Hello!  My name is Cassandra Palmer and I am serving my 8th year on the St. Anthony - New Brighton School Board. My husband Chris and I moved to St. Anthony Village in 2005. We had a laundry list of must haves for our first home together.  I remember driving around the metro area looking at fixer uppers, tear downs, and new builds.  When we drove into St. Anthony Village, I instantly felt like I could live here. As a bonus, everyone we spoke with told us that the school system was great!  My older son, Jacob graduated from SAVHS in 2020 and my younger son, Sam is currently in 10th grade.  

I am originally from a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  After completing medical school at UW-Madison in 1999, I headed west to Minneapolis, MN for General Surgery residency and Critical Care Fellowship training at HCMC.  Following completion of my training, I took a position in the Department of Trauma, Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota where I have remained since 2005.  In June 2022, I decided to pursue more training and headed back to the University of Minnesota to begin a one-year Fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.   

As a first-generation college graduate, I can attest to the power of public education. Much, arguably most, of what I am today is the result of public education. It provided me with a foundation for my personal and professional growth which enabled me to pursue my passions and dreams. I want that opportunity for every student. I want to be part of a school district that develops every student to become the best version of themself. I am hopeful that our new success metrics will get us there.   

Because of the importance of public education in my own life, when the opportunity arose to run for the school board, it seemed like it was my duty to give back to an institution that gave me so much. Being on the school board has been a challenging and rewarding experience through the years. I am committed to improving student outcomes while maintaining high academic standards. I am committed to ensuring an equitable education system which recognizes that different students have different needs and provides tailored resources to meet those needs. I believe that by investing in our schools, we can help to create a brighter future for our students and for our community.

The committees I am serving on this year are the various negotiation committees, SANBE Foundation, and I also serve as the substitute for all of the representative buildings. You can contact me by emailing cpalmer@isd282.org.