Bret Domstrand

Bret J. Domstrand

Lake Marion Elementary School
Lakeville Area Schools
Lakeville, Minnesota
bret.domstrand@isd194.org

As principal of Lake Marion Elementary School for the past six years, Bret Domstrand has built on his nine years’ experience as a Special Education teacher to strengthen school culture and align culturally relevant teaching with data-based instruction practices. Thanks to his leadership, LME teachers have adopted language and curricular strategies that value diversity and youth culture, while leveraging digital literacy tools to personalize the learning experience for all students. With the support of highly trained tutors, LME students are supported to reach their full literacy potential by balancing core instruction and targeted support, grounded in a commitment to equity and access for all. This commitment does not stop at high academic rigor, however. Domstrand has also supported the integration of social-emotional learning goals at LME through an intentional redesign of the school’s specialist schedule, leading to a reduction in referrals and improved early behavioral interventions. He has also increased participation and shifted the culture of the school’s breakfast program from 70 to over 200 by giving kids the opportunity to eat in the classroom after the bell so that no students miss a meal or are late to class. Lake Marion Elementary received recognition in 2017 as a National Blue Ribbon school. Domstrand holds a Principal License and a Master of Educational Leadership from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Science in Special Education from St. Cloud State University.