The Minnesota School Board Directors of Color and Indigenous (MNSBDOCI) announced the winners of their annual Lighthouse and Xiong Awards – Dr. Theresa Battle, Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District; Dr. Abdisalam Adam, Fridley Public Schools; and Dr. Rose Chu, Roseville Area School Board at the annual Minnesota School Board Association (MSBA) Annual Leadership Conference on January 11, 2024.
The Lighthouse Award is an annual award given to one Black, Indigenous or Person of Color, Public School Superintendent and one Public School Board Member that has demonstrated a commitment to racial equity in their district; this person has served as a beacon of light and hope in the journey towards racial justice in education for all students. These qualities also apply to the Xiong Award, in addition to other leadership qualities. The Xiong Award is named after Marny Xiong, former chair of the Saint Paul Board of Education, who passed away in 2020. In 2021, the inaugural Xiong Award was presented by MNSBDOCI to the family of Marny Xiong.
Adam is the 2023 School Board Lighthouse winner due to being “a proven bridge-builder among communities and has special keenness for student achievement and equitable programming in schools. He has been with Saint Paul Public Schools since 1997 as a teacher, community specialist, and administrator and is currently the Principal of the newly established East African Elementary Magnet School. Dr. Adam has served on the Fridley School Board from 2018-2023 and has been a voice for BIPOC inclusion.”
The Minnesota School Board Directors of Color and Indigenous is a fellowship group comprised of various school board members from the state of Minnesota. Their mission is, “fostering excellence in good governance, supporting effective leadership, and preparing school board members from diverse communities to champion high-quality public education, while acknowledging the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Minnesota students and families.” The group was formed in 2016 and meets monthly. More information can be found at mnschoolboarddirectorsofcolor.org
