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Scott Arcand (White Bear Lake Area Schools, At-large, Minnesota, candidate 2024)
From Ballotpedia
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Scott Arcand ran for election to the White Bear Lake Area Schools, At-large in Minnesota. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.[source]
Arcand completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Scott Arcand provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 6, 2024:
- Birth date: April 18, 1964
- Birth place: Saint Paul, Minnesota
- High school: White Bear Mariner High School
- Bachelor's: St. Cloud State University, 1988
- Graduate: University of Saint Mary's of Minnesota, 2004
- Other: University of Saint Mary's of Minnesota, 2017
- Gender: Male
- Religion: Catholic
- Profession: Educator
- Prior offices held:
- School Board Member (2020-Prsnt)
- Incumbent officeholder: Yes
- Campaign slogan: Dedicated to every student, every teacher, & every family
- Campaign website
Elections
General election
General election for White Bear Lake Area Schools, At-large (3 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for White Bear Lake Area Schools, At-large on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | ||
Scott Arcand (Nonpartisan)  | ||
| Brian Cern (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Tim Klecker (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Dan Skaar (Nonpartisan) | ||
| R. Scott Smith (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Angela Thompson (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 Arcand in this election.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Scott Arcand completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Arcand'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 running for the White Bear Lake School Board because my education in this district inspired me to spend the last 36 years helping students pursue their career aspirations. The strong foundation I received allowed me to earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Education, a Master’s in Education focusing on Teaching and Learning, and a Doctorate in Education specializing in leadership. This educational journey also equipped me with the skills to raise and support my family. I am dedicated to serving on the School Board to ensure that future generations have the same opportunities I was fortunate to receive.
- My top priority is to create safe and supportive schools where every student has the opportunity to excel academically. High levels of stress can greatly impede a student's ability to learn, so it's essential that we support both our students and teachers.
- Another key focus is expanding our career pathways. Given the increasing costs of post-secondary education, it's vital for students to have a clear plan for their future after high school.
- Lastly, I aim to strengthen our connections with the community, as a strong partnership between schools and the community is crucial for achieving success.
I am particularly passionate about policies that promote equitable access to education, mental health support for students, and community engagement in schools. I believe in creating safe and inclusive environments that empower all students to succeed. Additionally, I’m interested in policies that enhance educational resources and support for teachers, ensuring they have what they need to provide the best learning experiences.
Good to Great by Jim Collins.
The most important characteristics for an elected official are honesty, the ability to listen for understanding, and a genuine commitment to working for students. Honesty builds trust with the community, while active listening ensures that diverse perspectives are considered in decision-making. Ultimately, prioritizing the needs and well-being of students should guide all actions and policies.
Anyone elected to the school board must remember that they represent all community members, including those who voted for them and those who did not. Every decision should be made with the best interests of our students in mind. That's why it's essential to actively listen and seek to understand the perspectives of everyone in our community.
The first historical event I remember was on July 20, 1969. At just five years old, I sat in front of our family television watching as Apollo 11 landed on the Moon.
My first job was as a newspaper carrier, where I delivered the morning and afternoon papers for three years.
The role of the school board is to oversee and evaluate one key employee: the superintendent. They adopt policies that set the overarching principles for the school district's administration and review and approve the budget and expenditures.
My constituents include parents and guardians, who have a vested interest in their children's education. Students are also a key focus, as the school board's policies prioritize their best interests. Additionally, teachers and staff play a vital role, as they are on the front lines, creating a safe and supportive environment for learning. Finally, alumni and community members provide valuable insights into the educational experience.
As a school board, we must ensure that our policies are inclusive and actively promote equity, so all students receive the support they need to succeed academically. Additionally, we should prioritize professional development for staff, providing teachers with training in differentiated instruction and cultural competency. Finally, we need to create opportunities for all students to see themselves in various career pathways and explore potential futures.
I will maintain regular communication channels, such as emails, to keep everyone informed. I plan to attend local events in the community to connect with residents and will continue my work with the Ramsey County League of Local Governments. This affiliation enables me to build relationships with members of our local cities, townships, and neighboring school districts.
