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Greg Lehman
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Greg Lehman is an at-large member of the Eden Prairie Board of Education in Minnesota. The general election was held on November 3, 2015. Greg Lehman won the general election on November 3, 2015.
Biography
Greg Lehman resides in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Lehman earned both a B.A. degree and an M.B.A. from Augsburg College. He is employed as desktop support with Berkley Technology Underwriters.[1]
Elections
2015
- See also: Eden Prairie Schools elections (2015)
Opposition
The election in Eden Prairie featured four of the seven seats on the board up for at-large general election on November 3, 2015.
The seats of incumbents Karla Bratrud, Dave Espe, John Estall and Holly Parker were up for election. Espe, who was the only incumbent to file for re-election, faced challengers Asad Aliweyd, Murshid Barud, John Kohner, Greg Lehman, Jeffery Saxton and Adam Seidel for the four at-large seats. Barud previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the board in 2013. Espe, Kohner, Lehman and Seidel won the four seats.
Results
| Eden Prairie Schools, At-Large, General Election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Adam Seidel |
21.9% | 2,531 |
| Dave Espe Incumbent |
20.9% | 2,416 |
| John Kohner |
17.7% | 2,041 |
| Greg Lehman |
13.7% | 1,582 |
| Asad Aliweyd | 11.6% | 1,342 |
| Jeffery Saxton | 8.8% | 1,016 |
| Murshid Barud | 5.0% | 579 |
| Write-in votes | 0.33% | 38 |
| Total Votes | 11,545 | |
| Source: Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, "Local Results in Hennepin County," accessed November 4, 2015 These election results are not official and will be updated when certified results are available. You can submit certified results by contacting us. |
||
Funding
Lehman reported no contributions or expenditures to the Eden Prairie Schools administration during the election.[2]
Endorsements
Lehman did not receive any official endorsements during the election.
Campaign themes
2015
Ballotpedia survey responses
Lehman participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | The achievement gap.[3] | ” |
| —Greg Lehman (2015)[4] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important:
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Minnesota. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Expanding career-technical education | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Improving college readiness | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer 10 questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column of the following table:
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| "They should not be implemented." | |
| "No" | |
| "No" | |
| "Yes" | |
| "I believe the EP district is already doing so, given its progress with the achievement gap and consistently above average student test results." | |
| "Expulsion should be used for serious offenses to ensure the safety of other students as well as the integrity of education at district schools." | |
| "Decrease classroom size, evaluate the curriculum and program options, hold the principal accountable for student academic performance." | |
| "Yes" | |
| "Put underperforming teachers on a probationary period while they seek to improve." | |
| "By encouraging increased communication. By encouraging increased community involvement in the school board's activities." |
Lehman completed a survey conducted by the Eden Prairie News:
| “ | What is your view of the state of the school district?
Given that the EP district student body’s latest MCA and ACT scores are far above the state averages, and that four of the district’s elementary schools were recently recognized as among the highest performing Title I schools in the state, according to the MMR (Minnesota’s Multiple Measurements), it appears that the school district is doing very well with its task of educating students. However, work still needs to be done to address the achievement gap between white and minority students and those who come from households where a language o ther than English is spoken at home. If you could change one thing about how this district operates, what would it be? Studies have shown that student performance is significantly better at schools where a majority of the students are middle class. The high MMR marks that the EP district schools have received indicates that progress is being made to address the achievement gap between student groups. However, I would like to see the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program continue in its rollout to additional school grades and the district’s schools continue to receive high scores in the Achievement Gap Reduction Domain of the MMR. What is the biggest issue facing the Eden Prairie School District right now? I think that one of the biggest issues facing the Eden Prairie School District is how to manage unfunded mandates such as the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) while finding and funding the programs that will best prepare the students for a world that will be increasingly competitive, interconnected and technologically savvy. The district faces myriad pressures and choices. Eden Prairie has been a leader in achievement and success with programs like STEM 3- 6, Spanish Immersion PreK-8, MOSAIC and i-Learn@EP.[3] |
” |
| —Eden Prairie News survey (2015)[1] | ||
Lehman completed a survey conducted by the League of Women Voters:
| “ | 1. Describe your background, experience and public school involvement that qualify you for the Eden Prairie School Board.
