Educators in Mankato, Minn., have been busy navigating heightened attention on their school district since Vice President Kamala Harris chose a former Mankato teacher, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as her running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
Walz worked as a social studies teacher at Mankato West High School for a decade before running for Congress in 2006. Mankato Superintendent Paul Peterson and Mankato West Principal Sherri Blasing spoke with Education Week about Walz’s tenure in the district and what his addition to the Democratic ticket means for teachers and students.