Board
The Board of Directors of the MN Association of Charter Schools is composed of eight representatives from member schools and three at-large community members with expertise, skills and networks that will aid the Association and the charter school movement. (Community members may not be employed by, under contract to, or serve on the Board of any charter school.)
Meet Our 2024-2025 Board Members:
Bjornrud, Mark
Seat A - 2026
My name is Mark Bjornrud and I am the Director of Operations at Schoolcraft Learning Community in Bemidji, MN. I started here ten years ago as a paraprofessional. This was intended to be a transitional job but turned into becoming Technology Coordinator, to Operations Manager, and now Director of Operations in a two-Director school leadership model. Being a part of MACS has been an invaluable resource and I am honored to help serve the public charter schools of MN as a member of the Board.
Groh de Aviña, Katie
Seat D - 2026
Katie Groh de Aviña currently leads El Colegio High School as its Executive Director. Her academic background includes a BA in Chicano Studies from the University of Minnesota, and is currently finishing her Masters in Youth Development & Leadership at the University of Minnesota. She has worked with youth and with the Latinx community for over 20 years in a variety of settings. She has served on the MN Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB), was part of Multilingual Equity Network, and is a strong advocate for increasing teachers of color and American Indian teachers in Minnesota via “grow your own” initiatives.
Being a mother of four children has motivated her to work even harder towards making systemic change in schools. She has always believed that her students’ full potential can be achieved with the right support! She is passionate about working on systems-change to dismantle historic catalysts of oppression, and believes that learning should be liberating and centered around youth voice.
Lueth, Betsy
Seat C - 2026
Betsy Lueth is currently the Executive Director at Twin Cities Academy. She has served in that role for the past twelve years. Prior to TCA, Betsy was the founding director of Yinghua Academy, and served in leadership roles in two other charter schools, Beacon Preparatory Academy and Lakes International Language Academy. She has worked in education for over 20 years as a teacher and administrator, almost entirely in charter schools. Betsy holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. Her commitment to equity in education is her driving passion for school choice and innovation in education.
Ly, Dr. Mongsher
Seat B - 2025
Dr. Ly is the Superintendent and Co-Founder of the Urban Academy Charter School in St. Paul since 1999. Prior to Urban Academy, Dr. Ly was the Director of Children Youth Services at Model Cities of St. Paul and a Faculty member with Hamline University in the department of the Center for Excellence in Urban Teaching.
Peterson, Shannon
Seat A - 2025 - Board Secretary
Shannon was one of the founders of Lakes International Language Academy in 2004, and as of January 2020, has served as the school’s Executive Director. Her experience and efforts helped the school grow from 177 students to the current enrollment of approximately 1,400, and to expand physically from one building to three, all authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate programming. Over the years the school has also grown from grades K - 4 to grades PreK - 12, and from Spanish immersion to Spanish and Chinese immersion, with French as an additional option at the Upper School.
Shannon has degrees and certificates in English, Education, and Administration from Minnesota State University Moorhead, the University of Hawai`i at Manoa and Johns Hopkins University as well as a fellowship from the US Dept. of Education to study language immersion. She has taught both English (to native speakers) and English as a Second Language on three continents over her nearly 40 year career. Her students have been aged 3 years to adult, in public and private schools and universities. She also fondly remembers her five years managing a workplace English instruction program for hotel housekeepers in Hawai`i.
Inspired by people, travel, and formal education, when she and her husband started a family, they moved back to Shannon’s hometown. There, she continues to share what she has learned about the benefits of bilingualism and the significance of global citizenship. Shannon and her husband still live in Forest Lake and are proud parents to three adult children-- who all love to travel!
Pierson Evans, Shelly
Seat C - 2025 - Board Chair
I believe when we work together as a collective community with a common goal, we can make a world of difference for our students today and for our community in the years to come. I have over 25 years of experience at the Prek-12 and college level. My charter experience began as a college student working with a group of community members over a year and a half to start the Toivola-Meadowlands Charter School {TMCS) in 1993. I spent four years teaching and serving on the Board of Directors for TMCS. After 20 years with other districts in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Nevada, I have returned to Minnesota and to the charter world serving as the Executive Director for North Shore Community School.
Rasmussen, Nicole
Seat D - 2025 - Board Treasurer
I started working in education nearly 25 years ago as a coach and paraprofessional. Since then I have worked at a large public district, private school, small state run public school and now a charter school. I have been a paraprofessional, coached multiple sports, classroom skills teacher, Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, Principal and Director. My family lives in Minneapolis, with students at charter and private schools. I am proud to work as an educator truly working to make a difference in the lives of students. Education: BA: St. Olaf College, MA: St. Cloud State University (Principal & Superintendent License) MBA: College of St. Scholastica.
Schlueter, Carl
Community Member Seat A - 2025
Carl is the Executive Director of Banyan Community, a community development non-profit serving the East Phillips neighborhood in Minneapolis. He has 13 years of charter school administrative experience and appreciates charter school operations, challenges, and opportunities. Carl has served or supported other non-profit boards, including the MACS Governance Committee, Firehouse Performing Arts, Cycles for Change, and Heart of Dance. He is a licensed K-12 administrator who has actively participated in MACS programs, MDE advisory and work groups, and Great MN Schools gatherings. Carl has a degree in Public Affairs with a non-profit leadership focus from the U of M's Humphrey Institute. He understands organizational structures and education policy well and the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in creating and sustaining safe, successful, joyful schools.
Slocum, Linda
Community Member Seat B - 2026
Education:
1988 Graduate study, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota
1972 B.A., Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa
Career Experience:
2006-2018: State Representative, Minnesota Legislature
1991-2014: Teacher, 7/8 American History/English, Minneapolis Public Schools
1988-1991: Teacher, St. Luke’s School, St. Paul, Minnesota
Community Involvement:
1998-2005: Member, Community Services Commission, City of Richfield
2000-2005: Vice Chair, Human Services Commission, City of Richfield
1990-1992: Co-Chair, Hennepin County Women’s Political Caucus
1979-1982: Member, Minnesota State Crime Control Commission
Professional Leadership:
In Teaching: Mentor teacher, Department Chair, Building Leadership Team, “Kids Win” Star Tribune curriculum writing, Junior Achievement grant writing, Minneapolis Teacher of the Year 1992
In the Legislature: Serving on the E-12 Education Finance Committee, Higher Education Workforce Development Committee, Bioscience Workforce Development Committee, Commerce Committee, Taxes Committee, Past Vice Chair Midwest Interstate Passenger Rail Commission.
Wedlund, Brett
Seat B - 2026
Brett Wedlund brings with him an extensive background spanning over two decades in public education. Since 2019, he has held the position of Executive Director at Nova Classical Academy in St. Paul—an award-winning public charter school serving more than 1000 students ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade. Before his tenure at Nova Classical, Dr. Wedlund spent five years as the Executive Director of Kaleidoscope Charter School in Otsego.
Dr. Wedlund's experience in education has embraced a variety of roles. These include being a school-level administrator in a private institution, a Director of Teaching and Learning at a public charter school and working as a social studies teacher in traditional public high schools. Additionally, he has served as an athletic coach at the high school and collegiate levels. His academic accomplishments include a Doctorate in Education Administration from Bethel University, a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a Certificate in Educational Finance from Georgetown University. Driven to remain at the forefront of educational policy, he is an active participant in the 2023-2024 Minnesota Education Policy Fellowship.