Patch Candidate Profile:Loren Jay Balazs For ISD 196 School Board

EAGAN/APPLE VALLEY/ROSEMOUNT, MN — This fall, Eagan, Apple Valley and Rosemount residents will vote on school board members for ISD 196.

Loren Jay Balazs is one of 15 candidates running for School Board in the Nov. 2 election.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles over the coming weeks.

Are you running for School Board? Contact Morgan Reddekopp at morgan.reddekopp@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Age (as of Election Day): 57

Position Sought: ISD 196 School Board Member At Large

Family: Mother in Sarasota and brother in Roseville.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No

Education:

University of La Verne, Travel Management Certificate Mt. San Antonio College, TEFL Certificate University of Riverside

Occupation:

Uber Driver currently 1 year 2010-2020 Managed chain of import grocery stores in Xiamen, China. 2006-2012 English Teacher Xiamen Foreign Language School Xiamen, China

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

Campaign website: lorenjaybalazs@campaign196 Facebook

Why are you seeking elective office?:

I'm running because after coming back to America after a long absence I'm saddened by what I see. A country strongly divided by ideology and politics, Truth and facts replaced by rumors and conspiracies. I now see this affecting our schools more than ever. Masks and vaccines becoming political. Science being pushed aside by fear mongering. I see those fighting for and against Critical Race Theory based on what they read or heard from a Talking Head, not actual research on their own. Due to my past experience in the Chinese school system I've seen the good and bad it offers and can contribute my unique perspective. I've also seen the horrors of what Ideology and fear of not teaching factual history has on a society. Lastly, because my experience of working with and social interacting with people from many cultures, that also brings a perspective that's needed now.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it:

the achievement gap. While district 196 has been better at closing it than other Minnesota school districts, it's still a problem. I will personally go to each school in the district to talk with Principals, teachers, and students to find out what the problems are causing it and work with the school board and district officials to help solve the problem.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?:

I believe I have an advantage over other candidates who have children in the district. This makes those candidates much more subjective. They are usually running to change something they don't like in the school to better align with their belief as a parent for only their children, not all children. I do not have children in the district and can be very objective because of this. Also, I can bring in fresh new ideas I've learned from advantages of the Chinese school system which has nothing to do with communism but is based on a strong parent-teacher model.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency):

They haven't failed the community, but I offer new leadership then can bring improvements to it.

How do you think local officials are performing in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?:

In our district they are doing a great job and I do not believe I would have done anything differently.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Fact based opinions on Critical Race Theory. None ideology teaching of history. More emphasis on math and science.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?:

10 years as a salesman and manager in the car business has given me sharp negotiating skills and the ability to listen and emphasize with people. 10 years working with people from all over the world in a retail environment handling problems, customer service, and budgets. 6 years as a high school teacher and 15 years as an English tutor.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Learn from your mistakes.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?:

I'm inexperienced but that brings more positives than negatives. I can educate myself before and while on the job on the issues and procedures needed to do an effective job. I'm very open minded and always willing to listen and educate myself to opposing view points.