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[Author’s note: All views expressed by Brigid Ernst in this article are hers and hers alone and are not representative of the views of the Southeast Polk School Board.]

Politics and schools have a complicated relationship to say the least. Whether it is on the issue of racial segregation (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954), or teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in 2022, politics and education are intertwined. However, for newly elected Southeast Polk School District board member Brigid Ernst, the hope is to create a school environment focused less on politics and partisanship, and more on acceptance and education. 

Ernst’s resume in education is quite impressive. Beyond her new position as a board member, she has worked as a completion coach at Grand View University, a substitute teacher, and a long time member of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA).

Through the years, she has cultivated many relationships that cross the political aisle in the name of better resources and opportunities for students. While KCCI reports that Ernst won her seat on the board with mostly democratic support, Ernst herself feels as though this is misleading and a misrepresentation of the many independent voters in the Des Moines Metro area.

“There are lots of people from the area who would consider themselves more independent than one party or another,” Ernst said. “ I know they don’t necessarily always vote the same way but because of the years that I established relationships and trust that I was able to get that crossover.”

Her coworker at GV, Dani Gronek, reiterated the sentiment that Ernst has done well at remaining neutral.

“I think everything is politically charged right now, which can be a challenge, but she’s handled it gracefully and has her views on things but still tries to remain neutral in the sense of serving the community,” Gronek said. “But she’s also not afraid to speak out on things if that’s what she thinks is right.”

While no stranger to politics, Ernst put an emphasis on pushing past the distractions of partisanship in order to build relationships and focus on issues that meet common goals and put the student first.

“She is super personable, she is super caring for all of her students; always putting the students first before anyone else,” Gronek said.

Ernst’s job as a board member is to govern and oversee the big picture.

“I feel like the overall goal of students being successful, increasing graduation rates and academic achievement, increasing the metrics that we have; that should be the goal of anyone, that should really be the goal of the board,” Ernst said.

While it may seem as though Ernst is taking a relatively hands-off approach, she makes it clear that she sees issues such as CRT to be both relevant to discuss, but also an issue which overall is more distracting than not.

 “I think having that [the role of the board], when people come forward with social issues, I feel like it’s distracting to the overall goal, and they are not necessarily where the board’s focus should be,” Ernst said.

One of the most pressing issues in recent times due to the pandemic has been mental health; an issue on which Ernst put a key focus on during her campaign. According to a study done by Holly Wilcox, PHD, MA, professor of mental health at John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and her team, during the COVID-19 pandemic over 50% of teenagers have reported an either great or moderate increase in changes, stress, and problems. Additionally, the study returned results that a subset of participants experienced either a “great deal (19%)” or “moderate (17%)” increase in depression.

This comes alongside large numbers of students reporting changes in eating habits and sleep behavior. Ernst made it clear that the issue is one that is at the forefront of her mind and does not have a one-size-fits-all solution.

“That’s the big question and that’s my background educationally. My bachelors is in Psychology, I went to Drake University and I’ve always had a bend towards mental health and counseling. I wanted to make sure I was advocating for that [mental health issues] in the schools. Do I have a great answer? No, but I do know it’s on the radar everywhere and we have great resources and they [Southeast Polk County Schools] have increased a lot of their teacher development,” Ernst said. “Mental health first aid is a course being offered for professional development. I think that’s not something there’s a magic answer or a set of solutions to. I think there’s a set of a lot of solutions; we have to keep looking at it carefully and taking it seriously.”

However, students are not the only ones facing mental health issues. Ernst, a long time parent and teacher, spoke at length about some of the struggles facing teachers these last few years.

With an increase in parent involvement in the education system, something Ernst greatly encourages, she quotes teachers as feeling “demoralized” and longtime parent members of the PTA being “frustrated” with the actions and agendas of some of the new parents joining the PTA. According to Ernst, teachers want parents to understand that they are on the same team and both want what is best for their students.

Ernst understands that politics, partisanship, and COVID-19 related issues are all a part of the education system as it currently stands. However, she firmly believes that with teamwork and proper resources, Southeast Polk has the staff and students to affect change, improve mental health, and create a safe learning environment for everyone.