By Henry Bearhart
I am Henry Bearheart, father of six-year-old daughter Palin and four-year-old son Nolan and husband to Courtney Bearheart. I was born in Minneapolis, MN, my parents moved to Hayward when I was one year old and lived here a majority of my life. I moved to Burnett County when I was hired as a police officer for St Croix Tribal Police in April of 2002, I was K9 Handler for 9 years of that time and on the department’s SWAT Team and Honor Guard. I came home in 2014 when the Gang Investigator position opened up at Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Police Department, about a year later I was hired as Chief Warden at the Lac Courte Oreilles Conservation Department.
Prior to my law enforcement career, I was a firefighter, first responder & Fire Inspector for Lac Courte Oreilles Fire Department. I was the Assistant Fire Chief and eventually became the Fire Chief for LCO Fire Department. During this time, I was an EMT with the Sawyer County Ambulance Service and Dispatcher for Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office until April of 2002.
I attended Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School from Kindergarten and graduated as Valedictorian my Senior year in 1993 at LCO School. Currently, both of our children attend Hayward Primary School.
I am running for Hayward School Board as I believe that a school board must be responsive and receptive to parents, staff, students and the community at large, encouraging an open dialog. The board must take input from all groups and weigh all the facts before making a decision. A Board member is a trustee of the community that elects him or her. That Trustee must be accessible and willing to collaborate with all members of the community. Anyone that comes before the board has the right to be heard. A school board member must build public understanding, support and participation.
My efforts as a board member would center on serving all of the children in the community; one child is no more important than another. We are a diverse community and have to celebrate that diversity. Our schools are here to serve the educational needs of all the children, our students must be partners in this endeavor if we are to be successful.
A key issue for school boards is to create a long-term vision, mapping a course that provides the necessary opportunities students need to reach their full potential. The board is responsible for establishing and maintaining a structure that supports this vision, empowers the staff, and provides leadership. With my background and knowledge in Public Safety, I feel I can help to provide the necessary leadership to keep the district on an even keel. I strongly believe that we have tremendous teachers and staff working with our children. Education takes place in the classroom and the board's efforts must focus on enhancing and enriching what goes on there.
By working together, we can all share in the knowledge and satisfaction that we have provided for the educational needs of all children and have built a district where students, parents, teachers, and staff feel they are welcome and belong. I ask for your support because I am A POSITIVE VOICE FOR OUR CHILDREN.