BUFFALO SCHOOL BOARD

Barrett Chrissis

When Chrissis heard of a desperate need for substitute school teachers five years ago he became licensed and employed by BHM Schools immediately.  “It’s been a total joy on my days off from my real job to substitute for our District getting to work with amazing faculty and staff who appreciate better than most that our children are our future” Chrissis said. Chrissis hopes to put his experience as a substitute teacher to use for our school district along with his lifetime commitment to public service.

Chrissis has been a police officer the past 34 years and a detective the past 29 having served the past 20 years with the Buffalo Police Department as one of their detectives. He specializes in crimes against persons. Chrissis serves as the law enforcement representative on Minnesota’s Children’s Justice Act Task Force, a multi-disciplinary board of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, medical experts and child protection professionals to improve the investigation and handling of child abuse and neglect cases. He chairs subcommittees and has developed and implemented statewide training for the task force as well as the MN Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MNCASA), and has presented on behalf of agencies such as the MN BCA (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension). Chrissis co-wrote a statewide competitive grant for Wright County (awarded) and co-led efforts to develop the County’s response to Human Trafficking and Sexually Exploited Youth. He was awarded the Medal of Valor for his role on the initial entry team at the Buffalo Allina Clinic mass-shooting, bombing, murder.

As for his role on the School Board Chrissis said “my role shall be simple: to promote, support and enhance our School District’s mission of preparing all students for a successful future in a changing world” Chrissis said. “Our schools’ motto of ‘Making a Difference’ resonates with me because that’s what I’ve hoped for in my life’s legacy.”

An active community member Chrissis was charter president of the Buffalo Noon Lions Club and active in many other church and civic groups. Chrissis was a longtime board member of Rivers of Hope Domestic Abuse Advocacy Center as well as the MN Police and Peace Officers association.

Chrissis taught percussion to children and adults for the School District’s Community Education’s “Encore Music Program” for 10 years; plays drums and sings in two professional bands; co-founded the “West Metro Big Band” and sings in an annual ecumenical choir with area churches. “But my true love of all causes is Special Olympics Minnesota (SOM)” Chrissis said. Credited with bringing the “Polar Plunge” to Wright County, his efforts have helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for SOM. “I’ve had the privilege of raising money for SOM ever since my rookie year in law enforcement 35 years ago when the Law Enforcement Torch Run for SOM was created” Chrissis said. “If you want a lesson on heart, values, perseverance and gratitude look no further than our intellectually disabled community.”

Chrissis studied Criminal Justice at MN State University Moorhead. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership and Communication from Concordia University St. Paul and a Master’s of Public Affairs degree from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs where he was also awarded a post-baccalaureate certificate in Non Profit Administration and a certificate in Public Safety Leadership. Barrett and his wife Kristi have two children. Our oldest was fortunate to have gone K-12 in our schools and our youngest is in middle school; I want the safest and best possible education for all children attending our schools while making sure our hard-earned tax dollars are spent wisely.

Brad Elo

Name: Brad Elo

Website: https://www.vote-elo.org/

Position you are seeking: 877 School Board

1. Tell us about yourself. You could include your age, family, part of the city where you live, how long you have lived in the city, education, occupation, or any other information you choose.

My family moved to Buffalo in 1986, where I met my wife Nichola in 6th grade. We are both BHS Class of 1993 graduates. I currently serve on the District 877 Education and Scholarship Foundation Board, which raises funds to provide approximately $80,000 in scholarships annually to graduating BHS seniors. My parents, now retired, owned Snyder Drug in Buffalo.  I have been an executive at Teradata, a large advanced analytics firm, since 2006.  Nichola and I own and operate the Knic-Knackery store on Central Avenue in downtown Buffalo, and I am a competitive BBQ chef.  We have two children at BHS high school this year, and a 2020 BHS Graduate attending college in Duluth, MN.  Our family’s roots run deep in Buffalo.

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people. You should include any leadership experiences and past accomplishments in the area of public service.

With business and high-tech backgrounds, I am both an optimist and a critical thinker.  Adding my voice to the school board will solidify its technology and financial expertise and help our community become an active participant in preparing for a future that is already here.  Because my work at Teradata centers on my ability to use practical real-world knowledge to navigate challenging tech landscapes, I look forward to using the same skills for the benefit of students, faculty, and community members in District 877.

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office.

BHM is the place I gained a lifelong passion for service and learning, and gained confidence to assume leadership roles.  I look forward to paying forward the important education which was given to me as a District 877 student.

