Corenia Smith (Columbia Heights Public Schools, At-large, Minnesota, candidate 2024)

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Corenia Smith

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Columbia Heights Public Schools, At-large

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Spring Lake Park Senior High School

Bachelor's

Metropolitan State University, 2021

Personal

Profession

Small business owner

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Corenia Smith ran for election to the Columbia Heights Public Schools, At-large in Minnesota. She was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Corenia Smith provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 9, 2024:

• High school: Spring Lake Park Senior High School
• Bachelor's: Metropolitan State University, 2021
• Gender: Female
• Profession: Small Business Owner
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: A community of care, a future of success.
• Campaign website
• Campaign endorsements
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram

Elections

General election

General election for Columbia Heights Public Schools, At-large (3 seats)

Adam Davis, Cheri Ekstrand, Mary Granlund, Michelle Pettway, and Corenia Smith ran in the general election for Columbia Heights Public Schools, At-large on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Adam Davis (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Cheri Ekstrand (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Mary Granlund (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Michelle Pettway (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Corenia Smith (Nonpartisan)

---

	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

To view Smith's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Smith in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Corenia Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Corenia Smith is excited to contribute to the Columbia Heights school district as a School Board candidate! She is dedicated to fostering collaboration, advancing educational equity, and supporting educators. Corenia is committed to working with students, families, and teachers to create supportive learning environments where students can thrive. Corenia envisions empowering children to become wise and caring leaders and working alongside families and educators to create communities of support and wellbeing for all residents of Columbia Heights, Southern Fridley, and Hilltop. Her professional experience is rooted in health equity, social determinants of health and collaboration.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Enhancing student mental health and well-being: ensuring students’ mental health is crucial for their overall success. We need to foster a supportive and understanding environment that prioritizes mental well-being and reduces the need for harsh disciplinary actions.
• Recovering from learning loss: Many students, including my nephew, have fallen behind during the pandemic and online learning disruptions. By investing in robust support systems, we can help them regain lost ground and excel academically. This includes expanding English language learning programs to ensure all students have the tools they need to succeed.
• Supporting and valuing our educators: Our educators are the backbone of our school system. By providing them with the resources, professional development, and support they need, we can ensure they feel valued and equipped to inspire and educate our children effectively.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public policy impacts our lives and all facets of it are worthwhile and interesting to me. I specialize in healthcare, public health, and the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare policy.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was an assistant at my local library where I shelved and organized books and other media materials. I had this job for over the summer during high school.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

As a school board member, my primary responsibility is to set policies and strategic direction for the entire district. This involves making decisions on budgets, vision, and long-term goals that impact all schools and students within the district. This role involves governance and accountability, ensuring that district operations and educational practices meet high standards and comply with regulations. At the end of the day, parents, educators, and community members have insights and can advocate and collaborate with school board members to address the needs of the entire district and work towards systemic improvements for all students.

What existing district policies would you like to change, or what new policies would you like to implement?

As a small business owner, I support a range of organizations in implementing their goals. The Columbia Heights Public Schools Equity Statement sets a high standard for ensuring every student belongs and succeeds. It serves as a guiding framework for our equity initiatives and I fully support it. However, this is also an area I can see the district needing some support in. My experience of the equity statement is that it is aspirational and I would love to strengthen it by building some measurable indicators that we are reaching the goals as stated. It's crucial that equity principles are integrated across all schools and district-wide, not isolated just within equity work groups. We must bring all colleagues on board and build a shared commitment to equity. This is an ongoing process, and we need to regularly, review, and adjust our practices based on student, parent, and educator feedback to stay aligned with our equity goals. I am dedicated to fostering continuous improvement and ensuring that equity remains central to our efforts, creating a learning environment where every student can thrive.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

AFT Local 710

SEIU MN State Council
Run For Something
Women Winning
TakeAction Minnesota
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar
Representative Sandra Feist
Mayor Amada Simula Marquez
Councilmember Rachel James

Councilmember Justice Spriggs

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Columbia Heights Public Schools, At-large

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