Neighbor’s advice ultimately leads  Braun to KM

Kelly Braun had no idea what she wanted to do when she graduated from high school.
She knew she wanted to play softball, which she said took her to college and was her focus.
“I majored in health and human performance, because my coach was the chair of the department, yet I had no idea what career path it would lead me down,” Braun said. “After two years of playing softball and getting credits, I decided to move home.”
Braun went to work in construction for her dad and attended Rochester Community Technical College with the plan of becoming a physical therapist, but said “the inorganic chemistry class was telling me that wasn’t a good idea.”
Ultimately Braun said a conversation she had with her neighbor, Ron Butterfield, led her to teaching.
“We spoke about what my plan was for a career and he could tell I was conflicted,” Braun said. “He told me, ‘Kelly, I think you should go into teaching. You’ve always been good with the kids in the neighborhood and I see you as a teacher.’ It was the first time someone had seen something in me, and that was exactly what I needed. Thirty years later, I’m still in education and I am grateful every day for that conversation I had with Ron.”
Now Braun serves as the teaching and learning coordinator for Kasson-Mantorville High School — and in that role, she is being honored as Southeast Division of Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals’ Assistant Principal of the Year.
In his nomination letter, KMHS Principal Trent Langemo said, “Kelly excels at building and maintaining relationships with ALL students, staff, and families.”
“She is strong at building trust with students while holding them accountable, always focusing on resolutions and consequences that bring about meaningful change,” Langemo wrote. “Kelly leads with genuine positivity and a nonjudgmental approach, always focusing on helping students and staff become their best selves. She leads the BRIDGE advisory program, creating flexible opportunities for meaningful student-teacher connections, and oversees the senior Internship Class, where students gain incredible job-learning experience. Kelly also mentors new and out-of-field teachers, supporting their growth towards becoming high-performing educators. Her unique, positive leadership has elevated the culture at Kasson-Mantorville High School.”
Road back 
to KM
Braun’s tenure in Kasson-Mantorville marks a return to the district.
She began her career at Byron Primary School, teaching first and third grade for seven years.
Braun then went to Rochester for three years, working as a reading specialist and instructional coach.
With a K-12 masters degree in literacy, with a reading specialist certificate, she found herself a job with the Kasson-Mantorville School District.
There she began as Kasson-Mantorville Elementary School’s Title 1 Coordinator, then was given the opportunity to be the director of teaching and learning, spending over a decade with the district.
Braun found herself back in Byron, this time as the Byron High School Assistant Principal. She spent four years there before heading back to KM.
“What led me back to Kasson was a more stable job and the opportunity to work with an administrator whom I have the highest respect for, Trent Langemo,” Braun said. “Trent is the definition of integrity. He leads with high expectations, a growth mindset, and a genuine care for staff and students.”
Braun said she is much better at giving praise about others than giving praise about herself, but made sure to point out that she views teaching as teamwork.
“It’s important for people to know that if education was a sport, it would be a team sport,” Braun said. “Day in and day out we are working together to do what’s best for students. What this honor means is that I’ve gotten to make pretty awesome impacts with some pretty awesome colleagues, in some pretty awesome districts, with some pretty awesome students and families. That sounds super cheesy, but it’s true.”
Langemo said he’s glad to have Braun back on the team.
“I would add that she was a terrific KoMet for 12 years (various roles, including director of teaching and learning) before going to be the assistant principal at Byron HS for (four) years,” Langemo wrote. “We were beyond fortunate to get her to come back to KMHS in the role she’s in.”