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Lara Bergman
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Lara Bergman ran for election to the Minneapolis Board of Education to represent District 6 in Minnesota. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Bergman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Lara Bergman was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated from South High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire in 2007 and a graduate degree from St. Catherine University in 2014. Her career experience includes working as an educator and fellow at the Minnesota Department of Humans Services.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Minneapolis Public Schools, Minnesota, elections (2024)
General election
General election for Minneapolis Board of Education District 6
Greta Callahan defeated Lara Bergman in the general election for Minneapolis Board of Education District 6 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Greta Callahan (Nonpartisan)  | 61.5 | 23,266 |
 | Lara Bergman (Nonpartisan) | 37.1 | 14,022 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.4 | 520 | ||
| Total votes: 37,808 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Lara Bergman and Greta Callahan advanced from the primary for Minneapolis Board of Education District 6.
Endorsements
To view Bergman's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bergman in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Video for Ballotpedia
| Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released September 21, 2024 |
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Lara Bergman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bergman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My name is Lara Bergman and I’m an early childhood educator, a proud Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) alum, and a parent of two MPS students. I grew up in the Kingfield and Windom neighborhoods attending MPS from elementary through high school, and I’m deeply committed to ensuring every child has access to the quality education I was fortunate to receive. Now, as a parent raising my kids in District 6, I’m seeing firsthand how important it is that we strengthen our schools for all families in our community. With 17 years of experience in classrooms, including Head Start & Montessori programs, I’ve dedicated my life to working with children. My passion for early childhood education has shaped my belief that uplifting the dignity and well-being of every child is central to building a brighter future for our community. I’ve also been a successful advocate for public education, helping to secure critical funding from the state. My leadership as an organizer and my work with state agencies, non-profit boards, and my local PTA have shown me the importance of collaboration in solving complex problems. Equity has always been at the core of what I do, and I am committed to ensuring that race or zip code no longer determines a student’s opportunities in our district. I’m running for School Board because I believe we need strong, courageous leadership to tackle the tough issues facing MPS—from dwindling enrollment and opportunity gaps to financial sustainability.
- I believe literacy must be the #1 priority to guide our decision making around policies and budgeting in MPS. Despite its reputation as an “education state,” Minnesota is ranked 49th in the country for racial equality in education. In MPS, 75% of students of color aren’t reading at grade level. I am committed to implementing the Science of Reading, an evidence-based approach that emphasizes phonics and explicit instruction. I believe we must also support educators with the right tools, and provide targeted support to students who’ve fallen behind. My vision is to make literacy the foundation of MPS's policies, ensuring every student can succeed, regardless of zip code or access to wealth.
- Early childhood programming and opportunities must be elevated to the board level as a strategic investment to improve student outcomes and increase enrollment. As an early childhood educator with over 15 years of experience, I know the importance of addressing disparities starting with our youngest learners. By expanding pre-K offerings, partnering with community providers, and creating early childhood hubs, we can support families, boost enrollment, and ensure every child is ready to succeed. I'm committed to making early childhood education a cornerstone of our strategy at MPS.
- We must increase transparency and accountability in the way MPS does business. This includes adopting a participatory budgeting process and ongoing feedback loops so that we can ensure we’re reflecting the values and vision of the community. By involving parents, educators, and students in decision-making, we can create a school district that works for everyone. It's time to prioritize clear communication, responsible use of resources, and community engagement in every step of the process. I am committed to leading with integrity and ensuring that MPS operates in a way that builds trust and delivers results for all students.
I’m passionate about education policy because I’ve seen firsthand how deeply it can impact the lives of children and families. Public policy is how we stay accountable to our values to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive. I look forward to bringing people together—even those who don’t agree at first. I’ve spent years working to build consensus among diverse voices, and I believe that through honest conversations and a shared commitment to our kids, we can create policies that truly reflect the needs and values of our community.
Transparency, accountability, and a commitment to the students we serve are the most important principles for an elected school board director. Elected officials must also listen to their communities - even to those with whom they don’t agree - act with honesty, and courageously prioritize the needs of students. Collaboration is key—working with diverse stakeholders to build solutions that reflect a variety of perspectives. And, finally it takes courage to make hard decisions that prioritize the futures of our students. Above all, an elected official must remain deeply committed to equity and fairness, ensuring all voices are heard and valued.
