The Minnesota School Boards Association has set September as School Board Recognition Month in Minnesota as a time to build awareness and understanding of the vital function an elected board of education plays in our society. Tracy Area Public Schools is joining all public school districts across the state to celebrate School Board Recognition Month to honor local board members for their commitment to the Tracy Area and its children.
“It takes strong schools to build a strong community, and these men and women devote countless hours to making sure our schools are helping every child learn at a higher level,” TAPS Supt. Chad Anderson said. “They make the tough decisions every month and spend many hours studying education issues and regulations in order to provide the kind of accountability our citizens expect.”
Anderson said the key work of school boards is to raise student achievement by:
• Creating a vision for what the community wants the school district to be and for making student achievement the top priority;
• Establishing standards for what students will be expected to learn and be able to do;
• Ensuring progress is measured to be sure the district’s goals are achieved and students are learning at expected levels;
• Being accountable for their decisions and actions by continually tracking and reporting results;
• Creating a safe, orderly climate where students can learn and teachers can teach;
• Forming partnerships with others in the community to solve common problems; and • Focusing attention on the need for continuous improvement by questioning, refining and revising issues related to student achievement.
“School board members give the Tracy Area citizens a voice in education decision making,” said Anderson. “Their contribution is a year-round commitment.”
The members serving our district are as follows: Rod Benson (Chair), Jody Bauer (Vice Chair), Nicole Swanson (Treasurer/ Secretary), Jeff Knott, Ryan Verlinde, Taylor Hoffbeck and Jay Fultz.
Thank you to the dedicated and professional School Board Members at TAPS for your service to our students, staff, and community! Together we can all make a difference in the lives of our Students!
— Supt. Chad Anderson
