Right now, school boards around Minnesota are discussing whether to allow students to learn the full history of the United States – including lessons about racism and fights for equality.
No matter where we live, how much money we make, or the color of our skin – most of us believe in handling challenges with integrity, focusing on solutions, keeping our kids safe, and reckoning with our past so we can create a better future.
We’re proud to endorse two bold, progressive candidates for Centennial School Board who are committed to ensuring that every child has an inclusive, accurate and quality education.
Laura Gannon is a mom, engineer, and TakeAction Minnesota leader who is ready to work with students, teachers, and staff in building a community culture where everyone in our district feels safe, included, supported, and impassioned to learn and grow with brave curiosity – no matter their cultural or racial background, gender, sexuality, economic class, physical ability, or mental ability.
“I want to support and guide our students, teachers, and staff in building a community culture where every child learning and every adult working in our school district feels safe, included, supported, and impassioned to learn and grow with brave curiosity no matter their cultural or racial background, gender, sexuality, economic class, physical ability, or mental ability. Along with this vision, I want to lead with transparency and collaboration with the parents of Centennial School District in a way that we have not experienced in years,” says Gannon.
Jessica Schwinn is a Centennial H.S. graduate, parent of children in the district, licensed educator, small business owner, and TakeAction Minnesota leader. She has the experience, perspective, and community-centered values we need in order to set our students and teachers up for success – from keeping them safe at school to delivering an honest curriculum so our kids are truly prepared to be out in the world.
“I believe teachers and staff are the lifeblood of a school. They should be treated with respect and their opinions should be valued. They should be trusted as professionals in their field and experts on their students. They should be trusted to teach an honest curriculum to students, so they can be truly prepared to be out in the world. Parents and community members deserve to send their children to schools in which students feel safe in every sense of the word. That means following proper health and mitigation strategies during flu, Covid, and lice outbreaks. That also means students should feel safe in all their identities. Be that their race, gender, sexuality, or religion,” says Schwinn.
We can build a better future for our children.
The same grifters who have attacked our democracy, rigged the Supreme Court in favor of the rich and powerful, and sown division in our communities over masks and vaccines are promoting hate in our schools and trying to force our teachers to lie about our history. They want to keep us divided and distracted so they can take away our freedom to vote and deny us the resources our schools, families and communities need.
As these politicians sow fear and division over nonsense, they’re also sowing hate: LGBTQ kids across Minnesota are facing increased bullying and harassment at schools, and that’s no coincidence. Homophobia and transphobia go hand-in-hand with the racist anti-truths being spewed by the MAGA faction.
We see through these attempts to silence and oppress us for the sake of power and profit. It’s harmful and dangerous – and we have the power to stop it.
By joining together to elect bold, courageous community members to serve on our school board, we can keep Centennial schools a place where every child is safe, supported, and has an honest education that sets them up for success.
Minnesotans deserve leadership and representation that meet our needs and our values.
As a statewide, grassroots political organization, TakeAction is committed to shifting from ‘politics as is’ to ‘politics as it should be.’ We as Minnesotans should EXPECT that our elected leaders are pushing for change, fighting for what’s best for our children, and acting with the leadership and courage our communities deserve.
📣 Get ready to make your voice heard and be a voter. Make your plan to vote for Jessica Schwinn and Laura Gannon for Centennial School Board by November 8!