4. Most important issues facing our school district now:

The purpose of education is to equip our students to prepare for their adult lives and careers, and American children are falling behind.  I am committed to preparing our children for new opportunities. We need to engage with our educators, administrators, and parents, asking the questions that will lead us to a shared understanding our needs.  I believe we need to focus on preparing our children for the future by ensuring that every child has equitable access to the tools they need to be successful.  We need to double-down on our efforts to ensure BHM schools continue to be a place where students and teachers come together to learn, and where “School is a Safe Space”-- physically, mentally, and emotionally. As community members we have a responsibility to keep our schools healthy by keeping them funded. That requires a commitment to transparency, seeking out facts so as board members we are making the best possible decisions for students, faculty, and the community.  School Boards are non-partisan entities, and we need to keep it that way.  Schools and the community upbringing they offer children should not be a place for divisive politics.   We are all better when we are focusing our energy on “Doing what’s best for kids!”

Angie Greig

Name: Angie Greig

Position you are seeking: 877 School Board

1. Tell us about yourself. You could include your age, family, part of the city where you live, how long you have lived in the city, education, occupation, or any other information you choose.

Hello!  My name is Angie Greig. I lived in Hanover for 15 years where my daughter enjoyed going to Hanover Elementary.  In 2019 we moved into Buffalo and my daughter has attended Buffalo Community Middle School and now attends the high school. I founded your local Moms for Liberty chapter to help me get involved with our schools. We have worked hard to help empower parents to build relationships with their teachers and schools.  We now are offering a scholarship to a local student and cannot wait to be able to offer more scholarships.

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people. You should include any leadership experiences and past accomplishments in the area of public service.

I am a parent. I started the very first Moms for Liberty chapter in Minnesota.  After reviewing how our schools are doing and noticed consecutive declines in our children’s test scores I wanted to know more. I have attempted to bring awareness to the community and form relationships with the administrators and teachers to improve our schools.  It is extremely important to have kids graduating with a well rounded education in order for our community to flourish.

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office.

I have chosen to run for the school board to give a voice to parents that feel like they haven’t been heard. I would also like to ensure that parent committees help the curriculum director give both teachers and parents the support they need. I would focus on the rights of parents with policies and be unafraid to stand with the parents of my community.

4. What do you consider to be the two most important issues facing your district now? Describe each issue and tell how you would propose solving it.

Issue #1: I feel that our school district has lost its focus on academics with the push for increased gender/race social and emotional learning taking its place. Through a data request I have seen the teachers training that focused teachers on such things. I feel that the school board could be more involved in district wide training materials. I feel this type of training detracts from our wonderfully diverse community. Looking for only the worst in people instead of the very best. I would like to have a variety of trainings for teachers to encourage their students.  I also feel some topics are to be dealt with at home.

Issue #2: The current school board has become more and more brazen with their policies. Particularly the most recent policy to limit comments to the school board to only 10, they must be approved and not any public comments allowed. I believe that parents are the heartbeat of the public school system and must be included at every level. As a school board member I would help to right this wrong and give parents back their voices to be heard in the public square.

5. What do you consider to be the three most important issues facing the state now? Describe each issue and tell how you would propose solving it.

My issues are with the local school district.

Issue  #1: Lack of accountability of teachers to be unbiased in their teaching. I would like to remove any and all political statements and or comments from the classroom. Students are always allowed to be free to express themselves but teachers should keep their beliefs out of the classroom.  If the teacher does portray any desire for a certain outcome, the student will naturally try to accommodate that so they don’t get docked on the their grades. I would present policies and procedures to remove politics from school classrooms.

Issue #2: Faculty lead or supported student walk outs. A walkout only divides kids further and disrupts all students learning.  With our test scores sinking every year our focus needs to be on academics and not the most recent news. This also leads to some kids feeling ostracized as they do not want to participate but feel the need so they don’t get bullied. I would seek to import a no walkout policy.  These things can be done outside normal school hours and supported by parents.

Issue #3: Lack of accountability with regard to parent committees. These are often canceled and not rescheduled. I myself have attempted to participate on the Native American Parent Committee and have yet to participate in a single meeting. I have been emailed a questionnaire with the only options to ‘Agree’ or ‘Disagree’.  The school board should be more active in the outcomes of these committees.  As a school board member I would present policies that encourage our participation in such committees.

Matt Hoffman

Name: Matt Hoffman

Position you are seeking: Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose School Board member

1. Tell us about yourself. You could include your age, family, part of the city where you live, how long you have lived in the city, education, occupation, or any other information you choose.

I was born and raised in Hastings, MN where I met my wife. Went to St. John’s University followed by the U of M Medical School in Duluth. We moved to Buffalo in 2011 after completing residency training in Grand Rapids, MI, I have been a Pediatrician with Stellis Health since then. Our 3 kids are in BHM schools, 10th, 7th and 4th grades. We enjoy being outside, swimming, movies, camping, cooking, reading and playing games.

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people. You should include any leadership experiences and past accomplishments in the area of public service.

I feel that my career as a Pediatrician has provided me with many of the same skills used in leadership. I work with parents and patients to help them toward shared goals. It is sometimes necessary to deliver bad news or criticism, I believe I can do this respectfully and diplomatically. Communication is key of course, I am able to listen attentively and share my perspective on a topic, as well as show respect for and cooperation with all.

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office.

My goal in my career has always been to help kids get a good start in life to become happy, healthy, successful adults. Being a part of the BHM school board would be an extension of that goal in a different way, on a different scale. As a Pediatrician, my perspective on the board would be unique. I believe myself to be a reasonable and level-headed person who values common sense and think I could make a good contribution towards helping our schools and students thrive.

4. What do you consider to be the two most important issues facing your district now? Describe each issue and tell how you would propose solving it.

1: Staffing in general, teacher recruitment and retention in specific. Without good people the most fancy school building is nothing but a nice box. Well educated, compassionate and enthusiastic teachers are needed to make successful students. If we want to improve our schools’ and students’ performances we need good teachers. This is a multifactorial problem. We need to stay competitive in wages and benefits while minding our budget and that also brings up the issue of school funding from the state. But perhaps even more importantly, we must foster a culture which welcomes great teachers, allowing them to grow professionally and personally and feel a connection to the students. They need to know they have done well and are appreciated.

2: Divisiveness. Maybe it is not the biggest problem, but it is one that troubles me greatly. In the news, our homes, businesses, schools and government there is so much fear and anger from one person/group/entity directed at another, often over petty differences. We then spend so much energy and time dealing with the fallout of those negative emotions we cannot perform the work of business, teaching, or governing effectively. To get past this we as parents and educators must again learn to trust and work cooperatively to teach our students respect, inclusion and to see past differences so we can work effectively towards common goals. One of those goals must be successful schools and students.

Bob Sansevere

Name: Bob Sansevere

Position you are seeking: Re-Election to the Buffalo-Hanover Montrose School Board.

1. Tell us about yourself. You could include your age, family, part of the city where you live, how long you have lived in the city, education, occupation, or any other information you choose.

My origins aren’t in the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose area, but my heart is. I love this community as well as the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose school district. I joined the board in 2016, and it has been a wonderful experience. I have been a columnist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and was part of an investigative team whose work led to a Pulitzer Prize for the newspaper, and I have spent more than 30 years as a member of the KQ Morning Show. My wife, Mary, and I have five children. Three have graduated from Buffalo High School, and I have a 13-year-old in the middle school and a 16-year-old at the high school. I wouldn’t want them in any other school district.

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people. You should include any leadership experiences and past accomplishments in the area of public service.

As a current school board member, I offer experience and an understanding of what the school board has faced and accomplished and I know better than any candidate the challenges that are ahead. I spent eight years on the Orono City Council and have found my six years on the school board more rewarding. As a city council member, you often make decisions about whether someone’s fence is too high or if they need a variance. As a school board member, everything, every decision, is about what is best for our children.

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office.

It is important to have experience as well as maintain continuity on the school board and I offer both. When I was younger, I wanted to do something to change the world. As I got older, I realized the importance of having an impact in your own little corner of the world. That is the reason my wife and I did foster care for 16 years, the reason I spent eight years on the Orono City Council, the reason I have been on the school board since 2016. I care about community. I care about kids.

4. What do you consider to be the two most important issues facing your district now? Describe each issue and tell how you would propose solving it.

Important issues facing our district include protecting our children and making them always feel safe at school, as well as the inadequate amount of funding from state and federal agencies. The solutions? The current school board already has in place measures that have made our schools safer and always will consider other options. As for funding, school boards across the state need to impress upon state and federal officials that far too many school districts are in financial peril because of inadequate funding from state and federal sources.

5. What do you consider to be the three most important issues facing the state now? Describe each issue and tell how you would propose solving it.

Crime is an issue. School funding is an issue. Over-taxation is an issue. Crime can be reduced by having tougher consequences; judges, city and state leaders and prosecuting attorneys have enabled and empowered criminals with a soft-on-crime approach. School funding can be addressed by using some of the billions in surplus dollars sitting in state coffers. As for over-taxation, that’s easy: Don’t over-tax to the point we have billions in surplus dollars sitting in state coffers.

Sheila Smude

Name: Sheila Smude

Position you are seeking: BHM School Board

1. Tell us about yourself. You could include your age, family, part of the city where you live, how long you have lived in the city, education, occupation, or any other information you choose.

My husband, Andy and I both grew up in and live in Buffalo and graduated from BHS (my maiden name is Otness). Our six children currently attend three different schools in the district.  I am an educator by profession and have degrees in Elementary Education, Youth Ministry and a Masters in Leadership in Teaching.

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people. You should include any leadership experiences and past accomplishments in the area of public service.

