Schools

Minnetonka School Board Candidate: Lisa Wagner

Patch Voters' Guide: Who will you vote for on Election Day?

Editor's note: This week we feature the eight candidates running for four seats on the Minnetonka School Board. We will publish two candidates per day for four days. You can meet and grill all the candidates at our  event at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at the .

LISA WAGNER, incumbent

Minnetonka Patch: What qualifications do you have that will make you an effective Minnetonka school board member?   

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Wagner: I possess the experience, the ability to make an impact, the objectivity and the drive to do what is best for all of our children. I have developed and maintained relationships at all levels that allow me to be a collaborative, effective leader who gets results. I know the people, I know the issues, I know the processes to get things done.

Elected to the Minnetonka School Board in 2007, I have been a Board Officer for three years. As the current Vice Chair, I set agendas, plan Board activities, direct listening sessions, speak on behalf of Board at District events and more. I have also led a major Board policy update. I am the current Board Liaison to the PTO/A Leadership Council, Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA), Community Action for Student Education (CASE), and Minnetonka Teachers’ Association (MTA). I am also a delegate to the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) Legislative Assembly. I participate in School Board workshops and conferences at the local and national level.  

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In the past, I have served as the Board Liaison to Strategic Planning, ECFE/Minnetonka Preschool Advisory Board, Minnetonka Community Education Advisory Board, Tonka Cares and Tonka Pride. In addition to my Board work, I am an active volunteer at all levels of the District including Minnewashta PTO, MMW PTA, MHS Friendly Presence, DreamMakers, Minnetonka Swim Club and Tonka Cares.

Patch: What is the biggest issue for Minnetonka's school district? Why? 

Wagner: Our biggest challenge and opportunity presents itself through our innovation work. Learners are changing, and we need to evolve with them.  What we have done in the past is very good but we need to continue to improve. We need to transition from where we are by keeping the best of what we have and enhancing it to position our students to be successful. We must stay relevant to today’s learners. Students today will need to be prepared for careers that haven’t even been invented yet and this preparation will require new content and instructional strategies. We have a solid foundation for our innovation work and it will be exciting to see where these efforts lead us.   

I acknowledge that the state’s financial issues have and will continue to be a challenge. However, I have been a leader on a team that has positioned Minnetonka to avoid budget cuts since 2005. I have driven efforts to lobby for education funding at the State Capitol, to set legislative priorities for our District and associations, to develop and follow enrollment plans and to institute programs that have accelerated our student achievement to record levels.

Patch: What is current Minnetonka School District leadership doing well? What could be better?

Wagner: The District has record-setting results in student achievement at all levels, a solid financial position including a AAA bond rating and a 98 percent parent satisfaction rate. We cannot rest on our laurels however. We must maintain our efforts to continue to raise achievement and to enhance our schools for today’s students.  

As our District vision states, “we must have the courage to let go of what no longer serves us, embrace what is required for the future, and advocate for what is best for our children, our community, and our nation.” We also must continue to work strategically on managing our finances in the absence of stable education funding from the state. Improvement must always be in front of us and not only behind us.  

Ensuring that the legacy of world-class, child-centered excellence continues in Minnetonka is the essence of my job as a School Board member. Our children deserve nothing less than this.

Patch: How will you get input from your constituents?

Wagner: During the past four years, I have actively sought input from my constituents in a variety of ways. First and foremost, I am always available to meet with people who ask me to do so. Other activities I have undertaken include: instituting a practice of having School Board members present to PTO/A groups annually, advocating for video streaming of Board meetings so more people can be informed of Board activities, attending building level presentations on key issues to listen to constituent input, conducting listening sessions at Board Meetings, attending school events, presenting to community groups such as League of Women Voters and volunteering at all levels of the District and in the community.  

Another key avenue for the Board to receive community input is via our annual Parent Survey. I spend a great deal of time reviewing the survey results, including individual parent comments, and use this information to inform my decisions as a Board Member. If re-elected, I would continue these activities and look for ways to build on them.

Patch: Give us a brief background of yourself.

Wagner: I have been married for 20 years to Todd Wagner. We have two children (one at MMW, one at Minnewashta) and have resided in the District for over 18 years. I was employed for 15 years as a Human Resources executive in technology companies (Oracle and Cypress Semiconductor).  I hold a BA in International Relations from Stanford University and graduated from Naperville Public Schools in Naperville, IL.   

In addition to my extensive District involvement, I am active in Girl Scouts (Leader, Delegate and Service Unit Team Member), Excelsior United Methodist Church (Chancel Choir, Children’s Council, vacation bible school chair, sunday school teacher, Miriam Circle Co-Chair and the middle school youth group co-chair), the Stanford Alumni Association (service project leader, admissions interviewer, reunion homecoming co-chair), and Korean Culture Camp (Area Coordinator).  

I am a person who makes a difference and have been an active leader in making our District successful for more than a decade. Additional information about me is also available on my website at www.electlisawagner.com. I thank you for your support of Minnetonka Public Schools and ask for your vote on Nov. 8.


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