Jean O'Connell for St Paul School Board

West Side 100, the West Side Citizens Organization, Humboldt High School and a collaborative of other west side organizations (Neighorhood House, ECFE, Youth Farm and Jane Addams School) held a School Board candidate forum on October 21 at Humboldt High School.  Becky Montgomery, former School board chair, moderated the forum which was attended by community members and some high school students.

The Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce held a Saint Paul School Board Candidate Forum on Wednesday, October 21. Guy Gilmore, Publisher and President of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press will moderated the event.  It was taped by SPNN and will be re-broadcast at 7 pm on October 28,29 and 31.

A public forum for candidates running for the office of Saint Paul Public School Board of Education was held Tuesday, September 29th, at Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church, 585 Fuller Avenue, Saint Paul, MN  55103.  This was a well attended event with about 100 people in attendance.  Data on African-American student achievement and graduation rates was shared with the audience prior to questions being asked of all eight candidates.

Use this link to find your polling place.

http://xnet.co.ramsey.mn.us/elections/precinct_finder/

Absentee ballot information:

www.co.ramsey.mn.us/elections/absentee.htm

Open houses to welcome students and parents back for the school year were held on Sept 2 & 3 at many elementary schools. Jean dropped by Capital Hill, Adams Spanish Immersion, Expo and St. Anthony Park Elementary schools to talk with parents.

The Primary Election will be held on September 15th.  To find your polling location use this link to the Ramsey Country precinct finder.

http://xnet.co.ramsey.mn.us/elections/precinct_finder/

On  Thursday, July 23 Jean and volunteers marched in the Rice Street Parade. Jean met parade-goers, and she and her team handed out bookmarks and stickers. Jean’s husband John took this picture of Team Jean!

Lots of people out having fun on a rather cloudy July afternoon.  Talked with many people about their concerns on how budget issues have been handled and why the schools are important to them.  Met folks with children at Expo, Central and Highland and many Highland Catholic, Nativity and Cretin-Derham Hall parents.  My thanks to our volunteers selling pop in the Highland Business Association booths:  Amy Filice, Donna Moores, Mary & Bill Lerman, Ginger Wange, Lindsay Wynne, Dave Redinger and Alli Janusz.

The Rondo Day Parade  was great, many very passionate groups sharing their talents.  Talked with lots of folks after the parade with friends; Yusef Mgeni, Delores Henderson, Andrea Hayden, David Pettiford and Susan Myles.  Very concerned about the achievement gap, diversity in our schools and ways to increase the success of our young people.