Politics & Government
Richfield School Board Candidate Sharon Christensen: 'Change is Good'
Sharon Christensen is running for Richfield School Board this November.
Editor's Note: , Patch will be featuring individual Q&As with the candidates before the Nov. 8, 2011 election.
Richfield School Board candidate Sharon Christensen has lived in Richfield for 15 years and after attending the , she gave Patch an idea of her goals and her reasons for running.
Richfield Patch: Why did you decide to run for the Richfield School Board?
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Sharon Christensen: I believe change is good. Although the school board in Richfield has done an excellent job to date, the time for a fresh start is now. I am a strong believer in the value of kids, and I see the kids in Richfield as a strong asset to the community, and I would like to help guide them into a strong, productive future.
Richfield Patch: What do you see as your particular qualifications for serving on the Richfield School Board?
Christensen: I am a detail-oriented person. I have a long-term history of volunteering with kids, encompassing all aspects of their lives—through the schools, sports and church groups. I also have been in the past a guardian ad litem in Hennepin County as well as a mentor of both the children’s and adult mental health advisory board in Hennepin County.
Richfield Patch: What do you think are the major issues facing the district in the coming years?
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Christensen: Funding ... retaining kids who live in Richfield who are attending public schools elsewhere ... [and] obtaining and keeping well-trained quality teachers and staff.
Richfield Patch: What are a few things voters should know about you?
Christensen: I am passionate about kids. I don’t look at one child differently over the other. They are who they are and each one of them deserves a chance to thrive in the schools.
I am currently married, have two children and, due to the death of our daughter a year-and-a-half ago, my husband and I are currently raising our 12-year-old grandson, who is currently a seventh-grader at .
My public career is that of a legal secretary, and in my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, writing and volunteering in the schools and at church.