My name is Claire Luger. I'm a product of Forest Lake Area Schools, a proud mom of three district graduates, a special education teacher, and currently serving my 3rd term on the Wyoming City Council.
I'm running for school board because I want to give back. Our students, staff, and community taxpayers need school board members with real experience in public schools and with public service. They need school board members who understand and appreciate the work our staff does and how to work with others at the board table to get things done for all of our students.
Most importantly, I'm running because our students can't keep waiting for a functional school board that focuses on the things they need and the things that matter. They need change and they need it now.
In the years since I’ve been a FLAS student, my own kids benefited from exceptionally talented and dedicated educators at every single level of their education, starting from the District’s Early Childhood Family Education program. There are a lot of components to academic excellence like work ethic, critical thinking, and social skills; only a few components are measurable with test scores and grades. And even the measurable components aren’t measurable by one data point.
Our students get one shot at public education, so our schools have to be a place for all pieces of academic excellence to be nurtured, and that means that school board members have a responsibility to vote on policy with an understanding of the science of education. Educators and medical professionals have known for decades that in order for students to thrive academically, their basic needs must be met first, so it’s not just curriculum that matters. School culture, safety, learning conditions, and access to educational resources all matter as well.
I want to ensure that:
-Educators have adequate time to work through READ Act requirements.
-Students’ basic needs are met through evidence-based strategies and social emotional skills.
-All students continue to have access to better and more educational opportunities.
-The district provides numerous access points to grades and classes, including technology and meaningful connections with students and staff.
-Students have access to quality food choices at school.
I’ve worn a lot of different hats in our community, so I know firsthand how important it is to have strong partnerships between all district stakeholders. Engaging families and community members builds trust, and trust allows us to focus on students and education. Partnership is one of the most important avenues for facts and truth to prevail, especially in an era when partial information and even misinformation are easily shared. Strong family-school relationships are also linked with better test scores, behavior, attendance, graduation rates, and socio-emotional growth. When we come together as partners instead of passive participants or even adversarials, our kids are the primary winners. School board members don’t just represent the community members who voted for them; they represent everyone and it is their responsibility to seek out and consider all community input.
I want to ensure that:
-Communications tools and engagement opportunities meet all district family needs, regardless of language, job schedules and responsibilities, technology use, or age, and also find a way to make it easier for all families to read the information.
-Families can be active participants in their learners’ education, and to understand the factors behind different decisions and initiatives.
-Families are aware of the different opportunities for engagement and to create more varied opportunities for engagement, including different engagement opportunities for families to have one to one conversations independent of grades or discipline.
-We are always seeking out bigger and more constructive ways to partner with our local businesses, our farmers, our faith organizations, and other community stakeholders because we are stronger and better informed with more voices.
Our district does best when the community trusts it. When surprise agenda items are added to a meeting, it erodes trust in a board. When state statutes and Minnesota School Board Association policies that have been legally vetted are ignored, it erodes trust in a school board. When harmful statements are made at the expense of our children and third hand information about educators is used to inform votes instead of the facts, it erodes trust in a school board. When community members are chastised for their public comment and then disregarded, it erodes trust in a school board. Having served on a nonpartisan council for nearly 12 years, I know firsthand that it is entirely possible to check personal and political agendas at the door, and instead focus on what’s good for the district as a whole. During my tenure on council, one of our shared goals was to increase transparency, and we did through extensive collaboration. My voting record and collegial relationships with my city council peers, our mayor, and our city staff is clear evidence of that.
I want to ensure that:
-School board work is done publicly, transparently, and with respect to established standards of governance. Simply following the ground rules is a step that can be easily taken to build community trust.
-The district is constantly evaluating and increasing opportunities for the community to engage with district staff and school board members through social media, outreach events, and communication methods that work for all district stakeholders.
-School board members are spending time constructively in our schools. Education policymakers have an obligation to know education and how their votes impact our schools, students, and staff.
-We continually cultivate collaborative relationships with our local businesses and our local business owners, who are key stakeholders in our community.
-That school board agendas and documents are shared with the public at an absolute minimum of the 72 hour requirement and preferably earlier so that the community has more of an opportunity to ask questions and give feedback, and so that board members are able to get a better understanding of what they’re voting on.
Fiscal responsibility can’t be discussed without understanding how it relates to academic achievement and the future of our district- the outcome of our spending. It means investing in student-centered programs, curriculum, and staff that will not only enhance student learning, a sense of belonging, and pride in our district. That also requires school board members to be able to honor the many perspectives and identities in our district and what brings value for all of our students so that all students can thrive as learners. During three campaigns, the clearest and most common message I heard about fiscal responsibility is that community members are willing to invest their taxes into programs that are wise and improve our city. I am proud of the work that I’ve done on the Wyoming City Council to maintain excellent city services while keeping our levy increases lower than most peer cities year after year. As a member of the district’s Finance Committee and my district’s bargaining team, I’ve learned a lot about the intricacies of education funding.
I want to ensure that:
-Community members have comprehensive and transparent information about district finances, including different funding sources, restrictions, and best practices.
-We raise our collective voice with our state legislators at the Capitol to change a punitive transportation formula and a per pupil formula that doesn’t reflect the needs of our students instead of continuing to rely on district taxpayers to make up the difference.
-The district is providing targeted and regular engagement opportunities for the community to learn about and provide input
-We are wisely investing in student-centered expenditures with regard to not just what we need now, but in the future.
Have questions or suggestions? I would love to hear from you!
Campaign Headquarters
916 Silver Spur Rd, Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274