Valley View Middle School principal Patrick Bass. Photo: Chris Emeott
Patrick Bass builds a culture of belonging.
At a time when children can feel unmoored, uncertain or on the outside of things, middle school administrators—including those in Edina Public Schools—have an opportunity to create an environment where every student feels like they belong.
And for Valley View Middle School principal Patrick Bass, that mission of inclusion and belonging drives his every action. “If we can offer a good experience that trickles down to everyone, and staff feels happy to be here, then kids will be happy to be here,” Bass says. “I want to have this model of ‘everyone helping everyone’; that’s how a school is going to thrive.”
Bass is in just his second year as principal of Valley View but brings years of experience as an educator to his current role. In fact, the variety of positions he’s held and places he’s taught makes him uniquely suited to the Valley View environment—from his teenage years in Edina to a stint abroad in Australia.
“I was born in Houston, Texas, and moved to Minnesota with my brother when I was 16,” Bass says. “He bought a house in Edina just off Gleason Road.” Bass attended high school in Minneapolis, where his brother was a coach, but spent plenty of time in Edina. What followed high school were undergraduate studies at St. Olaf College in Northfield and teaching in Osseo Area Schools. Next came a period of travel and teaching in Arizona, Australia and Spain. Eventually, his role as chairman of the Equity Task Force for Arizona’s Mesa Public Schools put him in front of parents and other stakeholders, engaging the community in curriculum design and inclusion programs. “I was really grateful to be in that work and leading really significant change for those schools,” Bass says.
In 2023, a family need necessitated a change. “My youngest son has hydronephrosis, a kidney condition,” Bass says. “We’d been thinking about moving back closer to family and having some support, plus the excellent care at the Mayo Clinic.” When the Valley View principal position opened for the 2023–24 school year, Bass leaped at the chance and hasn’t looked back. “I got to really take everything that I’ve learned from my mentors and networks” and put it into practice, Bass says. He also credits Valley View assistant principal Erik Lowe with making the transition a great one. “I wanted to infuse my knowledge with Erik, who has a historical and institutional knowledge of Valley View,” Bass says. “He’s a rock star, and we’ve been able to marry some ideas together and see them come to fruition.”
Principal Patrick Bass addresses an assembly of students in the Valley View Middle School gym. Photos: Ramla Hasanali
Lowe has been a Valley View fixture since 2015, first as the dean of students and now as assistant principal. “I’ve worked under three principals here at Valley View,” he says. “Patrick has brought a lot of wonderful energy and ideas here.”
Bass has implemented a variety of initiatives and programs for “lifting up the vibe,” a phrase he and Lowe use often as part of their larger Valley View vibe focus. He greets students as they arrive at school each morning, often dragging a large speaker through the hallways and playing buoyant music; he attends every individualized education plan meeting with the whole admin team; and he sends a personal newsletter each week to Valley View families.
Both Bass and Lowe recognize that middle school can be a time of optimism and fun. Students are young enough to be goofy but old enough for some additional responsibility. “You can level up your trust with them,” Lowe says. “One of my philosophies is that if we want kids to learn to make good choices, we’ve got to let them make choices so they can learn from them.”
Part of the recipe for giving students more autonomy is a strong rapport with parents. Bass says Valley View is “a fluid space with revolving doors. Parents are here in our hallways and at lunch, and community partners come in to give guest speeches. We’re in constant partnership.”
Student Burhanuddin Tiewala poses with principal Patrick Bass during Spirit Week at Valley View Middle School, which often includes themed days, such as Classy or Comfy Day.
That sense of community is evident in Valley View’s active parent-teacher organization (PTO). “Principal Bass opened up the doors to the school and encourages parents to come in,” says Ramla Hasanali, mom of ninth grader Burhanuddin Tiewala. Even beyond volunteer opportunities, Bass welcomes community members in above-and-beyond ways. “When the power went out in parts of Edina, principal Bass opened the school doors to the Valley View community, so we could come and work remotely in the school,” Hasanali says. “Personally, he is curious about our faith, culture and family dynamics. He is so grateful for the parents’ support at school.”
PTO president Erika LaDousa echoes that. “Everyone wants to feel like they are being heard … and parents are no different,” LaDousa says. “There can be a lot of emotions when an issue arises, [and] a quick response from the administration or a short email in recognition of an issue brings a sense of relief to parents.”
LaDousa, mom to eighth grader Eloise and 11th grader Emma, also notes how critical the middle school years are to kids’ development. Middle school “… can help to build healthy relationships, a sense of self-worth and belonging, and the feeling of being part of a community,” LaDousa says.
“My approach is really about the whole student,” Bass says. “They’re really reaching out to find out who they are and to find their people. We try to keep that as our north star and remind ourselves that this is a fragile age. It helps to build the kids up and juice up the experience with some fun—whether it’s music or asking kids for their own ideas.”
Valley View Middle School
6750 Valley View Road; 952.848.3500
Edina Public Schools
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