1616 Buchanan St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413
phone: 612.788.9095
fax: 612.788.9079
www.yinghuaacademy.org
2011 Yinghua Academy School Board Candidates
The following individuals are standing for election to the Yinghua Academy School Board, for
terms running June, 2011 through June, 2014. Voters will have the opportunity to meet and
hear from the candidates at the Annual Meeting of the School on Monday, June 6, 2011 at 7:00
PM in the Yinghua Academy cafeteria.
There are currently four vacancies on the School Board to be filled by this election, and the
official ballots will be sent to eligible voters by May 20th. Ballots will be accepted into the office
by mail or drop-off, or can be returned during the Annual Meeting of the School. All ballots
received in the Yinghua Academy office by 5 pm on Wednesday, June 8 will be considered and
counted.
Five parent representatives and one licensed teacher representative comprise the continuing
Yinghua Academy School Board. According to the bylaws of the School Board, in compliance
with state statute, the Yinghua Academy Board follows the 1/1/1 governance model, where at
least one member on the school board must be a licensed teacher working at the school, one
member must be the parent/guardian of a currently enrolled student, and one member must
be an outside community member who is neither employed by the school nor a
parent/guardian of a child currently attending Yinghua Academy. This election, an outside
community member will need to be elected to meet governance model requirements. In
accord with bylaws, candidates on the ballot will be segregated by category of board
membership and identified as community member, teacher and parent/guardian.
The Nominating Committee of the School Board has identified needs for board members with
experience in these areas: Chinese language and culture learning and immersion education, real
estate, law, finance, HR and management, educational policy, and/or legislative experience.
Overview of Candidates and Affiliations
Community Members:
Rosemary Lawrence, EdD, Retired Principal, XinXing Academy/Eisenhower School, Hopkins
Public Schools. Currently Adjunct Professor, Hamline University and St. Mary’s University with a
focus on curriculum, data use and assessment, and Critical Coach for the MN Principal Academy
at the University of Minnesota
Joel O’Malley, Attorney, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Sue Roemer Feely, Human Resources Manager, Best Buy Co.
Pangyen (Ben) Weng, (incumbent, seated January, 2011) Assistant Professor of Mathematics,
Metropolitan State University
Licensed Teachers:
Lou Bender, Substitute Teacher and Enrichment Music Teacher, Yinghua Academy;
Collaborative Facilitator, Camp Fire USA
Ruth Hansen, English Language Arts teacher, Yinghua Academy
Parents/Guardians:
Maryann Choy, (incumbent, seated June, 2008), School Board Secretary for Yinghua Academy
Michelle Kim, Director of Business Development, MomCorps Staffing
Karen Lu, Architect, VJAA, Inc.
Kirt Schaper, Senior Programmer/Analyst, National Marrow Donor Program
Candidate Statements
Community Members:
Rosemary Lawrence
I have been involved in education for many years and have had many wonderful opportunities
to positively impact the lives of students. As a principal for sixteen years, I am knowledgeable
about educational policy and the role of administrators and school board members. In my final
three years as principal, I started the Chinese immersion program (XinXing) as a magnet
program within the Hopkins Public Schools. This involved planning and implementing decisions
related to marketing, hiring, budgeting, curriculum, facility use and supervision. During this
time, I also worked closely with the Confucius institute managing grant dollars, designing
cultural initiatives and supporting guest teachers from China. I was fortunate to participate in
three trips to China as part of the Hanban Bridge delegations to see first-hand the cultural and
educational experiences of students in China. Through my experiences with XinXing, I have
developed a passion for Chinese immersion as a model of education that has shown to be very
beneficial to students.
Since retiring two years ago, I have been involved with the Minnesota Principal Academy at the
University of Minnesota working directly with principals in both public and charter schools to
address improvement initiatives. I have also been teaching classes at St. Mary’s University and
Hamline University as part of their principal licensure programs. These opportunities have
allowed me to stay involved in my profession in less than a full time manner and to continue to
positively influence educational practice.
I believe I have several attributes that would be beneficial to the Yinghua School Board.
Because of my work experience, I have a solid knowledge of Minnesota policy and legislation.
