Patzloff Aims to 'Bring a New Voice to the Table'

Editor's Note: With , we spoke with each candidate to discuss why they want to be a part of the board, what issues they think need addressing and what challenges they expect to face. Stay tuned for individual Q&As with all three candidates before the Nov. 8 election.

Sarah Patzloff may not be an Edina native, but she has been an active part of the Edina school district since moving here in 2000. Currently serving as president of the Edina Parent Communication Network, Patzloff decided to run because she wants "schools to be as good in 2023 as they are today."

Edina Patch: Tell us a little about yourself to begin with. Where are you from originally and how did you come to live in Edina?

Sarah Patzloff: I grew up in Richfield and Lakeville, attending school from 5th to 12th grade in Lakeville. I then went to Winona State University, got my bachelor's degree in communications and went into advertising. My emphasis was on media planning, trying to do unique things with advertising from a media perspective. After our daughter was one and a half years old, we decided I wanted to stay home and raise our kids.

We actually moved to Edina in 2000, before we had our first child. We were ready to move and started looking around. We said we'd look at first ring suburbs all around, and eventually narrowed it down to Edina because of the community and the schools. And my husband was raised here as well. 

Patch: Why did you decide to run for school board?

SP: It was a combination of my experience with the school district from various organizations like the Parent Leadership Council and the Parent Communication Network. I was part of last year. I just felt that I could add value to the school board. Admittedly it did take a little encouragement from a few school board members who said they thought I should run, they thought I'd be an asset. I think I could do this, I think I could be of value.

Patch: How has campaign gone so far? What have you been focusing on?

SP: It's been huge learning curve. We built the website, we have the signs, we've gone out and tried to meet people. I walked the Homecoming Parade to talk with people and will be doing some small literature drops, especially as we get closer to election day. It's really about getting the word out to citizens, letting them know who I am and what I stand for.

Patch: What issues are of concern for you within the district?

SP: A big issue is obviously going to be the financial changes. Dollars are only going to grow so fast, while inflation will grow faster. Our costs will go up, and revenue won't grow as fast. I think we're going to have to take a look at things differently than in the past. I think getting our hands around how we're going to manage and use technology, how things will change in terms of just standard brick-and-mortar classrooms. It's going to take a willingness to change. The end goal needs to be the same, but how we deliver it is going to change.

Communication in the district is also an issue I've heard a number of parents complain about. As much as we're trying to improve that, I still don't think we do a good job of communication within the district. There's no one good way to get information. We should centralize it in some way. Each school should have autonomy, but we also need consistency. We need to create a simple way for parents to get broad communication.

Patch: What is the biggest challenge you think the district will have to deal with in the next four years?

SP: I think it's probably going to be several things. I really do think looking at managing what dollars we're getting in—because we're so dependent on the state—and determining how we spend those. We need to make sure we continue to have a strong group of teachers, show we care about them and pay them well. Yet it's still about finding that balance. There's a finite amount of money, so there's only so much we can do with it.

Managing technology, making sure it's an asset in the classroom and not a hindrance.

Our survey results for chemical use in our classroom were not good. It has to be a combination of the community and school district working together, there have to be some underlying causes that cause them to use more than the average metro-wide. I'd hope that we can address this and be supportive of our students.

Education wise, we're doing the right things. We have the highest number of kids in the state and nation taking AP courses. Technology, finance and getting our heads wrapped around personalized learning experience. It's a matter of figuring out if technology can help us with that.

Patch: Why should Edina residents vote for you? What would you bring to the school board?

SP: I think I bring a new voice to the table. We haven't had a lot of balance on the board in items of someone representing the elementary voice. I think we have one board member who has child in elementary school. I think it's important to have that balance on the board. I'm not a lawyer, I'm not a teacher. I come from an advertising background and have been a stay-at-home mom for the last eight years. A lot of our board members have been heavily representative of , I think I can bring a different perspective.

Also, I bring a great eye for detail. I want to understand issues. I'm very much a person who will ask questions. Not to be a stickler or thorn in someone's side, but I want to make sure we understand the full picture of what we're talking about before we make a decision.

I'm also a person who doesn't buy into the attitude of "That's the way it's always been done, that's the way we need to do it." For example, with the Parent Communication Network, we've always done our National Speaker event in February. I heard it was cold, and we're usually worried about the speaker being able to make it in the winter weather. So I asked, "Why do we do it in February?" The answer was "That is the way we've always done it." With consensus from everyone, we decided to do it in November. That's the perspective I'll bring to the board: making changes when necessary, but respecting tradition as well. Nobody wants to take a system like Edina with a huge standard of excellence and throw it all away, but I'm not convinced the old norm has to be the new norm.

Patch: Is there anything about you that Edina residents should know?

SP: I think I'm just generally a passionate person in whatever I believe and support. I'm dedicated. I believe in being involved in your community and stepping up when you can. I'm a family-oriented person. I'm a wife, I'm a mother. I love my home, I love to cook, I love my garden, I love my husband. I really do care about this and I'm willing to put myself out there to help the district.

Patch: What's one interesting fact most people don't know about you?

SP: I went to school overseas for a while. I studied abroad in England and just fell in love with Europe in general. Particularly the UK. I was able to do an exchange program at Winona and was in Brighton for a quarter, did the whole backpacking thing across Europe and it was the greatest thing ever. Because of that, both of our kids have godfathers who are in Wales. I wanted to build a wider perspective for our kids as they grow up, knowing that there's an entire world outside of Minnesota.

Patch: Is there anything else you would like to add?

SP: I'd just encourage people to check out my website for some additional information. And I'm always open to answer any questions citizens might have.