Richfield High School Graduate Is Running for Wayzata School Board

Below you will find the candidate biography for Derek Diesen.

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What previous political experience do you have (including other governmental positions you’ve held, whether elected, appointed or volunteer)?

None, I am very involved in the community, just not politically.

What other relevant experience do you have?

No matter who wins, the candidate pool is so strong that Wayzata will be well served.  Every single individual running is passionate and focused on education, community and service.  What makes me different is my perspective.  I have an engineering background, I consider myself blue collar, and I own a small business.  I am a builder, not just of bathrooms and kitchens, but also of communities and schools.  My strength is looking across all issues and seeing how solutions fit together.  I think there is an opportunity for more voices to be heard on the school board.  I believe I have a responsibility be the voice of industrial arts, special education and junior varsity sports.  

What is your occupation?

I am a self-employed contractor.

Where did you go to school? What city do you live in now?

I am a graduate of Richfield High School, and Dunwoody Institute in machine tool and die. My wife and I moved to Minnetonka 12 years ago to be in the Wayzata School District.

How old are you?

40

Do you have a spouse, children or any other family members you’d like to tell voters about?

My wife, Amy, and I have been married for seventeen years. We have three children Shelby in 9th grade at WHS, Andy a 5th grader, and Joey a 4th grader at Sunset Hill. 

What are your campaign goals?

I support better early literacy instruction. I support later start times at the high school. I support a two high school solution to Wayzata's growth.

I support a two high school option to deal with growth two different schools should complement, not compete with each other.  There is more than one way to be the best.  I think two high schools could solve the start time issue from a transportation perspective, nobody would need to ride the bus for an hour.  It would also address the achievement gap by serving children that may not fit into the current curriculum at Wayzata High School. 

I would advocate for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math opportunities.  I would partner with local businesses to enhance the student experience while training future workers and business owners. With an additional high school we could also double the amount of several activities and sports positions so more kids could participate.

Why should voters choose you?

These are transformative times. The decisions we make today will affect our children, our taxpayers and out community for years to come. My biggest concern is that not all voices are heard when a district gets so large. I feel a responsibility to be the voice of kids in special education, junior varsity sports and industrial arts.