My work and training in immersion education has come from several sources:
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Developing and leading XinXing Academy in Hopkins,
Attending immersion training at the CARLA institute at the University of Minnesota,
Co-authoring a FLAP grant to integrate STEM curriculum into the Chinese program,
Writing and managing a Confucius Institute grant for three years.
One of my greatest pleasures as a principal was working with parents and ensuring that
everyone felt valued and heard. I believe communication is an essential skill for anyone in a
leadership position. Serving on a School Board, it is essential to be good at both listening and
sharing information.
Having worked in Education for many years, I always enjoyed helping to foster partnerships
between families, educators and communities. The importance of building positive
relationships and drawing on the expertise of everyone in a school system is essential to
success. Enthusiasm, optimism and a desire to be “part of a team” are also important skills for
School Board members. I believe my work, family and life experiences have helped me to gain
these skills and qualities.
Yinghua Academy is a young program, still taking shape. This is an exciting time to be involved
in helping the school as it moves forward. There are challenges and opportunities that come
with building a dynamic Chinese immersion school. There are not many existing programs to
draw guidance from. I would welcome the opportunity to be involved, as a member of the
School Board, in supporting the work of the families, staff, students, administration and other
School Board members in helping Yinghua Academy become an exemplary Chinese immersion
school, a leader for others to follow, not just in the near future but for years to come.
Joel O’Malley
I am an attorney at Dorsey & Whitney LLP where I specialize in employment and labor law. I
advise clients, from small businesses to multinational corporations, on all aspects of the
employment relationship, including hiring, performance evaluations, discipline, and discharge
decisions. I also assist human resources professionals and in-house legal counsel in drafting
employment contracts, non-competition agreements, severance agreements, employment
handbooks, and other policies. I have counseled clients about negotiating with labor unions,
adhering to FLMA and workplace leave requirements, preventing sexual harassment, and
ensuring that employees are paid timely and correctly.
Before law school I earned a Masters degree in Political Science. During law school and
graduate school, I taught political science and communications courses to graduate and
undergraduate students. I studied two languages – Russian and Spanish – in high school (but
have since forgotten most of it!).
I have traveled abroad extensively, including Europe, Mexico, and Asia, and I studied abroad
during college, living in a Pakistani immigrant neighborhood in Leicester, England. Since my
wife and I adopted our middle child from China, I have been committed to providing a
international focused education for my children. I believe Yinghua Academy is truly unique,
and I am excited about the possibilities and benefits from immersion education.
I understand that a background in both law and human resources are currently critical needs of
the Yinghua Academy School Board, particularly in light of the recent and upcoming changes
surrounding the Executive Director position. I believe my legal expertise and connections with
Minnesota’s second largest law firm would offer a unique contribution to meet those needs. I
can assist the Board by offering an attorney’s perspective to its decisionmaking, including legal
expertise on employment relations, employment policies, job descriptions, and employment
agreements. My expertise would probably be most useful on the Organizational Effectiveness
or Personnel Committees.
My wife Clare was born and raised in Hawai’i. Clare’s parents are both elementary school
teachers. Our son will attend Yinghua this fall, followed in future years by his two younger
sisters.
Sue Roemer Feely
The mission of Yinghua Academy of preparing our kids to be engaged and productive global
citizens resonates with me for a few reasons. First, my oldest son is currently a kindergartener
at a Spanish Immersion School. He has achieved so much value from the experience in just one
year. As we become increasingly integrated in the world through social media, ease of travel,
business, etc, it is critical for our children know how to wear a global lens. Building
understanding of different cultures at an early age will provide a great advantage as the kids
move into the work world as responsible adults.
Second, in my role as an HR Manager at Best Buy Co Inc a key challenge we are facing today is
how to become a global integrated company. As HR, part of our challenge is to help people
understand and appreciate other cultures. Also, to expand our traditional US focused lens. It’s
not an easy task. Building this lens as children is a key drive of future success.
Third, I am currently active on the PTO at Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion School in Eden
Prairie and enjoy being able to help enhance and broaden the mission of the school. I would
like to further contribute to other institutions that focus on developing our children.
