ECC School Board
“The district needs representation from the hard-working people of our community who feel left behind by our politics. I will never apologize for my continuing support for worker’s collective bargaining rights and universal pre-K.”
— Robin Bielefeldt
Name: Robin Michael Bielefeldt
Website: b4cc.net
Email address: robinmbielefeldt@gmail.com
Home community and how long have you lived in your community:
Chaska, Minnesota, for seven years.
Previous leadership experience:
Petty Officer Second Class on USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71); vice-chair Carver County Board of Adjustment; Chairman Carver County U of M Extension Committee.
In what community, state, or national organizations have you been involved?
VoteVets PAC, Boy Scouts of America (Eagle Scout, Assistant Scoutmaster), SD48 DFL Chaska Ward 1 chairman.
How have you prepared to serve well in this office:
As a father of three small children, I’m passionate about Early Childhood Education. As an engineer ,I bring a fresh perspective on STEM learning.
What do you see as the top three priorities for the school district today and how would you address these?
1. Transparency. I intend to advocate for better engagement with our community and ensure that every dollar we spend on education goes as far as possible.
2. Literacy Rates. Ensuring as many children as possible qualify for Early Childhood Education is how we ensure every child has the foundations for reading before entering Kindergarten.
3. Expansion. This area is growing at an incredible rate and our schools and teachers need to be able to keep up with demand.
What differentiates you from the other candidate(s)?
As a U.S. Navy veteran and a blue-collar worker with three small children, I’ve proven time and again that I can get the job done. The district needs representation from the hard-working people of our community who feel left behind by our politics. I will never apologize for my continuing support for worker’s collective bargaining rights and universal pre-K.
What is your stance on the current curriculum? If or what changes are necessary?
ISD112 has recently had a shake-up in its leadership and I look forward to hearing from our community about what works and what doesn’t. As the voice of the people, our board members must be involved in setting the curriculum. I believe that continued focus on STEM learning and Early Childhood Education is how we give our students the tools they need to succeed.
What would be your approach to managing the school district’s budget effectively?
You can’t solve every problem by throwing money at it. One of our priorities must be retaining our talented staff and educators, keeping them right here in the county. The right people with the right policies can solve our long-term budget issues by working smarter and not harder.
Do you favor cellphone restrictions in schools, and if so, what restrictions?
No, I don’t because student’s privacy and access to information are far more important than any distractions they may cause. Besides, the students will find a way to bypass any new restrictions if they feel pressured by persons in authority. A cellphone ban also gives our staff just one more thing to monitor, placing more pressure on them.
Even though school districts now have the statutory authority to renew operating levies without voter approval, should the board have the voters decide? Why?
Absolutely, voters should decide, as this is the underlying philosophy behind our system of government. If the people’s property and sales tax money isn’t being spent effectively, they need to ensure they have a mechanism to send it to where it does the most good. I can never imagine spending someone else’s money without showing them exactly how and where it’s going will do the most good.
Should our superintendent be contractually responsible for metrics such as enrollment, test scores, and the district’s financial condition? Why or why not?
No, this is why we have a School Board in the first place. As the voice of the people, it is school board members’ responsibility to put the work in, follow the law, and represent our community in these matters. Education policy is proposed by the superintendent and approved or rejected by the people, as represented by the board. If our students are falling behind, I see it as an indictment of the School Board more than anyone else.
Where do you see the School District in the next five to 10 years?
I’m proud to call Carver County home and in 10 years I hope to see more of our governor’s education agenda implemented, like free school lunches and the unmitigated success of that program. Next on the list is universal pre-K and expanded special education programs. Every bit of time and effort we put into our district now will pay increased dividends in the next decade for both my children and yours.
