Kari Ross

Why did you decide to run?

I decided to run after I was approached by a few people in the community who asked if I would be interested in running. I used to be an administrator in the St. Louis Park Public Schools and now I work with schools all over the state. They thought it would be good for me to have an opportunity to be on the School Board and contribute what I know.

What do you believe to be the biggest issue in the school district right now that you would like to address?

I always think school is about academic excellence and making sure that school is a safe place, and I don’t just mean that doors are locked. I mean that as long as people feel safe (work in) learning environments where all of our students feel valued and appreciated, they can contribute to their learning in a meaningful way.

What other issues are you passionate about?

I’m certainly passionate about making sure that we are better informed about some of the public health and mental health issues that are facing our youth right now. We hear a lot on the news about vaping. Are there things that we could be helping (students) to make (good) choices? Are there things that we could be doing in school to help better support mental health development? Are there things that we could (do to) help teachers learn how to better be at teaching so it feels like a more inclusive environment for students that might feel marginalized because of their race, because of how they are identifying or because of how they have been treated in the past? 

What was your background before you decided to run?

I have been an educator for more than 20 years. I have been a classroom teacher, I have been an administrator. Like I mentioned before, I have also worked for the Department of Education and I’ve been a State Reading Specialist. Right now I work for the Regional Centers of Excellence where I am a principal leadership specialist. I coach principals on how to be better principals. 

What skills do you believe you bring to the table for the School Board?

I think I am uniquely qualified to be on the School Board because I have both worked inside and outside of St. Louis Park Schools and seeing from the inside and the outside what it takes to make St. Louis Park Schools a school district of excellence for each and every learner that we have.