As an educator, I have a unique and important perspective to bring to the board. Along with full-time classroom teaching experience, I am currently a District #877 substitute teacher. I have taught summer school and served on the Community Teaching and Learning Council. I am an active Northwinds PTO member, as well as community volunteer in numerous capacities.  I have held various leadership roles throughout my lifetime that have shaped me into a creative collaborator, clear communicator, life-long learner, active listener, and detail-oriented go-getter. I am committed to serving with integrity, diligence and transparency so our staff and students can excel!

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for this office.

I am an educator, mom and citizen who is passionate about her community and taking an active role in making it flourish. I have always been a fierce public school advocate and believe strong schools make a strong community. My passion for education and love for this district made running for school board an obvious choice to ensure District #877 is strong now and into the future.  My goal as a school board member is to be a positive voice for ALL students and make sure they have every opportunity to get a well rounded, high quality education.

4. What do you consider to be the two most important issues facing your district now? Describe each issue and tell how you would propose solving it.

I believe the number one issue is Teacher Support and Retention.  The past two years have been overly demanding on our teachers and staff as they have pivoted over and over due to all that is happening and changing in the world around us. They deserve our full support when it comes to compensation, maintaining their prep time and professional development, getting the supplies they need and trusting them to do the job they are trained to do.  I will ensure our district is a place where top-notch educators and staff want to work and build their career.

The second issue is providing equitable education.  A one size fits all approach to education never has and never will work. Our job as a district is to provide a supportive and safe environment for ALL students to learn, thrive and grow.  I commit to providing differentiated learning opportunities through up-to-date curriculum, a wide-range of schooling options (e.g. Quest, STEM, Arts Magnet, PRIDE Transitions, Wright Tech, etc) and research driven teaching practices. Now more than ever, we have to prioritize creating a culture and support network between parents, teachers and administrators where students know their social, emotional, mental and physical wellness matters along with their academic needs. I am committed to doing what is best for all students in our district so that each and every one can become all they can be!

Tim Zbaracki

Name: Tim Zbaracki

Position you are seeking: BHM School Board

1. Tell us about yourself. You could include your age, family, part of the city where you live, how long you have lived in the city, education, occupation, or any other information you choose.

I currently live in Hanover.  I am married with two children.  My second child was recently born on September 21, 2022. I currently work as a Veterans Service Representative, where I process disability claims for Veterans.  I entered Air Force ROTC following the 9/11 attacks. I graduated from the University of MN-Duluth in 2005 with Majors in History and Political Science. I went on Active Duty in the Air Force as an intelligence officer in 2005, and served in Iraq and Afghanistan.  After serving 6 years, I went back to school, received another Bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology and also got an MBA.

2. Describe your qualifications for the position you seek and how you can serve the people. You should include any leadership experiences and past accomplishments in the area of public service.

As a former intelligence officer, I led diverse groups of people, both overseas and in the US. One of the greatest experiences I had leading came while I was in Afghanistan. One of my former subordinates told me a few years after we served together, “I don’t know what you did, but it worked.” I said that it was a team effort. I believe we are only as good as the people we serve.  That phrase meant more to me than any award, commendation medal, etc. that I ever received. I was able to produce results and foster relationships, due in part to those I served alongside.

3. Explain why you have chosen to run for office.

I chose to run for office because I have a passion to serve.  I believe our children’s education is very important in how they grow their minds.  I want to be a voice for the parents and people of the district.

4. What do you consider to be the two most important issues facing your district now? Describe each issue and tell how you would propose solving it. 

The two most important issues facing the school district are declining graduation and proficiency rates; and public participation at School Board meetings.  From 2018 to 2021, the graduation rate went from about 93.5% to 90.4%. Proficiency ratings are also decreasing in science, math and reading.  Covid has a lot to do with this. I plan to work with the schools and teachers to assess where students are struggling and get as much one on one time as possible. In person learning on fundamentals is a must. Second, public participation in school board meetings needs to change.  Before the policy change (policy 206), there was no cap on how many people could speak. They had 5 minutes to address the school board during meetings. The public didn’t have to fill out a request online either.  Now, it’s capped at 2 minutes per person, limited to 10 people to speak (from 6:30-6:50PM), and now people have to fill out a request online from Friday to the day of the meeting.  It’s at the discretion of the school board to approve or not approve your request to speak. I propose to fix that by not having to request to speak by filling out the online form, change the limit to 5-7 minutes, and not limit to 10 people.  The school board must be accountable to the public. Placing limits like these listed above (10 people for 2 minutes a piece), and not having school board meetings recorded are concerning. I will work with the public to petition a change for it, and bring this up to vote at the school board meetings.

5.  What do you consider to be the three most important issues facing the state now? Describe each issue and tell how you would propose solving it. 

As I’m running for School Board, I can’t comment really on the most important issues facing the state right now.  My focus is on educating our children and preparing them for the future.