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Thinking about her two granddaughters and the next generation to attend Albert Lea Area Schools, former teacher and administrator Mary Jo Dorman filed for Albert Lea school board on Wednesday.

Dorman, who retired about a year ago as executive director of teaching and learning with the district, said education has always been an important part of her life. Her mother was a paraeducator and her father was a school bus driver in New Prague. 

“I knew from a very young age the value of education,” she said. 

Over her more than 20 years in the district, Dorman herself worked as a classroom teacher, a reading specialist and an administrator. And while she said she always knew she wanted to serve on the school board once she retired, she feels like the time is right now after taking a year off to travel and think about what she wants to do in her next chapter. 

Aside from her granddaughters, Annika and Amelia, who will be the sixth generation of the Dorman family to attend the district, she also is passionate about the importance of continuing to support staff. 

“The environment in the classroom has really changed since when I started 24 years ago to today,” she said. 

With many more needs for students, it is increasingly important to continue to figure out ways to support staff before they become overwhelmed, she said. 

She is also proud to hear from the district’s success coaches who have appreciated the work she and others have done to bring down barriers in the community for many students. 

In addition to her strong educational background, Dorman has strengths in finance, as she previously worked for Norwest Bank in Minneapolis before she and her family moved to Albert Lea in 1990 when the opportunity came for her husband, Dan, to work with his father at the Goodyear store, which they now own. 

Dorman has also been an active voice on the public relations sides of several school referendums and been active in the community. 

She served as the board chairwoman at the Albert Lea Children’s Center when her children attended there — a time when the Children’s Center was in financial troubles. At that time, the board had to make some significant changes to make sure it could stay open.

At one time the $350,000 balloon payment was coming through for the building, and she served as the chair of that campaign to pay off that amount. They were able to do so in three months so they could not have more debt on that building. 

She has also served in the Jaycees, even for a time as president, chaired the July Third Parade and was involved with the United Way. 

She and her husband, Dan, have two adult boys, Matthew and Christopher. Matthew is a history teacher at Albert Lea High School, and his wife, Samantha, is an art teacher there. Her other son, Christopher, lives in Madison, Wisconsin.