My over 15 years experience in Human Resources can be a valuable asset to the Board. My
current role is to help business leaders drive their business results through effective use of the
talent. We focus on how to best engage our employees and position them in a place where
they can leverage their strengths and get energy from their work. This skill around talent
effectiveness and employee experience can help the administration better engage their
employees. I also bring legal experience from 2 years of practicing employment law at
Fredikson and Byron, PA. that will help ensure the school has solid employment policies and
practices. I am happy to provide my resume or more information.
Thank you for your consideration.
Pangyen (Ben) Weng
I am currently assistant professor of mathematics at Metropolitan State University. A native
Taiwanese, I came from a family of educators, received my doctoral degree from U of M, and
have been teaching at the college level for seven years.
I am running for a seat on Yinghua’s school board because of my interest in educating students
in the Chinese language and in engaging students in the Chinese culture. I am acquainted with
multiple Yinghua families and their children, I am intrigued by Yinghua’s role in involving our
community in its cultural activities, and I believe I can contribute to Yinghua’s mission with my
background in Chinese, science and education.
Having served on Yinghua’s School Board (as a replacement) since January 2011, I have learned
about how Yinghua operates, its ongoing strategic planning, its search of a new site, its
recruitment of new faculty and training of present staff, fund-raising, and other activities. Of all
the challenges Yinghua faces, I would help Yinghua in its curriculum and instruction.
If elected, I would like to help Yinghua further its academic goals. I firmly believe that Yinghua’s
success is defined by its performance in all academic fields instead of Chinese immersion alone.
Yinghua currently faces challenges in its middle school curriculum, and a rising demand of focus
on STEM (Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics). I would work with the experts at
Yinghua to discover the best practice for Yinghua and its teachers.
If elected, I would also help better orient Yinghua’s teachers in American classrooms. As a
professional instructor for many years in a different culture, I can totally relate to possible
confusion and cultural shock experienced by many new teachers. I would lend them my
experience, and provide with them my support. In that regard, I can be a mentor from outside
the school.
As the Twin Cities community becomes more and more motivated in learning Chinese language
and Chinese culture, Yinghua will face more and more challenges from competing programs.
For Yinghua to continue its success, it has to be outstanding in every aspect, beyond its
language immersion goals. As a current board member, I feel Yinghua’s board and
administration are moving towards the right direction, and I would like to keep participating in
it.
Licensed Teachers:
Lou Bender
I, Lou Bender, have more than three decades of youth development, education, and non-profit
experience based in local communities. My adult vocational life began with ten years of multilevel teaching experience as a music specialist, covering an age range from preschool through
college. As Executive Director of S.T.A.I.R. (Start the Adventure in Reading), a literacy program
for 2nd and 3rd grade students from New Orleans housing project schools, I gained my first
professional experience working with a Board of Directors, working with various members and
the board as a whole on every aspect of transforming the organization from a fledgling
grassroots movement to a viable and sustainable multi-state organization. My board
experience since that time includes:
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Northrop Environmental Learning Center - Site Council Community Member
Minnesota Council of Churches – Personal Committee Member
Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area – Executive Search Committee Member
Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis – Chair of the Board
Presbyterian Church of the Way, Shoreview – Chair of the Board
First Presbyterian Church, Bentonville, AR – Vice Chair of the Board
Mother-to-Mother (a non-profit serving high-needs single mothers) – Board Member,
Chair of the Board
University of Arkansas United Campus Ministry Board - Advisory Council Member
My Friends and Me Nursery School – Board Member
In nearly 20 years of professional faith community work, I have specialized in pastoral roles with
congregations in transition, and gained a wealth of understanding and skill at working with a
variety of opinions and options in productive ways. During every one of those twenty years, I
have managed financial matters, communications challenges, personnel issues, volunteer
support, program and personnel evaluation, and a variety of personal and confidential
information. I am a trained mediator with additional work in family and organizational systems.
Currently, I work for Camp Fire USA as facilitator for the East Side Network Café, a collaborative
network of youth-serving organizations on the East Side of St Paul. My current professional
commitments also include weekend pastoral leadership for a small congregation in Medford,
MN and employment as music enrichment teacher and licensed short-call substitute teacher at
Yinghua Academy. My volunteer work with the Girl Scouts also brings me into the Yinghua
building to work with both adults and children in a popular multi-level troop.
