Team member working for common goals in I.C.

I am a former classroom teacher who uses data to research and evaluate Iowa’s high school-to-college pipeline and various financial aid programs. An Iowa native, I taught middle school in Omaha Public Schools for six years, where I served on many district committees and the board of directors for the Omaha Education Association. I hold a BA in elementary and middle-level education from the University of Northern Iowa, a MA in secondary education with an emphasis in urban schools from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and a Ph.D. in educational policy and leadership studies from the University of Iowa. I have lived in the Iowa City area since 2014. My wife, Ellie, is a nurse practitioner, and we have two daughters under five.

I developed a deep understanding of education through personal experience as a teacher and systematically as an education policy researcher. I am committed to data-driven decisions for all areas of education and have the background to evaluate the available evidence and think clearly through ICCSD’s policies, curriculum, and finances. Whether working with a consortium of researchers across agencies or universities or performing as a collegiate cheerleader, I have a long history of being an influential team member working toward a common goal.

As a board member, I will advocate for:

• Offering full-day preschool/child care at accessible locations throughout the ICCSD.

• Providing course offerings for students choosing different academic and career paths, whether they seek an apprenticeship in the trades or want to attend a prestigious college.

• Maintaining clear and consistent dialogue about curriculum and policy changes affecting the ICCSD community.

• Exploring how the district’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan can enhance all our learning experience (like the ICCSD says, “diversity drives innovation”).

• Finding ways to support students harmed by new state laws while, at the same time, protecting teachers, staff, and administrators from potential punitive state measures.

• With input from building administrators and teachers, developing districtwide cellphone use policies to minimize disruption in the classroom and hallways.

Regardless of which School Board election you are voting in, remember to elect directors who respect their teachers and staff members and are willing to protect students who walk into their district’s buildings.

Mitchell Lingo is on of seven candidates seeking four at-large seats on the Iowa City school board.