COLLABORATE COORDINATE NETWORK
Mission: To build power around interrupting the current education crisis impacting low income communities in the State of Minnesota.
We aim to bring the collective powers of new and existing organizations together and expand the capacity to provide comprehensive statutes aimed at removing barriers to increased educational outcomes for the most at-risk children in our community. Our organization leverages partnerships from a variety of business sectors to include social and economic solutions that go beyond the supports offered in schools.
OUR CORE VALUES
Education, Community Partnerships and Community Building activities.
Our vision is to dismantle racialized achievement disparities caused by systemic inequities at the state and local levels using the power of our partnerships and the coordination of community based initiatives.
ALEXIS MANN
Ms. Alexis Mann is a teacher and case manager working with Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). She began her career in education in 2007 as a reserve teacher in MPS. While working on a long-term assignment, she received constant pressure from many of the teachers to consider training for a permanent teaching position in special education. Those efforts were not taken in vain as she made the decision to forgo her plans to pursue a career as a lawyer, and instead completed the requirements to become a licensed special education teacher.
Since becoming a full-time special education teacher, she has been on a mission to advocate for increased educational outcomes for the most marginalized, and at-risk students in the district. She is committed to ensuring that students in her care are equipped with the skills necessary to reach their full potential. She credits her success with students to being innovative, flexible, and customizing her curriculum to meet the needs of her students.
As a powerful advocate for students, Alexis serves as the equity lead, and she is the union steward at her school site. She also serves on the Equity and Engagement team, the Site Council, the Instructional leadership Team, and she leads the Youth Participatory Evaluation Team.
Ms. Mann is a native of the Rondo community located in St. Paul, Minnesota. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in English from the University of Minnesota. She recently earned her Master’s degree in Special Education from Bethel University and is now working toward earning her Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership.
Ms. Mann has a very diverse background and has worked in a variety of professional industries, including nursing, real estate, business, and law. Previously, Ms. Mann worked as a paralegal at the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis. As a result of her work there, the one-year project she led was extended and is still serving families today. She also gained experience in mass tort litigation while working as paralegal at Blackwell Burke and, as a consultant on various legal projects.
Ms. Mann is also the co-founder and leader of the Black Educators’ Alliance, which aims to rally support around educational equity initiatives and closing the achievement / opportunity gap. She was also selected to participate in a legislative fellowship, and she worked on several teacher action teams with Educators for Excellence. As a result of these experiences, she co-authored policy recommendations around equitable school funding, which garnered attention from lawmakers who drafted a bill in support of compensatory education protections.
In her free time, she enjoys swimming, jumping rope and bike riding around the lake. She also enjoys advocating for increasing educational outcomes for students through her philanthropic initiatives. Her passion is helping children reach their true academic potential and supporting their life plans.
CONSTANCE ANDERSON
Ms. Constance Anderson is an Assistant Principal in Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS). She began her career in education in 2001 as a reserve teacher in MPS. While working as a reserve teacher, she continued her education and received her Bachelor Degree in Business Management. Only working a short time in the corporate world, she went back to school to continue her education and received her Master’s in School Counseling. Constance received a School Counselor position at a high school in Saint Paul Public Schools (SPPS). Constance was not satisfied and wanted to do more, so she went back to school and received another Master’s in Education Leadership.
Since becoming a full-timeAdministor, she has been on a mission to advocate for increased educational outcomes for the most marginalized, and at-risk students in the district. Constance is committed to ensuring that All students have equitable opportunities and a chance to succeed in whatever they want in life. Constance credits her success to all her mentors and colleagues who supported her along the way.
Constance was born in Mississippi but moved to the Twin Cities as a young child and grew up in St. Paul most of her career. Constance has a very diverse background and has worked in a variety of professions, including corporate, teaching and currently administration.
Constance is also the co-founder of the Black Educators’ Alliance (BEA), which aims to rally support around educational equity initiatives and closing the achievement / opportunity gap. She also worked on several teacher action teams with Educators for Excellence (E4E). BEA has grown over the past five years. The purpose of BEA was a social networking event which brought all educators together. Now BEA has grown to support other educators with employment, sharing others endeavors and having a voice to advocate for teachers of color while closing the opportunity gap in our schools.
When Constance has free time, she enjoys going to sporting events, exercise, RV camping and traveling. Constance enjoys performing arts as an established actress in the Twin Cities. She has been in multiple commercials, films & TV. Her passion is one day being in a major feature film but until then Constance will continue serving youth in public education.
WE ADVOCATE FOR INCREASED EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA
