The executive director of Building Assets, Reducing Risks and supporters visited the Minnesota State Capitol Feb. 15 to testify during the House Education Finance Committee with Chair Cheryl Youakim (DFL-Hopkins) in support of HF 806, a bipartisan bill requesting funding that would allow 30 additional Minnesota schools to implement the BARR system.
Angela Jerabek, the executive director of the educational organization, began working as grant director for the St. Louis Park School District in 2000, according to LinkedIn. Previously, she worked as a St. Louis Park High School counselor beginning in 1993. She helped implement the system designed to provide a team approach to ensuring students do not slip through the cracks when reaching the high school level. She helped found the BARR Center, spreading the system to more than 200 schools. She has written articles for national publications, and presented at a White House “Evidence in Education Roundtable” in 2016. Rob Metz, former St. Louis Park High School principal, serves as BARR’s deputy director. Other leaders with ties to the St. Louis Park School District include Carrie Jennissen, associated director of special projects for BARR and former career and college readiness employee for the district, and Brad Brubaker, director of secondary schools for the center and a former social studies teacher and track and field coach for the district. Bob Laney, who helped implement the BARR system with Jarabek when Laney worked as St. Louis Park High School principal, is a trainer, presenter and mentor for the organization.
Jerabek joined Lake Elmo Elementary Principal Stephen Gorde and Instructional Coach Lisa Boland Blake at the hearing.
As described by the organization, “BARR is a strengths-based educational model that provides schools with a comprehensive approach to meeting the academic, social, and emotional needs of all students through the power of data and relationships.”
Youakim said at the hearing, “Over the last month, we’ve heard a lot directly from our schools about the challenges they’re facing meeting students’ needs, from academic to mental health. We’ve heard from teachers asking for support and training to and from administrators who want more tools to do the work they have to do for their students.”
Youakim said state leaders need to provide educators and students in the state with evidence-based support.
“From the testimony we’ve heard today from our schools that have used this program, the BARR system is successfully addressing these challenges in Minnesota schools,” Youakim said in summarizing comments at the hearing. “With House File 806 we have an opportunity to act now and bring this evidence-based system to additional Minnesota schools. This program is scalable – my favorite word – sustainable, and cost-effective.”
For more information about the organization, visit barrcenter.org.
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