Vote Michael Baskins for Minneapolis Public School Board- At Large

Hello Neighbors,

I wanted to explain my decision to run for Minneapolis School Board- At Large. This was not a decision taken lightly or rashly. I have been increasingly concerned about the performance of the current School Board and MPS Administration. As I watched local school board meetings over the past few years, I’ve seen a School Board that routinely fails in its oversight duties of the Administration. I’ve seen a School Board that asks no questions and has no feedback for the Administration routinely during their meetings. I’ve seen a School Board asleep at the wheel. I was further dismayed when year after year the MPS Board has failed to formulate a long term strategic plan for the financial stability of the district. I’ve seen a lack of enthusiasm to come up with financial solutions. In 2024 the School Board promised to do a financial analysis on the benefits of closing or consolidating the many half empty schools in the district. We are still waiting for this report. For many, including myself, we have had enough of this School Board that is asleep at the wheel. Learn more about MPS’s leadership struggles over the last 10 years here.

We’ve recently seen MPS schools operating at 10% of student capacity but being renovated for millions of dollars. We’ve seen the whole financial department fired while the Administration and School Board have “no comment” and local whistleblowers suggest massive financial negligence or worse. We’ve seen Math and Reading proficiency continue to decline over the last 10 years and remaining persistently near the bottom in the State. We’ve seen mass MPS layoffs and rehiring every few years. We’ve seen MPS relying on short term financing and hail marry financing from the state, local, or millage levels to keep the system going.

Parents and would-be parents like myself should be worried about the trajectory of MPS. And of course, all of these problems cannot be blamed on a single person or decision. But in order to make progress toward a better tomorrow we need a School Board willing to ask the hard questions and be 100% transparent and accountable to the public. We need School Board that doesn’t accept that MPS will always be an underachieving district but a Board that believes that Minneapolis can be a top performing school district and works tirelessly to make it so. Learn more about my vision for leadership here.

I care deeply about the City of Minneapolis and the immense duty that Public Schools are entrusted with to educate and shape our youth. I am worried that the Administration is not living up to this sacred duty.

I would be honored if you voted for me to represent you as Minneapolis School Board Member- At Large. Know that I will ask the hard questions and always be transparent and accountable with you the student, parents, and residents of our GREAT city.