All of the Benders have been active at Yinghua since it opened; Margaret is finishing third
grade, and Elizabeth is finishing fifth with the “pioneer” full immersion class. I helped set up
the library and the parent list serve, volunteered for several years with Yinghua’s Art People
partnership with the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and a number of shorter term commitments.
I am a life-long supporter of quality public education for all children, and dedicated to
collaboration between parents, staff, and board to achieve the best that Yinghua has to offer.
Ruth Hansen
My name is Ruth Hansen. I am currently the 2nd and 3rd grade English teacher at Yinghua
Academy. Next year will be my second year teaching at Yinghua in this capacity. I have come
back to teaching after being a stay-at-home mom for the past 11 years. I have thoroughly
enjoyed being back in the classroom and all the challenges that come along with the teaching
profession. I face each day with the opportunity to help children and this makes teaching the
most exciting job to have.
I currently hold a Minnesota Teaching License in K – 6 Elementary Education. I have a Master of
Arts, Elementary Education degree from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. My previous
teaching experience includes Scammon Elementary Chicago Public School (1994 – 1995) and
then a suburban school, Washington Elementary in Mundelein, Illinois (1995 – 2001). I have
pursued a wide variety of professional development opportunities including Gifted / L.D.
Instruction (Levels 1 & 2), Performance-Based Assessment, Strategies for the Multiage
Classroom, Integrated & Thematic Training, Northeastern Illinois Assessment Consortium, and
Multiple Intelligence Training. Additional professional accomplishments include mentoring for
new grade level colleagues; facilitating district Performance-Based Assessment staff training;
serving as a member of district Spelling, Science, Math, and Professional Development Teams to
research, develop, introduce, and implement new programming and multiage/looping. I was
part of the School-Wide Portfolio team, and member of first and third grade teams, which
wrote and received grants for the implementation of Snails & Tails Rainforest Project and Space
Simulation Center for extensions to the respective curriculums, and planned and facilitated the
Family Science Night to promote the understanding of a new Science curriculum to the families
at our school. I also was nominated for the Disney’s American Teacher Award – honoring
creativity in the classroom.
Before being totally immersed in the classroom again, I have had many volunteer positions both
at Yinghua Academy and in other organizations. I have co-chaired the carnival, helped to start
the volunteer coordinators position, been a classroom coordinator, helped in the library,
tutored small groups of students to prep them for the MCA’s, supervised recess and lunch,
helped at Chinese New Year, implemented the Artistic Partnership in various classrooms,
helped with field days and co-chaired the nourishment team. When not helping at Yinghua, I
have also been the hospitality person at CDLC preschool and St. Mary Magdalene Luther
Church.
I am passionate about helping children. I truly believe all children desire a positive educational
experience. I want to use my passion, classroom experience and educational background to
further enhance the opportunities our children have here at Yinghua Academy.
Before moving to Minnesota, 8 years ago, my husband, two children and myself lived in
Mundelein, Illinois. We currently live in Savage, Minnesota. Our children, Cole and Maya
Hansen also attend Yinghua Academy. Cole is in the sixth grade and Maya is in fourth grade.
Parents/Guardians:
Maryann Choy
I am interested in serving on Yinghua Academy’s School Board to continue our commitment in
making Yinghua successful. In the three years that I have served on the School Board, I have
shared my skills and knowledge of organization, data analysis and project management in the
following capacities:
- participated on the Facilities Committee to find our current location
- coordinated the move from the old facility to the current location including minor building
renovations and new service contracts
- helped with setting up the library system and cataloging books
- welcomed new teachers and staff by coordinating volunteers to help them find an
apartment, move-in, shop, attend city events and holiday parties
- functioning as Board Secretary since September 2010
- assessing the school’s information system and supporting expanded use
- leading the technology team to define and resource the school’s technology master plan
I look forward to supporting our strategic planning efforts from which the school will define its
new leadership. I will help Yinghua’s new leadership transition the strategic plan into reality
through my skills in information systems, organization and project management.
Serving on the School Board requires a significant amount of time that I am willing to commit
for the mission of Yinghua Academy. I am grateful that our students have this unique
opportunity to become truly bilingual and that I can be a part of it. I hope that I can continue to
grow with Yinghua Academy and that Yinghua Academy continues to be a leader in Chinese
immersion education.