Good teaching starts with clear learning targets that outline what students need to know and be able to do. Teachers must actively engage students in the learning process through various strategies that accommodate different learning styles. Next, teachers need to assess whether students understand the material and can apply it. For those who are struggling, teachers should provide targeted interventions to help guide them toward the learning objectives. Conversely, for students who have already mastered the content, teachers should offer extension activities that deepen their learning beyond the initial targets. This is achieved through clear communication with students and assessments that inform instruction.
Successful teaching should be assessed through a performance-based system designed to enhance teacher quality and improve student outcomes. This system should also motivate educators to pursue ongoing professional development. Teachers should be evaluated on their ability to plan effective lessons and instructional strategies, create a respectful classroom environment, manage procedures, and maintain student engagement, all while fostering their own professional growth. A valuable data point for measuring effectiveness could be to administer pre-assessments at the beginning of a course and post-assessments at the end to evaluate student learning growth.
We need to expand our Career and Technical Education pathways, as we continue to face significant shortages in skilled trade areas. Careers in these fields offer students well-paying opportunities that enable them to successfully own homes and support families. There is a consistent demand for electricians, mechanical engineers, healthcare workers, logisticians, and computer science professionals.
I will continue to support budgets that are fiscally responsible. Additionally, we must cultivate strong relationships with our state and federal legislators to advocate for full funding for education. I will also champion the need for adequate funding for special education, ensuring we don't have to rely on our general fund for these expenses.
I believe that schools must be both safe and supportive for every student. High levels of stress can greatly hinder a student's ability to learn. When students face extreme stress, their brains may enter "fight or flight" mode, causing stress hormones to be released and shifting brain activity from the frontal lobe to the amygdala. Over time, chronic stress can lead to emotional and cognitive challenges.
Supporting mental health needs in schools can be achieved through several key areas. First, we must ensure that students and staff have access to mental health professionals who can provide the necessary support. Additionally, staff should receive professional development focused on identifying mental health issues, including suicide prevention, and understanding the steps to support both students and colleagues in need.
We also need to create a school environment that fosters a safe and positive culture for everyone. Furthermore, schools should develop a crisis intervention plan to ensure a timely and effective response to any mental health emergencies. This plan may involve collaboration with local mental health organizations to provide essential resources and support for students and their families.
We also need to create a school environment that fosters a safe and positive culture for everyone. Furthermore, schools should develop a crisis intervention plan to ensure a timely and effective response to any mental health emergencies. This plan may involve collaboration with local mental health organizations to provide essential resources and support for students and their families.
I have received endorsements from the White Bear Lake Area Educators, SEIU, and Coalition 624.
An ideal learning environment is one where students feel physically and emotionally safe, allowing them to concentrate on learning without fear or outside distractions. Classrooms should be spaces where both students and teachers feel valued and respected. The curriculum needs to be engaging, enabling all students to see themselves reflected in the material. Additionally, students must feel free to try, fail, try again, and ultimately succeed. This underscores the importance of providing regular feedback to students and data to teachers to inform and guide instruction.
As the school board navigated the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, we made the best decisions possible based on the information available to us. Our priority was the health and safety of each student, which led us to swiftly transition to remote learning to ensure educational continuity. Looking ahead, I would like to explore more flexible learning models that can be quickly implemented during unforeseen challenges, so we are better prepared to sustain the educational process.
To build strong relationships with parents, the school district must ensure consistent communication through various channels, including the newspaper, school website, emails, Facebook, and phone calls. Additionally, we should invite parents to participate in school activities such as Parent-Teacher Organizations, carnivals, and other events. It’s also important for the district to actively reach out to families, welcoming them and encouraging their involvement.
The first step in effectively recruiting teachers and staff is to foster a positive school culture in each building, where educators feel valued and empowered. This will make our district an attractive place to work. Additionally, we must offer competitive salaries and benefits to entice candidates to join White Bear Lake Area Schools. Utilizing social media to promote job openings and actively participating in job fairs will also enhance our recruitment efforts.
As school board members, we must remember that our revenue comes from the tax base. We have a responsibility to be fiscally responsible and transparent, which includes providing updates to the community at least four times a year.
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 White Bear Lake Area Schools, At-large |
Footnotes