I bring an independent voice, a fresh perspective and commitment to our kids. We need leaders that are system thinkers and collaborators. System thinking requires all stakeholders to have a shared vision of where we’re going and I’m clear about where this district needs to go: meeting the needs of ALL students and making responsible budget decisions that will ensure that is happening. To get there, we need leaders that will bring people out of their silos and work together. That will listen to diverse stakeholder voices and work hard to build consensus and buy-in. And the way we get there is if we have leaders we can trust. I know what it takes to build relationships and trust: showing up, listening deeply and following through. I chose a bridge for my logo on purpose. As a parent, educator and taxpayer, I’m tired of people drawing lines in the sand about who they’re willing to work with. I’m tired of watching adults in this district point fingers at each other instead of working together to find ways to better serve our students. I am a bridgebuilder and I will work with anyone who is willing to talk about how we are going to ensure our students are getting what they need.
I’m clear on the role of a school board director: A) We partner with our superintendent to ensure our policies are implemented with fidelity so our strategic goals for our student outcomes are met, and B) We monitor and plan the financial health of our district. An effective School Board member understands their role to be one that listens to diverse constituent voices and considers the impact of decisions on the children we serve. As a Board director, you can always count on me to be honest, transparent, and act with integrity while working to build consensus across the Board and district when faced with hard decisions.
I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. My first job was working as an assistant in a summer childcare program at our neighborhood Minneapolis Parks & Rec Center when I was 15. I went on to work in various roles at that community center throughout high school and was recognized as a Teen Volunteer of the Year through the Park Board. When I graduated from college, I began teaching full-time for a Head Start program in Iowa City and I saw firsthand the challenges facing children and families experiencing poverty. To this day those are the children I keep at the forefront of my mind when working to build systems that center those most marginalized as a way to ensure we are meeting the needs of every student.
I serve the students of Minneapolis Public Schools first and foremost, but my constituents are also the families, educators, and community members who support them. Every decision I make will be grounded in what’s best for our students, with a commitment to equity and excellence. My work as a School Board Director will reflect the values of the diverse communities in District 6, and I will work tirelessly to ensure every child—no matter their background or zip code—has access to a high-quality education. Together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive future for our schools.
If students don’t feel safe they can’t learn. I am recognized by Moms Demand Action as a gun sense candidate because I understand this, but there are so many forms of safety when we think about our schools- like bullying, using restrooms that align with your gender identity, having teachers that look like you or speak the same language. Who can our kids turn to when they have a problem? One thing I know as an early childhood educator is that behavior is communication. And so if a kid is dysregulated and that's showing up as behaviors in school, then that’s them telling us that they are not okay. What are we, as the adults, going to do to support them? We need to listen and build relationships with them. We need to have consorted outreach and communication with families. We need to partner with other electeds who can address the safety concerns happening outside our buildings that impact what goes on inside our building.
Let me be on the record: I’m a proud lifelong progressive democrat and the fact that my opponent ended up with the DFL endorsement is due to a concerted effort to disenfranchise a whole lot of community voices during an endorsing convention that went over 2 days, 5 rounds of voting and came down to a single delegate's vote. Despite that, I have the endorsement of diverse community members including MPS teachers, elected officials, parents and students because my campaign has always been about getting more people involved in the conversation about our schools. I am also proud to have earned the endorsement of Women Winning, Run For Something and Everytown for Gun Safety.
I know from my time spent in Montessori classrooms that when we design learning environments with children in mind, they can be transformative. A truly child-centered environment is one that allows each student to reveal their unique brilliance and pursue their interests. We need to allow children to move and experience hands-on learning. We need literacy rich environments with books and other media that reflect the diversity of our student body and act as windows to identities that may be unfamiliar to them. We need access to real-life experiences that connect children to their world. We also need highly skilled and supportive educators that believe that all students are capable of meeting high expectations. I know that creating these kinds of environments are possible for every student in every school in MPS and that it’s our responsibility as the adult decision makers, educators and community members to figure out how to make it happen.
Facing a $110 million deficit, worsened by rising costs and the end of federal COVID relief funds, MPS has made devastating cuts to the current school year without a clear long-term plan for the sustainability of our schools. While district finances are undoubtedly complex, the root of this issue is a lack of leadership willing to make tough, transparent decisions. To restore trust, we need a clear, honest accounting of how every dollar is spent and a commitment to accountability at every level. MPS must reduce spending in a way that aligns with our values and ensures our schools are well-resourced. We must also advocate for closing state funding gaps while demonstrating we are responsible stewards of the funding we have.
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.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
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Candidate Minneapolis Board of Education District 6 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024
