A unique set of skills can help ICCSD

I am running for school board because public education in America and in Iowa is under systematic attack, and I want to be on the front lines in the fight to protect and strengthen it. Public education is essential to healthy communities and for maintaining democracy itself. As public education is defunded and undermined by harmful policies, I want to contribute my expertise and energy to protecting, sustaining, and growing our outstanding Iowa City Community School District.

I have a unique perspective and set of skills to offer to a role on the ICCSD School Board because my professional experience includes many different areas of the educational ecosystem. Virtually everything I’ve done in my professional life has been related to education, starting with teaching language arts in the ICCSD and two other Iowa districts.

I understand firsthand how classrooms, communities, industries, and policymakers intersect and must work together through roles including:

Science and language arts textbook editor (Buckle Down Publishing)

Education nonprofit leader (strategy and programs, ACT Foundation)

Director of partnerships with national industry groups (construction, manufacturing, automotive)

Standardized test development professional (including WorkKeys assessments)

Nonprofit board leader (currently Vice President, United Action for Youth board)

Small business owner (Bluebird Sky, LLC)

Strategy consultant (for businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies, community coalitions, and more)

In addition, I am a fellow and instructor for the Strategic Doing Institute. I facilitate difficult conversations and teach others how to design conversations and collaborations to tackle complex challenges. I would like to contribute this skill set to the cause.

Along the way, our community has provided me opportunities to pursue personal interests, many sparked by my own public school experience in Dubuque and the Chicago area. I feel fortunate to be part of such a rich community for writing, playing music, riding bikes, and volunteering.

Last and certainly not least, I’ve been a member of our community since 1987 and am the parent of two proud ICCSD graduates. This has given me the opportunity to experience our district in its K-12 entirety through my children’s eyes and as a parent volunteer in roles ranging from serving on the Lucas Elementary Before-and-After-School Program board to providing lots and lots of sandwiches for hungry cross-country runners. I've seen the amazing work our district does and would like to help be a good steward of it.

Jennifer Horn-Frasier is a candidate for the Iowa City school board.