Michelle Kim
My name is Michelle Kim and I am interested in serving on the Yinghua School Board because I
am invested for at least the next 8 years and committed to make my kid’s education the best
experience possible. One of my strengths as a maximizer is “polishing the pearl” which means
that I like to transform something strong into something superb. We have an amazing school,
but there is so much constantly going on that sometimes we forget to “polish” the gem we
already have in place. I believe that we have a school community that brings a variety of
individual strengths and talents and in identifying those people we can each contribute a piece
to making Yinghua shine. As a classroom coordinator for the past 2 years I have been able to
connect with our classroom parents and if there are common themes of concern, bring those
issues forward for further attention.
I am currently Director of Business Development for a recruiting and staffing firm called “Mom
Corps.” I enjoy networking to help people find great jobs, and try to help find those positions
which might help to instill a better work/life balance when possible. I believe it is through
connecting, whether for work or outside out of work, creates relationships where we can build
on common values and goals. As a parent at Yinghua, I want to help build our school
community and partner together on achieving those goals.
Prior to working for Mom Corps, I worked in an interim position for almost a year as a Director
of Community Life at my church while also serving on our elder board for 4 years. I was the
committee chair for the nominating committee, and spent many hours in our strategic planning
process whereby we were trying to define how to form 1 church out of 2 campus locations with
2 separate preaching pastors. I am familiar with having to think “out of the box” and how
important the relationships and personalities are in creating an executive team. Outside of
working at my church, I have been an outside sales representative for several companies, most
recently working at ADP selling HR, time and attendance and payroll solutions . I gained great
insight from working with the CEO’s, CFO’s CIO’s and HR/payroll leaders in the challenges these
organizations were fronted with across a variety of industries and enjoyed finding solutions to
help minimize some of their pain. My husband and I also have had our residential realtor
licenses on the side, as well, primarily for our own rental properties but also helping a few
other people along the way in their own home purchases. I tend to not let the grass grow
under my feet and enjoy jumping in to help when needed.
My biggest concern right now for Yinghua is finding our new school director. Having gone
through several years of strategic planning and part of that planning being a new hire, I
understand the gravity of how critical this hire will be. The fit has to not only be good on paper,
but it also has to be a fit with our current staff and school community. I do a lot of interviewing
for my role as a recruiter and have learned how to nail down to some of those issues that aren’t
always so easy to identify with a routine set of standard questions which often lead to standard
“pat” answers. We need to dig down as deep as we can to identify the right fit for the
successful future of Yinghua.
My other concern for our school is what we are going to do for more space... where will we be
and will it be one or two locations? I want to learn what all of the options are and get a better
feel of how any change could affect our families. How will this affect people in wanting to stay
a part of the whole K-8 school system? I would hope to help be a voice for a careful and
thorough process in light of how these changes could affect our student body.
My final area of concern is in helping our teachers to ensure they have the tools, skills and
proper accreditation credits needed. We know that we have excellent teachers but know that
other schools are trying to replicate what we have going. We need to make sure our teachers
have all they need to ensure their success and a strong program to ensure the success of our
children.
Karen Lu
Biography
Karen Lu is a Senior Associate and Architect at VJAA, Inc. in Minneapolis, which was selected as
one of the top 50 architecture firms in the United States for 2010 by Architect magazine. She
has been with the firm since 2001. Karen’s twelve years of experience in architectural practice
includes project management, planning, programming, design, and construction administration.
As a Senior Associate, Karen is involved in all aspects of the firm’s management, including
strategic planning, financial planning, day-to-day financial management, and human resources.
She previously worked with Selldorf Architects in New York City. In addition, Karen has four
years of experience in the field of risk management consulting, reconstructing and analyzing
historic liability insurance.
Educated at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, Karen received her Master of
Architecture degree in 1998, and graduated magna cum laude from the University of
Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in Design of the Environment from the College of Arts and
Sciences, and with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from The Wharton School of Business in
1990. She has taught at the University of Minnesota part-time and is also active in AIA
Minnesota, an organization that supports the architecture profession. In 2010, Karen was
selected to participate in the AIA Minnesota inaugural Leadership Forum Program.
