Written by Leah McLean

July 8, 2019

OutFront Minnesota, a local nonprofit, is working to expand educational programs for Minnesota schools, and the 2018 Minnesota Teacher of the Year, Kelly Holstine, is now taking the lead.

Holstine said she wants school to be a safe and supportive environment for all children. She said she'll use her new position as director of educational equity to encourage school districts to become more inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ people.

Holstine previously taught English at Shakopee Public Schools. She gained attention when she was named Minnesota Teacher of the Year and declined an invitation to Washington D.C. in protest of the administration's education policies. Now she is taking her expertise with education to a broader audience.

Holstine said she'll work to "create a culture that is safe for all students."

"There are people doing the work, but they need more support," she said. "We also need support from principals and superintendents. There are districts rolling out equity plans and we need to make sure LGBTQ is included in those plans and those humans matter too."

Holstine started her new position last week. She said it's the same kind of work she was doing in her own classroom previously, but now she gets to impact more people.

Read this article and more on the KSTP website.