Michelle Pettway for Columbia Heights School Board

Michelle Pettway

For School Board

Strengthening the pathways to success for ALL Columbia Heights Students

Nice to meet you!

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me. I am a wife and mother of one daughter, who attends Columbia Heights' hidden gem... North Park School for Innovation. North Park embraced not only our child, but our family as well and I couldn't imagine our academic journey beginning anywhere else. I see myself as an "average" citizen, but my passion for education and showing my daughter that anything is possible led me to my current position in our school district.

I enjoy crafting, music, and movies, as well as spending quality time with family and friends. I have a background in healthcare and love to learn new things. My quirky and creative side allows me to think outside of the box and I feel that our community could use a bit of "out of the box" thinking if we want to advance and show our children that they can be extraordinary, no matter their background or barriers.

Most of all I love exploring Heights and its surrounding areas. It has been an adventure that our family has enjoyed immensely! Heights is home and we wouldn't have it any other way.

My Why......

As someone who is a parent and has strong ties to the community, I speak to and understand plenty of parents. staff, and community members who encounter all sorts of barriers that may keep them from being able to achieve their intended academic and life goals. I quickly realized that I share or have shared some of those same barriers and my perspective can shed light and help our district move forward in an effective way. Our future starts here and now with our children, who need more support if they are going to live up to their full potential!

My Priorities...

Listening

-Amplifying student voice

-Bringing unheard voices to the table

-Seeking to understand different needs & perspectives

Engaging

- Being accessible and going to where the community is, instead of expecting you to come to me

- Creating pathways for parents, community members, and businesses to become more involved in our schools

-Helping everyone understand how wonderful and valuable our schools are to our students and community

Investing

- Hiring staff who reflect our student population

- Providing the resources our educators need to keep our students safe and successful

- Working at a legislative level to keep our schools funded and increase enrollment

District and community Involvement

Parent of a Columbia Heights student
Current Columbia Heights School Board Member
Founder and Co-leader of North Park's 'Families of Color Affinity Group - assisting families with academic and cultural concerns, as well as locating resources that may not be available elsewhere
Current member of the MN BIPOC Elected Leaders Network
Active Leader and Volunteer in our community
School Board Liaison to Valley View and the City of Columbia Heights
Parent of Student who advocated in front of State Senate Education Finance Commitee