Marcia Sytsma
Marcia Sytsma was a candidate for at-large representative on the Bloomington Public Schools school board in Minnesota. Sytsma was defeated in the at-large general election on November 7, 2017.
Sytsma participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 school board candidate survey. Click here to read her responses.
Elections
2017
Four of the seven seats on the Bloomington Public Schools school board in Minnesota were up for nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. Incumbents Tom Bennett, Jim Sorum, and Dawn Steigauf won re-election to their seats. Newcomer Beth Beebe also won a seat. Challengers John Moravec, Julie Morse, Michael Poke, Paige Rohman, Dan Stirratt, Jane Stoa, and Marcia Sytsma were defeated in the election.[1]
Results
| Bloomington Public Schools, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Tom Bennett Incumbent |
13.29% | 5,473 |
| Dawn Steigauf Incumbent |
12.03% | 4,955 |
| Beth Beebe |
11.94% | 4,919 |
| Jim Sorum Incumbent |
11.35% | 4,674 |
| John Moravec | 10.87% | 4,478 |
| Dan Stirratt | 8.78% | 3,616 |
| Paige Rohman | 7.42% | 3,055 |
| Marcia Sytsma | 6.55% | 2,697 |
| Michael Poke | 6.42% | 2,646 |
| Jane Stoa | 5.68% | 2,338 |
| Julie Morse | 5.23% | 2,156 |
| Write-in votes | 0.46% | 189 |
| Total Votes | 41,196 | |
| Source: Bloomington Public Schools, "Minutes Of The Regular Meeting Of The School Board Independent School District 271," November 13, 2017 | ||
Funding
Sytsma reported $1,646.06 in contributions and $1,540.52 in expenditures to the Bloomington Public Schools, which left her campaign with $105.54 on hand in the election.[2]
Endorsements
Sytsma was endorsed by the Stonewall DFL Caucus of Minnesota.[3]
Campaign themes
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Marcia Sytsma participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[4] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on September 20, 2017:
| “ | I hope to refocus the school board on implementing policy decisions that emphasize inclusion of all students, families, and teachers in decisions that affect them. Specifically, my campaign is aligned around three platforms: Safe Schools for All Students, Championing Diversity and Equity, and Expanding Work Readiness.[5][6] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Minnesota. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | The differences among the top 5 choices are minimal. I do not support expanding school choice options to include vouchers or public funding of private schools.[6] | ” |
| —Marcia Sytsma (September 20, 2017) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer eight questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| No. Any additional charters should have clear accountability and be subject to the same evaluation standards and requirements for student enrollment, student suspension, and student expulsion as the non-charter schools in the district. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should be involved in the district routinely. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| Yes. Standardized tests are one of several options that provide useful information about student achievement. They should not be used as the sole index of achievement. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve. Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. Again, it depends on the metric for determining merit pay. I think that there should be incentives to work in higher needs schools or in difficult to place positions when funds permit. I do think that Qcomp and other stipends should be available for teachers who take on additional responsibilities or leadership roles. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. 1. Public schools are a community resource, and are not a commodity purchased by those who use the resource. 2. Private schools are not subject to the same accountability and have more latitude about which students they enroll. 3. Voucher systems do not fully fund the costs of private school tuition and pull resources from the public schools. 4. There are many indirect costs such as support services and related services that are provided by public schools. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| In accordance with Minnesota State Law, following the definition of willful established by the Minnesota Supreme Court. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers. Based on Hattie's research on student success and achievement, teacher-student relationships, teacher clarity, and teaching strategies all have greater impact on student achievement than home environment or parent involvement. |
Candidate website
Sytsma highlighted the following issues on her campaign website:
| “ | Safe Schools for All Students
Safe Schools for All Students is not about bricks and mortar. It’s about building and strengthening a community within each school where students look out for each other, where teachers make sure students feel valued at all levels, in all circumstances and at all times, and where expectations are clear, fair, and reflect the school community’s values. Safe Schools for All Students is about creating a community in a school that thrives and brings out the best in everyone. It’s about fully utilizing the supports and connections students already have to help them be successful: trusted adult mentors, cultural liaisons, and social and community partnerships. Safe Schools for All Students uses best practices in preventive and positive behavior supports, discipline strategies that focus on teaching problem-solving skills, restoring relationships, and helping students become accountable and responsible members of the larger community. Championing Diversity and Equity Championing Diversity and Equity reframes of how we look at protecting the rights of students and families. Diverse students with varied backgrounds are more than something to be showcased or used for cultural awareness festivals or holiday celebrations. Championing Diversity and Equity means looking at each member of the school (students, staff, parents and other trusted adults) as someone who is valued specifically because of their unique character and background. Championing Diversity and Equity means observing and facilitating how each student can productively bring their individual experiences into the community and how the community can help each student change and grow. Championing Diversity and Equity means giving a student room to learn without the fear of being ridiculed or having to hide. Championing Diversity and Equity means that students feel valued as unique individuals sharing their culture and traditions with the school community. It means that students who are gender nonconforming or members of sexually marginalized groups and their family members feel comfortable, welcomed, and supported within the community, as well as being treated as important and valid members of the community. Above all, Championing Diversity and Equity means that all school community members are committed to a socially just society that treats students, families, and staff as valued and unique participants. Expanding Work Readiness Expanding Work Readiness means going beyond the current model of jobs in the pathways method to include higher paying union trades and other opportunities for students. The model developed in the Normandale, Dunwoody, and South Metro training centers provides a good foundation for many types of jobs in technology and health care. Building on this, developing partnerships with building trades and other highly skilled union jobs could supply ideal options for students who may not want or be ready to attend college. Since many trade unions already have apprenticeship programs, this initiative focuses on making more of those apprenticeships available to schools. This will not only allow students to learn job related skills, it will help them take their first steps toward joining a larger professional community.[6] |
” |
| —Marcia Sytsma (2017)[7] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Marcia Sytsma Bloomington Public Schools school board. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings: 2017 Municipal and School District Elections," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ Bloomington Public Schools, "2017 Campaign Financial Report," accessed December 11, 2017
- ↑ Stonewall DFL Caucus, "Candidate Endorsements in Bloomington, Saint Anthony Village and Saint Louis Park added by Stonewall DFL," accessed October 26, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Marcia Sytsma's responses," September 20, 2017
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Marcia Sytsma for Bloomington School Board, "Home," accessed October 26, 2017
| Bloomington Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Hennepin County, Minnesota | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Tom Bennett • Incumbent, Jim Sorum • Incumbent, Dawn Steigauf • Beth Beebe • John Moravec • Julie Morse • Michael Poke • Paige Rohman • Dan Stirratt • Jane Stoa • Marcia Sytsma |
| Important information: | What's at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
