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Laura J. Fangel (Lakeville Area Board of Education At-large, Minnesota, candidate 2024)
From Ballotpedia
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Laura J. Fangel ran for election to the Lakeville Area Board of Education At-large in Minnesota. Fangel was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.[source]
Fangel completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Laura J. Fangel provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024:
- Bachelor's: University of Minnesota - Duluth
- Profession: Healthcare Administration
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook
Elections
General election
General election for Lakeville Area Board of Education At-large (3 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Lakeville Area Board of Education At-large on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| Zachary Bohlman (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Amber Cameron (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Paul Carbone (Nonpartisan) | ||
Laura J. Fangel (Nonpartisan)  | ||
| Jackie Faust (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Darryl Hall (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Brett Nicholson (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Dawn Seepersaud (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Matt Swanson (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Election results
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Fangel in this election.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Laura J. Fangel completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Fangel's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am a proud parent of two daughters, ages 8 and 4. My husband and I moved to Lakeville in early 2021 after carefully considering several areas in the south metro. Ultimately, we chose Lakeville for its vibrant community and well-respected school district. Since moving here, we quickly immersed ourselves in the community. I joined the PTO to connect with other parents and contribute to our school community. I have since served as Vice President and President the last two years and remain an active volunteer in the school. More recently I collaborated with the 2023 Unite for 194 referendum team, and represented our school on the Boundary Adjustment Advisory Committee.
Over the course of the last three years I have become deeply engaged in school board discussions, particularly as we navigated a $7 million budget deficit and prolonged contract negotiations with our teacher's unions. I firmly believe that our high-quality teachers are the backbone of our schools, and we must do everything possible to retain and attract them. My children and my deep-rooted conviction that an excellent public education is a right for all are the reasons I am running for the school board.
- Build a Visionary Leadership Team: Hire district leaders committed to sustaining and enhancing what makes Lakeville Area Schools exceptional. It is essential that our district leadership has a long-term vision for our district with the ability to problem-solve as we navigate the “growing pains” of continued growth and change. Effective communication and collaboration with district staff, school board members and the community at large are vital qualities. As our district expands we need operational flexibility and leaders who are not afraid to think outside the box when it comes to solving issues at hand.
- Foster a safe and inclusive environment: Education is for everyone and all people should feel safe and welcome in their school. Mental health, community support resources and social emotional learning are critical to the overall education of our students. As a parent of a student who has benefited from some of these supports I have seen firsthand the positive impact it has had on the outcome of her education. As a member of the board it will be my job to ensure our district enacts policies that support and value all students and staff in our district. We also must provide resources that support those policies and meet the needs of our community.
- Restore trust with our community: As a busy parent in the district I have struggled with incomplete and delayed communication from the board. All who want to participate in the school board process should be able, remotely or in-person. In addition, disappointment over recent budget decisions, contract negotiations and district leadership have continued to erode the trust that was once there. One of my priorities once elected is to rebuild the trust with community members through timely communication and transparency in spending. You shouldn't need an advanced financial degree to understand where your tax dollars are being spent.
I am passionate about education for all students no matter where they live or what their background is. All children have the right to receive a high-quality education. All students and staff should feel safe and welcome in their schools with resources to support their needs. Mental health and behavioral support are essential for our students and teachers. Happy, supported kids are more engaged, have better educational outcomes, and maintain positive relationships with their peers.
Integrity in leadership, effective collaboration and, willingness to listen to constituents.
I am a collaborative leader that focuses on listening and engaging the people I am working with. I believe in utilizing the expertise of others when it is available and asking questions to learn about areas in which I am less knowledgeable. I am passionate about service to others and giving back to my community.
The core responsibilities for a school board member are to be fierce advocates for our students and teachers, excellent stewards of the district finances and, be deeply engaged in the school community.
All of Taylor Swift - I have two daughters. Her music is on repeat in our house and car.
The primary job of a school board member is two-fold: develop policy that is to be implemented by district staff and provide budget oversight for district spending. In addition, it is important for the board to maintain follow-up and accountability for both of these.
The school board constituents are teachers, students, families, district staff and community members. Local businesses and community leaders (Mayor, council members, etc.) are also essential partners to the district and should be engaged with regularly,
I would support the diverse needs of our community by connecting and engaging with representative community leaders to learn about needs and desires. We must reach out and go to our diverse communities - we cannot expect them to come to us. In addition, we should continue to expand our school liaison program that is set-up to support or diverse communities.
I would support increasing mental health and behavioral support services at all grade levels. Our district is woefully behind in support when compared to other districts and we must make changes to better support our students.
Education Minnesota Lakeville, Lakeville Education Assistants Federation
In healthcare we talk about whole patient care - focusing on not just the treatment of disease but also the emotional, social and, community impact of healthcare. I believe this translates to education as well. Students come to school to learn and while it is important that we ensure proficiency in the basics of reading, writing and, math it is important that we understand and support their social and emotional needs as well. A whole student model ensures our kids are engaged in learning and moving toward success beyond their school years.
In my time with the PTO, much of the work is to connect with parents regularly and engage them in school activities. This requires open lines of communication and providing several opportunities for parents to connect and learn. As a school board member, it will be a priority for me to maintain the open communication with parents. I too am a district parent and believe we must all work together to ensure our kids have success in school.
I believe a community member should not need an advanced financial degree to understand how their tax dollars are being spent. We need to develop a more digestible process for sharing district finances and spending. All stakeholders should be able to review district finances and have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.
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
Footnotes
