Patch Candidate Profile: John Chandler For ISD 197 School Board

MENDOTA HEIGHTS, MN — This fall, Mendota Heights residents will vote on school board members for ISD 197.

John Chandler is one of 10 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): 52

Position Sought: ISD 197 School Board Member At Large
Party Affiliation: N/A
Website:http://www.johnchandlerforscho...
Family:
I am married and we have lived in Mendota Heights for 16 years. We have two current ISD197 students, one 2021 ISD197 graduate, and two cats. I am originally from New Orleans and my wife is from Iowa. We left St. Paul to move “south” in search of a warmer climate. We fell in love so much with the Somerset community that when our family continued to grow, we moved to stay within the same school boundary.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you’re running for: No

Education:
I earned my Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Leadership Development
Certificate from the Minnesota School Boards Association, and Combined Arms Services and Staff school completion from the Army.

Occupation:
I am currently the Director of Development at Scholarship America. I was an Army National Guard
officer (retired after 20 years as Major) in Military Intelligence branch after serving enlisted as a medic. I have been a non-profit executive my entire professional career in multiple education disciplines, including being employed with the Dodge Nature Center from 2010 to 2016 and seeing firsthand an example of our school district’s partnerships.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: I was elected to ISD197 School Board in 2013 and re-elected in 2017.

Why are you seeking elective office?:
I grew up in a family of school teachers and have been surrounded by public education my entire life. I learned at an early age that strong schools and strong communities go hand in hand. As a school board member, I see it as my responsibility to enable meaningful connections between our schools and the community we serve.

I have served as school board liaisons to every district school now and currently serve as Moreland
liaison. With the exception of time last year during the pandemic, I attend school and community events in-person, participate in countless school fundraisers, and try to get to at least one athletic event or activity for every high school group annually to ensure I stay up-to-date with what is happening and am accessible. Follow my school board and Rotary activities on Twitter @john_m_chandler.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it:
Culture – One of the biggest challenges we face as a school district is the culture within our schools. We have made progress over the last several years by defining our equity test and implementing practices that promote equity, and I’ve personally witnessed many examples of students, teachers and staff promoting a welcoming and inclusive school environment. But there is still a lot of work to do.

We have to be willing to address this directly and ask tough questions. Some ways we can address that include:
1. Explore implementation of anonymous reporting tools for students and employees to identify
issues they may be experiencing at school. This would give our district greater visibility to issues
that may otherwise be unreported and would allow our school communities to report concerns
without fear of retaliation.
2. Hire a Culture Consultant to study the culture at our schools and make suggestions for
improvements.
3. Define cultural improvements as a specific goal for our leaders.
4. Expressly define ourselves as allies for under-represented groups.

It doesn't matter how glorious our renovated and new structures are if our culture, and perception of our culture, are subpar. We all have the right to work and attend school in a positive environment and with that right comes the responsibility of acting in an ethical manner and letting the appropriate people know if someone is not acting appropriately. By working together, we can maintain a healthy and productive environment.

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

I have served two ISD197 school board terms and have demonstrated willingness to speak with
community members to ensure all voices are heard. I have 20 years of military experience serving in strategic roles and am an experienced strategic leader. I have two current ISD197 students and one 2021 graduate.

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

I want what is best for our students and teachers. I supported the recent school board vote for universal masking in all of our buildings. I receive lots of input about consideration for the high school to allow masks as optional since everyone is old enough to get vaccinated. This warrants consideration but, for now, it feels as though masks, and sufficient social distancing measures, are the way to go with emerging COVID variants. While I do not believe a pivot to distance learning is currently warranted, this is obviously something we need to keep an eye on.

Like many, our family also endured the last year plus with three teenagers at home instead of in school. I take my role seriously of being accountable to the community for constantly monitoring the conditions affecting the district as whole. Ultimately, my decision will always favor what I believe to be safest for all involved.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Community Engagement – We need to find better ways to communicate with the community as many are frustrated with our current processes. For example, we should resume offering hybrid school board meetings so more can stay connected and we can demonstrate transparency. I have demonstrated that I am always willing to have conversations with people even if those conversations are uncomfortable, and I always respond to messages from those in the community and am willing to engage with them.

I will continue to be an independent voice and speak up when I believe something needs to be said and heard. My military experience has taught me that a single source of information isn’t enough and I haven’t done my diligence if I don’t consider a variety of viewpoints before making a decision. As a result, I favor consulting multiple sources of information to help me with decision making rather than gravitating toward perspectives that validate my existing ideas. That is why I am always eager to engage with community members about how we can make our schools the best they can be, and see it as my responsibility as a school board member to be available to anyone who wants to talk about our schools.

Academic Achievement – Our new strategic framework has five lofty goals. It's been a year since the framework was adopted. We have to ask ourselves have we shown improvement in any of these goals. If not, why? If so, how can we show more improvement this year.

The pandemic can be a convenient excuse for lack of academic achievement if we let it. If these goals are truly important to us, we need to be intentional about stating these goals, measuring them, and holding ourselves and our leaders accountable for their achievement.

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

I approach my school board work very mindfully, and similar to when I was a citizen soldier in the Army National Guard. To have a full-time career while also serving in the military or in public office, you have to be very organized.
I have been a board liaison for every school in the district and have served on the following committees: Board Planning, Project Oversight, Community Education Advisory, Special Education Advisory, Meet and Confer, Early Learning Advisory, and Parent Ambassador Network. I am especially proud to have helped Superintendent Nancy Allen-Mastro start the Parent Ambassador Network.

I remain an active volunteer through our children's activities as well as in the community. My
community volunteer experiences include:

• Dollars For Scholars Chapter (2021 Board Member)
• Saint Paul Rotary Foundation (2019-2021 Board Member, 2021-2022 President-Elect)
• Kinder High School Class Memorial Scholarship Committee (2019-2021 Founder)
• I.S.D. No. 197 Educational Foundation (2012-2013 Board Member)
• Association of Fundraising Professionals (2010-2011 Board Member, 2005-2021 Member)
• Rotary Club of Saint Paul (2009-2011 Board Member, 2013-2016 Board Member, 2018-2019 President, 2019-2020 Board Member, 2005-2021 Member)
• ISD197 Vote Yes Campaign (2017-2018 multiple positions)
• Boy Scouts of America (2009-2021 multiple positions)
• Mendota Heights Athletics Association (2009-2015 Coach)

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Listen without judging or jumping to conclusions

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

I hold a Letter of Support from our local SD52 DFL group and am the only ISD197 school board candidate to be endorsed by OutFront Minnesota Action. As a soldier, I took an oath to protect all US citizens and my wanting to ensure all voices are heard further demonstrates my commitment to continue doing so now that I am a veteran.