One Misson. Many Paths.
One Misson. Many Paths.
“Creating Opportunities that Ignite the Passion, Capability,
and Potential of Each and Every Scholar”
Tanya Prince, ISD279 School Board Chair
Welcome! Thank you for electing me to serve as one of your ISD279 School Board Directors for the term ending December 31, 2022, and Dec 31, 2026. Serving our district and community is an honor and a great responsibility that I never take lightly.
In 2018, I ran for school board because I believed we had a strong school district with a foundation to accelerate and build upon. Now, after nearly 8 years, I continue to believe this and see our strength in curriculum, career pathways, extra-curriculars, and community support.
My vision continues to center on ensuring our district is the preferred choice for parents, scholars, and teachers. I envision a future for our district in which every child’s unique skills and capabilities are nurtured and enriched through variety, engagement, and educational innovation. I envision a district culture in which teachers are encouraged to experiment, pilot, and bring forward their best ideas every day. This has been the core of my work as a board member and the voice I bring to every board meeting, work session, and public event. Our strategic plan is a starting point for this vision, and it centers on creating a culture of excellence, creativity, and integrity, while focusing on the intrinsic value and potential within each of us.
Over my time on the board, I have consistently worked to accelerate the strengths of our district, including the variety of our educational choices, exceptional facilities, robust community partnerships, and strong fiscal stewardship, while addressing the areas that need improvement such as the achievement gap among multiple demographics and the gap in outcomes among some of our schools. I have continually focused on clear goals and actions and evaluated decisions from a scholar-centered perspective.
As community members, parents, scholars, and educators, we all share in our district’s mission “To inspire and prepare all scholars with the confidence, courage, and competence to achieve their dreams; contribute to community; and engage in a lifetime of learning.” In evaluating our current environment, our partnership across all stakeholders is more critical than ever before. We must serve together in this mission. We must accept accountability for the role we each serve to ensure we create a culture of excellence within our district, in our homes, and in our community. Through this, it is essential that we understand that our scholars each have their own story and their own path to accomplish their individual success story. Thank you for electing me to serve a second term. Together, I believe that our district can build on its unique set of educational opportunities to support each scholar on their path to achieving their dreams.
Sincerely,
Tanya Prince (formerly Simons)
Meet Tanya
I am a mom, a business professional, an entrepreneur, and a community volunteer. I became a Brooklyn Park resident with my very first home in 2002 and have been an active member of the Brooklyn Park and larger district community since.
I grew up in Bemidji, MN. I am the proud daughter of two amazing parents who made me who I am today. My dad was a Navy veteran and truck driver, devoting himself to providing for our family. My mom immigrated to the US from Mexico as a young adult, raised us as a stay-at-home mom, and lived out her own career dream as a Head Start teacher. My parents instilled in me the confidence and courage to pursue my dreams – and are still doing so today.
As a young person, I began to live out my dreams, attending the University of Minnesota on an academic scholarship and earning a place on the school’s Big Ten Cross Country Team. I graduated from the Carlson School of Management with a degree in Accounting and later earned my Master’s in Business Administration. I have been blessed to have a fantastic twenty-five-year career in finance, continuous improvement, organizational transformation, and change management at two Minnesota-based Fortune 500 companies.
I’ve always had a passion to teach and coach children of all ages. My first exposure to serving youth was with my mom. As a head start teacher with bilingual skills, my mom was asked to teach a summer program an hour away for the children of migrant workers. I was able to attend with her, and I saw her example of using her skills to serve and fill a need. It was an amazing summer that I had no idea was shaping my life as an adult.
As a college student, I served as a resident advisor for the University of Minnesota’s youth LEAD Program in Business. Shortly after college, I became a track and cross country coach for Saint Paul Public Schools, coaching an amazing group of student-athletes for several years.
As an adult, I have served youth in my local community through volunteering at my church, serving as a Girls on the Run coach, and supporting city and community organizations. I am especially proud to serve through the Rotary Club of Brooklyn Park, most recently as Club and Foundation President, and as an active member of the Maple Grove Lions. I have greatly enjoyed sharing and driving support for our district through my community engagement and network.
While serving is foundational to who I am, my family is my center and my first focus. Together with my fiance, Jack, we have a family of four spanning ages 11-17. We love spending time together and outdoors, and we are in an exciting time in our lives as we come together as a new blended family.
Since an early age, I believed in sharing our stories to encourage, inspire, and walk alongside others. I am proud of my family history, the struggles that shaped who I chose to become, and the opportunities I’ve been both given and had to forge. As I’ve coached, mentored, and communicated with youth, I often share my personal and professional story to encourage the kids I serve to become confident in their own stories and abilities.