Karen is an advocate for educating children to be part of a global community. Both of her
parents are native Chinese speakers and college professors. Karen grew up in central Minnesota
and has traveled since youth to both Europe and Asia, including all major cities in China. As a
junior in high school, Karen spent a year in Austria studying and traveling. Karen and her
husband, Carl Gauley, have served on the Yinghua Facilities Committee since June 2008. Karen,
Carl, their six-year old Yinghua kindergartener, and four-year old preschooler are residents of
Southwest Minneapolis.
Why are you interested in serving on the Yinghua Academy School Board?
As a practicing Architect in the community and a Yinghua parent, I am acutely aware of the
importance the built environment has on education and learning. I believe my professional
background and past experience on the Yinghua Academy Facilities Committee will be highly
useful to the School Board during a period of continued growth and transition. Securing
facilities is one of the biggest challenges facing charter schools nationwide and Yinghua is no
exception. In addition, my business experience with financial management and strategic
planning will also prove valuable to the board. I strongly support the school’s strategic planning
process and mission of academic rigor and global engagement, and believe that Yinghua’s
policies and facilities should and can reflect these priorities.
What attributes do you bring to the position?
As a member of the Facilities Committee since June 2008, I am committed to Yinghua
Academy’s continued success and helping the school plan for the future. In addition to my
professional skills, I am able to organize and focus on details as well as identify and prioritize
the fundamental issues at hand. My responsibilities have included visiting, researching, and
analyzing facility alternatives, as well as working with Yinghua administration, staff, and board
members to prepare a Facility Needs Assessment. The Needs Assessment ensures effective
planning and is continuously being updated to meet the school’s evolving needs.
What are the issues facing the board are of most interest to you.
The two issues that currently face the board that are of most interest to me are the selection of
a permanent Executive Director and facilities expansion. I am continually impressed with
Yinghua Academy’s leadership and community support and am willing to work hard to maintain
the high standards the school has achieved. Also, current expectations are that Yinghua
Academy will require facilities expansion. Creating the best plan for the expansion of Yinghua’s
facilities is a formidable task. It is important to research and analyze all options to determine
the best long-term solution. In addition to finding a solution that meets square footage
and location requirements, additional issues that need to be addressed include developing
flexible spaces, maintaining high standards for technology, and addressing issues of
environmental quality and sustainability. I believe that Yinghua’s facilities should be
approached with a long-term vision that is in keeping with its mission statement to provide
students a nurturing and supportive school environment.
Kirt Schaper
I have been involved with Yinghua from the very early days, when it was an idea and interested
parents were meeting in community rooms in libraries. I have a daughter in 5 th grade. I am
interested in serving on the board for a variety of reasons. Primarily, it seems to me that some
of the joy and/or school spirit has left Yinghua and I would like to help bring it back. I see some
critical needs that the board and the Yinghua community need to address in the near future
and in the long-range future and I have energy around these issues and a willingness to put in
the time. I will describe the 3 most prominent issues I see, recognizing that there are many
other areas that also need to be addressed.
First, I feel we need to establish a long-term solution to our physical building and location
needs. I remember the days when the first building on Pierce Butler seemed vast, and then it
quickly seemed like we were overflowing. And I remember the heady feeling when we moved
into our current building which now feels like we are overflowing. I know the board is currently
working on this area and I think it is the top priority.
Next, we need to sort out the long-term administration of the school. We currently have an
interim director, we need to establish a permanent, long-term director that the students and
parents can count on and feel a stable learning environment. The principal or executive
director, or whatever that person is called, serves as the face and main identity of the school,
and this is a critical need.
Finally, I think we (the parent community) need to establish a process and a relation with the
board that helps to decouple the board from more day-to-day school operations, and allows
the board to focus it's efforts on the long-term for Yinghua. I think the current strategic
planning process is a vital and necessary part of that process. We are in a transition period,
both in light of the administration change this year, but also as a natural outcome of our growth
and organizational age. We are leaving the start-up, entrepreneurial phase, and transitioning
into a stable educational institution.
My work background has been mainly in academic research, I am currently working for a large
medical non-profit organization. I have been on various boards for non-profit organizations,
including serving on a board going through a very trying time with a transition from a founding
leader. I know the work required, and I know the positive feeling from working to strengthen an
organization that I truly believe in.