of declining revenues, what would be your strategy? (500 characters)

How would you address any racial and economic disparities in our education system? (500 characters)

Please describe how you will engage teachers and families in your decision making process. (500 characters)

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What I bring to the WAPS Board is a positive attitude, and over 30 years of experience working as a team member in kindergarten through postsecondary classrooms.

From these many experiences, I have learned the importance of listening, and of working together with others to develop consensuses over difficult issues.

My specialty is the teaching of reading through evidence-based instruction. These are foundations of the Minnesota Read Act, passed in 2023. I bring a fresh perspective and unique expertise to WAPS.
Once elected, my first priority will be to build good working relationships with the other school board members. Second, I will commit personal time to spend in schools with teachers, staff, and administrators, to learn what their thoughts, ideas, and priority issues are. Third, and continuing through my term, I will work to fully understand the many duties and responsibilities of the school board; and to develop a deep understanding of the WAPS budget.
I would work with my fellow board members to gather and evaluate available information, with respect to district priorities, and to discuss and develop alternative recommendations. In this situation, the Board Finance Committee plays a central role in gathering and analyzing data and; interacting with other district administrators; generating options for action. Ultimately, I would participate as appropriate in votes, discussions, and actions needed to develop and approve a final budget.
For the past 17 years I taught reading to racially diverse students, many of low socioeconomic status, who were entering college underprepared for school success. We developed and used evidence-based, individualized reading instruction with these students. Consistent assessment data confirmed excellent student progress. Knowing the students entering our schools, providing quality professional development and curriculum with progress monitoring helped level the playing field for our students.
During my campaign I have met with community members to hear their ideas. I do spend time out in the community and will be open to listening throughout my term. I will commit personal time to spend in schools with teachers, staff, and students, to learn what their thoughts, ideas, and priority issues are. I will read and respond to email messages in a timely manner.
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The League of Women Voters of Minnesota and North Dakota crafted the questions sent to the candidates in the Spring of 2024. They reached out to candidates based on contact information in their public candidate filings. Candidates with email addresses were invited and reminded with emails. Candidates with only mailing addresses were sent a letter. Candidates with phone numbers received a phone call as well.

Candidate responses are published as they responded and have not been edited, except when responses were longer than the given character limit. In those cases, the responses are truncated.

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