I believe that we all have our own stories to share and that when we share our stories with one another, we realize that we have more in common than we often realize and that we have the same shared goals for ourselves and for our kids. While our journeys and stories may be different, we can choose to come alongside one another to reach our goals as a district and as a community.
Leadership - Excellence - Integrity
Organizations & Roles
Rotary Club of Brooklyn Park – Member, 2017-Current, Club President 2024-2025, Foundation President 2025-2026
Maple Grove Lions, Member, 2022-Current
Brooklyn Bridge Alliance, Board Member, 2022-Current
Brooklyn Park Community Foundation – Board Member 2020-2021
Creative Church, Maple Grove – Volunteer, Ministry Programs – 2021-Current
Girls on the Run – Coach, 2020
Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County – Board Member 2018-2019
Brooklyn Park Budget Advisory Commission – Commissioner 2017-2018
Girl Scouts, Parent Volunteer, 2017-2018
Creative Church, Volunteer 2020-Current
Grace Community Church, Brooklyn Park – Women’s and Children’s Ministry 2014-2019
General Mills Hispanic Network – Member and Past Steering Team Member, 2000-2020
General Mills Women in Leadership – Development Series Committee Member 2014-2016
Saint Paul Johnson High School Track & Cross-Country Coach – 2004-2009
Rotary Club of Brooklyn Park – Member, 2017-Current, President 2024-2025
Maple Grove Lions, Member, 2022-Current
Brooklyn Bridge Alliance, Board Member, 2022-Current
Brooklyn Park Community Foundation – Board Member 2020-2021
Creative Church, Maple Grove – Volunteer, Ministry Programs – 2021-Current
Girls on the Run – Coach, 2020
Community Action Partnership of Hennepin County – Board Member 2018-2019
Brooklyn Park Budget Advisory Commission – Commissioner 2017-2018
Girl Scouts, Parent Volunteer, 2017-2018
Creative Church, Volunteer 2020-Current
Grace Community Church, Brooklyn Park – Women’s and Children’s Ministry 2014-2019
General Mills Hispanic Network – Member and Past Steering Team Member, 2000-2020
General Mills Women in Leadership – Development Series Committee Member 2014-2016
Saint Paul Johnson High School Track & Cross-Country Coach – 2004-2009
Bringing our District Together for Students, Staff, & Families
Endorsements
“Tanya demonstrates a heart to serve our district with integrity and thoughtfulness. She always places scholars first, seeking to ensure decisions are focused on preparing them for their futures and positioning them for success.”
— Pahoua XiongParent, Business Leader
“When I bring a concern or an idea to Tanya regarding our special education department, she listens. Tanya makes herself available after hours, on weekends, or anytime to work with educators and parents to provide the best learning environment for ALL scholars. We need her energy, empathy, and strong voice for our scholars.”
— Alison MurphySpeech Language Pathologist, Special Education
“Tanya is a dedicated, professional, and passionate leader. Through her public and private service work, she has demonstrated her ability to not only listen, but to take action to drive results for the young people of our community.”
— Jeff LundeHennepin County Commissioner, Brooklyn Park Mayor 2011-2020, community member
Key Issues
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Over my time on the board, we have continued to use data to invest in the strategies that improve student outcomes while eliminating outdated approaches or fragmented efforts. We listen to our teachers, principals, and instructional leaders, adjusting support where most needed and growing rigorous coursework and career pathways. I know that each and every scholar has the capability to succeed, and it’s our job to create the classrooms and opportunities that unlock their potential and agency.
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Early in my board tenure, I led new values that emphasize honor, integrity, high standards, accountability, belonging, inclusion, creativity, ideas, confidence, transparency, and intrinsic value. Since then, the board has hired amazing leaders who have focused on school climate to ensure scholars, teachers, and staff thrive. We are seeing significant improvement through our stakeholder survey results, academic programs, and incredible building improvements.
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As board chair, I have welcomed the difficult discussions and examination of key issues that need to be addressed. We are creating a culture that encourages constructive challenge and solution-oriented approaches. Our leaders seek transparency and feedback at every level of the organization. Our financial planning processes are open, and our data is accessible to all. We have continued to invest wisely and received strong support from our taxpayers and community.
Be part of the movement for better schools.
Be part of the movement for better schools.
Get involved, stay informed, and help me make a difference.
Get involved, stay informed, and help me make a difference.