Recently I took part in the Lakers for Love candidate forum, where we were asked what diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mean to us and what role they should play in supporting all PLSAS students.

These terms are about as loaded as a baked potato, but I appreciated the question. Divisive as they may be right now, it's still important to identify what is actually happening when we use them. A small campaign blog probably won't change many minds, but explaining my perspective and how it shapes my decisions is part of the job.

For me, DEI equals access. All of us want to be part of our communities, whether that's a city, neighborhood, school, church, workplace, or sporting event. Sometimes the people draw us in, and sometimes it's the space itself. Either way, what makes these places special is the chance to connect with others and share experiences.

Unfortunately, the same things that make these places wonderful can also make them unwelcoming. That happens for many reasons, but I want to focus on one: access. Access shows up in schools in plenty of ways, but one example is especially easy to understand, and it exists right here in our district.

Previously on Smith for School Board…

I recently shared that I was endorsed by the PLSEA for the 2026 campaign and discussed the accusations that such an endorsement was a conflict of interest (it’s not). My argument was simple: you can’t be anti-union, but pro-teacher. In making my argument, I went through each claim from candidate Rick Storlie, weighed the evidence behind it, and showed where the claims were either false, or misleading.

A conclusion is only as good as the information you used to support it. This information must be judged dispassionately, and if the data doesn’t hold up, the conclusion doesn’t either. This is not something that exists only within the decision making process itself. The process starts all over again when new information becomes available later. Does this new information agree with what you established before, or are the original findings weakened under further scrutiny?

It is because of this process that I am returning to the discussion about the PLSEA for another blog post. Since my original post, two things have happened; Storlie repeated a claim about the board's authority that didn't hold up the first time he made it, and the distinction I drew between supporting teachers and questioning their union, has been challenged.

The PLSEA endorsed me again for 2026, and along with that endorsement have come claims about the union's process and motives that don't hold up. Before addressing them, I want to hold myself to a standard first: if I had spent months questioning non-union teachers' motives and character, I'd be criticized, and rightfully so. That standard applies both ways. You can't claim to be pro-teacher while attacking the organization that represents them. You're either representing everybody, or you're only representing yourself.

Recently I mentioned that there is much at stake on this November’s ballot. As some of the discussion around these questions begins to take shape there is one term that you won’t see on the ballot, but you will hear an awful lot of people throwing it around. That term is “statutory operating debt” and I’ve already seen some incredibly overconfident explanations about it.

I guess it’s a lucky thing for all of you that I love digging in and understanding all of this stuff. My curiosity is both a gift and a curse, but I just can’t help but break it all down for you!

Up until this point, I believe it would be fair to say that I have built my case for being elected on the general notion of providing stable leadership and good governance. 

My personal belief is that when a person’s politics are on display at the board table, they only serve themselves. I suppose it is a bit of a paradox. On one hand, the role of a school board could not be simpler: provide sound governance and make decisions that are in the best interest of our students. Unfortunately, those decisions are made by people.  The events displayed at the last school board meeting, on July 20th, are a textbook case of this paradox in action…

We are back!

Then again, did we ever really leave? It feels like it was only yesterday that I was writing my thank you post to all of you for the effort, appreciation, generosity, and the hundreds of other ways you lifted up my campaign. There are still moments when this can’t possibly feel real, but it is!

And now I’m asking every one of you to help all… over… again…

Because one year in this role has not been nearly enough. It is going to take all of the help I received last year, plus a whole lot extra, if I hope to be re-elected. Tempting as it may be to dust off last year’s campaign playbook, I am certain this will be considerably different in nearly every way imaginable…

This is it, folks. I promise, the first stanza of The Road Not Taken is as heavy-handed as I will get. I’ll spare everyone a philosophical dissertation of this experience, but I admit I struggled mightily on how I wanted to close out this campaign. Unlike the poem, I do not get to choose the direction I go. That is up to the voters.

Yet, I suppose that isn’t entirely true. If it turns out that I am unsuccessful in being elected, does that really change the ultimate goal of supporting our district? Of course not.

We all knew a blog on finance was inevitable. The topic is a constant presence, hanging over any discussion about the district like a dark cloud. Of course, we can all agree that this is necessary and both Jon and I have been clear about how we view the situation. I am on the record as saying this is not an expense problem, it is a revenue problem. On the other hand, Jon has said that it is both a revenue and expense problem. To illustrate this point, the image below (hereafter referred to as ‘Comparison Report’) was shared by his campaign.

I’ve repeatedly heard that this job is about being able to ask the tough questions. But that practice doesn’t stop at district leadership, staff, or teachers. These tough questions must also be directed toward our board of directors.

With reports over the weekend of staff reductions at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation, it is important to recognize how our district supports students with disabilities and their families. As a father of a child who has been diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and anxiety disorder, special education is incredibly close to my heart. Disability rights have never been foreign to me, but you have a fundamentally different understanding once you experience it within your family. 

Though we received his diagnosis only recently, we recognized early on that he would need additional support. Starting at 18 months, he was enrolled in programs to nurture his growth and development. We reached out to the county for services, but he didn't qualify, so we paid privately and continued that after moving to Prior Lake. 

There is something special about homecoming. It’s more than a football game or a dance. It’s the moment when the entire community gathers—parents, grandparents, alumni, and students—sharing the same bleachers, cheering for the same team, and celebrating the same schools.

As an alumnus, I remember that pride. It’s what inspired me to return to this district with my two kids. I wanted them to grow up in a place where schools are more than classrooms, they are the heartbeat of the community. They are where children discover who they are, what they can achieve, and how they’re connected to something bigger than themselves. That sense of tradition and belonging is part of what makes this district special.