Natasha Yates

Why are you running for office?

I am running for the Red Wing School Board because I believe every student deserves an education that prepares them not only for academic success, but for life. Effective education teaches communication skills, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, citizenship, and compassion — skills that help young people thrive now and in the future.

Our district has many strengths worth celebrating. Programs like the Winger Flight Paths, along with a wide range of extracurricular activities, clubs, and athletics, give students meaningful opportunities to explore their interests and grow.

At the same time, our schools face real challenges. Students are experiencing increasing mental health needs. Achievement gaps persist, reflected in low test scores. And our district is working within a budget that is stretched thin. These issues affect students, families, and staff, and they require thoughtful, collaborative, and informed leadership.

I am seeking election to the school board because I care deeply about public education and the well‑being of all students. With experience as an educator, parent, volunteer, and community member, I want to help strengthen our schools, support our staff, and ensure that every student in Red Wing has access to high‑quality learning and a supportive environment.

What experiences have prepared you to serve effectively in this role?

Teaching

I began my career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Botswana, teaching science and English Language Learners at the middle and high school levels, and coached track. After earning my MA and teaching license, I taught for seven years at the United Nations International School (UNIS) in Manhattan, working with diverse student populations as a 5th-grade homeroom and middle school science teacher. At UNIS, I developed science curricula, ran the annual 8th grade science fair, created and advised the 7th grade Plate Tectonics Club. I also served on the School Finance Committee for the European Council of International Schools Accreditation. 

Returning to Minnesota, I taught middle school science in Eden Prairie ISD #272 and served on many committees. After moving to Red Wing, I volunteered extensively in the Red Wing schools, in classrooms, served on district committees, chaperoned field trips, and led Junior Great Books at Sunnyside. In recent years, I have participated on the District Advisory Committee. I also spent over a decade as an education professor at St. Catherine University, preparing future educators to teach integrated STEM and general education.

Board and Community Leadership

My governance experience includes eight years on the Red Cottage Montessori School Board and nine years on the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center Board. I currently serve on the Red Wing Public Library Board.

My career has been dedicated to fostering student growth, supporting families, and strengthening school systems. I believe in transparent governance, inclusive learning environments, and decisions grounded in evidence and community values.

What are your top three priorities if elected?

1. I'd like to see cursive brought back into the curriculum. Both left leaning and right leaning education policy organizations advocate for teaching cursive in elementary schools as cognitive research shows that learning and using cursive results in emotional, educational, and cognitive benefits. Cursive handwriting improves memory retention, attention to detail and hand-eye coordination. Research indicates that cursive handwriting improves composition skills and improves reading skills.

2.  I believe every student deserves to feel safe, supported, and like they truly belong in our schools. When students feel valued and connected, they are better able to learn and thrive. I am committed to equity, all students deserve a high-quality education

3. A challenge facing youth today are mental health struggles that impact learning, such as anxiety, depression, and distractions that impact focus and attention spans. Policies are in place to help with this, but more can be done. Research indicates learning in nature improves mental and physical health, social skills, test scores, self-esteem, and emotional connections to each other and nature. Our district schools sit on 342 acres of land, rich with nature. Sunnyside Elementary, Twin Bluff Middle School, and Red Wing High School all have existing outdoor classrooms. I advocate extended use of the existing outdoor learning environments that are part of the Red Wing schools.

How do plan to address your top priorities?

1. Cursive fell out of public school curriculums beginning when the 2010 Common Core education standards did not require cursive as a standard. There are 25 states that require cursive to be taught in the schools. Some of those states never abandoned teaching cursive, some have reinstated it. As many teachers and college professors are navigating the use of AI by students, instructors are returning to requiring students to handwrite exams, quizzes to ensure students actually know the material. Printing is a slower form of handwriting than cursive, which can matter when taking a test in a blue book. I would advocate that cursive be reinstated in the schools.

2. This goal would require looking at what is happening in the schools that result in students  not feeling safe or belonging and ensuring appropriate actions are taken to meet the needs of children. Student surveys could be developed to get at the heart of what they feel and want changed.

3. Professional development to empower teachers to use the natural world on school grounds to teach what they are already teaching. I've provided this type of professional development in the past and would be happy to provide PD in the district.

What do you believe is the greatest challenge facing the people you hope to represent?

Reading is a window into every subject. It is a complex ability and takes years to master. There has been a drop in reading scores across income, geographic, and racial divides in the United States including here in Red Wing. Improved literacy improves self-esteem, enhances communication ability, enables better problem-solving skills, results in higher employment rates, productivity and economic growth. Developing students' reading skills must be a priority.

Public service requires collaboration. How would you work with individuals who hold different viewpoints?

We must listen to each other. Not simply wait our turn to talk, but listen with an open mind to understand someone else's perspective. Communication is everything, listen but also ask questions and always remain respectful. We can learn from each other's viewpoints to develop solutions together that we may not get to by ourselves.

How will you communicate with and remain accessible to your constituents? 

The school board meetings are open to the public and each member has an email. I am happy to discuss school/district issues with the public and want to stay in touch with what people want from the schools and what they feel is working well in the schools. We are a school district and not everyone has the same priorities or expectations. It is important to understand where people are coming from.

At the end of your term, what accomplishments would define success?

Children / teens spending more of the school day learning outdoors. Students graduating with solid reading skills and the ability to read and write in cursive. Success would also be felt if I was able to help improve things others prioritize for the schools, the school board is a team. As team players success would be providing the district with support with what is working well and providing what is needed all in a fiscally responsible manner.

Tell voters something about yourself outside of politics.

I spend a lot of time outdoors. I enjoy bird‑watching down at Bay Point Park, and when my husband and I travel, I often have a bird guide of the area in hand. I enjoy hiking the bluffs, and up in the Superior National Forest. I love kayaking on quiet lakes, I'm not hitting river rapids, but I also like kayaking on Lake Superior.

I serve on the Red Wing Public Library Board of Trustees, which fits perfectly with how much I love to read and how strongly I believe in the role of libraries in a community.

And at the center of everything, I have three adult children whom I absolutely adore.