As an Eden Prairie resident and a proud father of an EPHS sophomore, I have a vested interest in the academic success of the community’s children. Throughout my son’s academic career in the Eden Prairie school system, I have volunteered at Oak Ridge, Central Middle school, Cedar Point and EPHS. I have been involved with academics in some fashion throughout most of my life. I have a BA and an MBA, as well as the IT certifications: CNA, CNE, A+ and Network +. I have taken foreign language classes at MCTC and project management classes at St. Mary’s University. I regularly help overseas students with English using online communication tools. One of the reasons I want to work with the school board, is my belief in giving back to one’s local and international communities. I have volunteered with Habitat for Humanity’s ‘A Brush With Kindness’ program, Feed My Starving Children, United Way’s ‘Project for Pride in Living’, Mary’s Place, Hennepin Village association and Grace church’s Big Serve. At Knollwood Christian church in St. Louis Park, I am a trustee, mission committee member and occasionally speak before the congregation about communion or missions related matters. I believe that my background and community and academic involvement have given me the skills needed to be successful at tackling the issues facing the Eden Prairie school district. 2. What are the growing trends in student needs, and how should the Eden Prairie School District address them? Two of the growing trends in Eden Prairie School District student needs are related making changes that will address the achievement gap and the skills gap. The achievement gap: As people from abroad have chosen to make the Twin City area their home, many have chosen to settle in Eden Prairie. This caused significant changes in Eden Prairie’s demographics. The Eden Prairie school district’s English Language Learner population is growing and the district serves students who speak more than 90 different languages other than English at home. Some No Child Left Behind test results seem to indicate an achievement gap between white student and minority students and those who come from a household where a foreign language is spoken. The school district should carefully consider the best educational practices and put them into effect and raise the expectations of what students can achieve. The skills gap: Studies have shown an increasing skills gap between the skills that high school graduates have, and those that universities and corporations need are looking for. The Association of American Colleges and Universities found that employers are concerned about prospective employees having a range of skills including written and oral communications, critical thinking, creativity and team work. The memorization of facts and figures is no longer sufficient in today’s increasingly global society. To address this, the Eden Prairie School District should ensure that students complete a curriculum that is sufficiently rigorous and relevant to the challenges they will face in their post-secondary education and employment opportunities. The district should implement a curriculum that taps into a student’s creativity and individuality while also ensuring they have the necessary skills in the sciences and mathematics to compete. 3. Discuss any specific changes you would like to make in school district policies, programs or curricula. I would like the school board to carefully evaluate the current curricula and educational processes the goal is not merely to meet the state and national baselines, but exceeds them. 4. What recommendations do you have for the school district to save money? The school district will need to find middle ground between the competing interests while focusing on implementing the best educational processes, standards and technologies. 5. How will you engage the community to improve Eden Prairie public schools? I will encourage parents get involved in volunteer opportunities through the offering of free classes to make parents aware of how they can help. I will encourage area companies to partner with the school district to offer input of what skills they are looking for.[3] |
” |
| —League of Women Voters survey (2015)[5] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Greg Lehman' 'Eden Prairie Schools'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Eden Prairie News, "Candidate Q&A: Greg Lehman," October 22, 2015
- ↑ Eden Prairie Schools, "2015 School Board Candidate Campaign Financial Reports," accessed November 1, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's school board candidate survey, 2015, "Greg Lehman's Responses," September 25, 2015
- ↑ League of Women Voters, "Voter Guide: Asad Aliweyd," accessed October 27, 2015
| 2015 Eden Prairie Schools Elections | |
| Hennepin County, Minnesota | |
| Election date: | November 3, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Dave Espe • Asad Aliweyd • Murshid Barud • John Kohner • Greg Lehman • Jeffery Saxton • Adam Seidel |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
