Daniel O'Neil
Daniel O'Neil was a candidate for at-large representative on the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools school board in Minnesota. O'Neil was defeated in the at-large general election on November 7, 2017.
O'Neil participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 school board candidate survey. Click here to read his responses.
O'Neil previously served on the Rochester Public Schools school board from 2010 to 2016.[1]
Biography
A medical innovation manager, O'Neil earned a B.S. in math from West Point in 1983, an M.S. in industrial engineering from Georgia Tech in 1993, and an M.B.A. from Duke in 2000. He previously served in the U.S. Army from 1983 to 1993 as an engineer major.[2]
Elections
2017
Three of the seven seats on the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools school board in Minnesota were up for nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. Incumbents Art Coulson and Mike Roseen won re-election. Craig Angrimson defeated incumbent Gary Huusko for the third seat. Challengers Brian Buechele, Rebecca Gierok, Daniel O'Neil, and Bianca Ward Virnig were also defeated in the election.[3]
Results
| Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools, At-large General Election, 4-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Art Coulson Incumbent |
20.70% | 2,779 |
| Mike Roseen Incumbent |
20.17% | 2,708 |
| Craig Angrimson |
16.38% | 2,200 |
| Gary Huusko Incumbent | 11.39% | 1,530 |
| Rebecca Gierok | 11.27% | 1,513 |
| Daniel O'Neil | 8.39% | 1,126 |
| Bianca Ward Virnig | 7.47% | 1,003 |
| Brian Buechele | 3.50% | 470 |
| Write-in votes | 0.74% | 99 |
| Total Votes | 13,428 | |
| Source: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools, "Agenda: Nov 13, 2017 - Regular School Board," accessed November 28, 2017 | ||
Funding
O'Neil reported no contributions or expenditures to the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools in the election.[4]
Campaign themes
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Daniel O'Neil participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[5] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on October 11, 2017:
| “ | Candidate did not respond to this question.[6][7] | ” |
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 | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | It is important for schools to ensure that all students, regardless of zipcode are college and career ready. Further, School Boards must take action to reduce disparities while staying within required budgets.[7] | ” |
| —Daniel O'Neil (October 11, 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. Public school districts have quite a bit of latitude to establish differentiated instructions in different schools. In 196 there is a collaboration on animal science together with the Minnesota Zoo. If a charter is contemplated, the board should play an active role in helping parents consider options to find a unique experience within 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 only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. Independent School District 196 - and others like us should be given the autonomy to serve our communities |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. Standardized tests are at best a spot metric for schools and for feedback of individual students and families. Unfortunately, some districts use tests to make strategic decisions including school closure. Boards must find other metrics to drive change and improve learning. Most of these metrics should measure growth of each student every year and build upon previous success. |
| 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? |
| Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| Yes. On a limited basis, financial rewards for high performance should be a tool available to site administration. |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| Yes. Essential services should be provided through public schools. Local districts should put together options for home schooled and charter students to receive training through the public system if the situation warrants. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Rarely, fairly, and with a goal to correct situations and change behavior - not embarrass the student and th family. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers. An engaged, caring adult is the key to success for students. It is important that class sizes not grow exponentially and eliminate the available time for teachers to connect with each student. |
Candidate website
O'Neil highlighted the following issues on his campaign website:
| “ | Building on our excellent financial position, which I believe we can attain through systematic review of all revenue and expenditures. We must partner with similar communities to advance ideas in educational funding in Minnesota and to share best practices.
Promoting inclusivity and reducing achievement disparities which the board must address by setting the example in welcoming diversity of background and opinions. Having served in another community with three superintendents and twelve different board members, I have the experience and temperament of delivering while working with others. Bringing forward innovative ideas. I believe that bold leadership will be required to overcome the status quo. To improve we must change. One well-documented change that should be made is to establish a later start time for students particularly in high school. By providing information about the advantages of the change, building the case for a pilot program, and following through if the prototype shows merit, we can make this change – and inspire other innovations. THE ISSUES Universal breakfast for elementary schools Later start time to improve performance Greater emphasis on career options Reduce inequality by promoting unity Safer sports facilities Offer individualized learning plans and options for the 21st century student Together, we can make a difference and set plans in motion to make progress towards important goals.[7] |
” |
| —Daniel O'Neil (2017)[8] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Daniel O'Neil Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools school board. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools, Minnesota
- Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools elections (2017)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Daniel O'Neil Your Ideal Candidate for ISD 196 School Board, "Experience," accessed October 4, 2017
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form on September 27, 2017
- ↑ Minnesota Secretary of State, "Candidate Filings: 2017 Municipal and School District Elections," accessed August 16, 2017
- ↑ Dakota County Voting & Elections Office, "2017 Candidate Financial Reports," accessed December 11, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Daniel O'Neil's responses," October 11, 2017
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Daniel O'Neil, "Important Issues," accessed October 26, 2017
| Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Public Schools elections in 2017 | |
| Dakota County, Minnesota | |
| Election date: | November 7, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Art Coulson • Incumbent, Gary Huusko • Incumbent, Mike Roseen • Craig Angrimson • Brian Buechele • Rebecca Gierok • Daniel O'Neil • Bianca Ward Virnig |
| Important information: | What's at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
