School Board Candidate Questionnaire: Bridget Sutton

Editor's Note: Earlier this month, Patch submitted a series of five questions to each of the seven candidates running for four seats on the School District 199 School Board. Candidate was late in submitting her responses to the questions posed. With the philosophy of 'better late than never,' Patch is running her answers to the same questions we posed to the other candidates. Click on the links at the bottom of this page to see the other candidates' answers.

To promote fairness, we asked each candidate to limit responses to 150 words; we reserved the right to edit for clarity and length if necessary. The general election is Nov. 8.

Inver Grove Heights Patch: In 2010, minority students made up 27.6 percent of the district's total student population, up from 14.6 percent in 2003. What can the district do to reduce the academic achievement gap between different ethnic groups in the schools and make sure the needs of its growing minority populations are being met?

Bridget Sutton: We have already made some significant changes to reduce the achievement gap and better educate students of all backgrounds and abilities.  We have reorganized our elementary school schedule to focus on intensive reading and math curriculum, added research-proven interventions at the middle school and have begun a compulsory remedial tutoring program at the high school for any ninth grader who is failing even one class.  The purpose is to get our students to reading and math mastery sooner, and then nip any other problems in the bud so every student will pass graduation standards on time.

Patch: What can the district do to maintain or improve its competitive standing among school districts in the area?

Sutton: One big focus of our district is to expand implementation of our digital curriculum options so we can give students the breadth and depth of subject matter coverage they need. We are also purposefully creating a professional learning community culture in our district to ensure our teachers and staff are committed to excellence and trained and supported in their efforts to teach our students as well as fellow colleagues.

Patch: How should the district employ digital technology in its classrooms?

Sutton: Digital technology has the potential to completely transform the way students learn if it is incorporated properly with teachers who know how to use it. Digital curriculum is easier and less expensive to update from year to year, it gives teachers the flexibility to customize curriculum content to fit the needs and abilities of each student, and it provides districts the flexibility to network with other districts and organizations to give students a much bigger educational experience. The key to successful implementation is to start with a district-wide vision of desired goals, then develop a plan that will achieve those goals, then choose the technology pieces and training to carry out the plan.

Patch: Given the lack of reliable state funding for schools, what can/should the district do to ensure continued financial stability?

Sutton: Our board has worked hard to stabilize our funding as much as we can by being prudent in our yearly budgets, working to reduce the district's long-term liabilities to a manageable level, and maintaining a sufficient fund balance that enables us to cash flow funding interruptions (like state budget shifts) without resorting to costly short-term borrowing. We work with other districts wherever feasible to share costs and programs to achieve better economies of scale. I am very proud of the fact that over 70 percent of our annual budget is spent directly in the classroom, and only 7 percent of our budget is spent on administration. We also spend time looking at long range trends, shaping plans to meet anticipated challenges at least two years ahead of time. Those working principles go a long way toward long-term stabilization.

Patch: What other issues are important to you as a candidate?

Sutton: It's no secret that funding education will continue to be a challenge for the foreseeable future. However, tight budgets have the silver lining of incentivizing people to rethink everything about what, how and why we educate our children the way we do. Giving our staff, administrators, parents and community members the challenge to rethink education has resulted in a district that embraces innovation and change as we work to deliver excellence in education for our students.  Maintaining that leading edge as we move further into the 21st century will continue to keep Inver Grove Heights Community School District one of the best districts in the state.

To view the other candidates' answers, follow these links: