Q1: Why are you running for school
board?
Before I answer that
question, I’d like to address the purpose of a school board. I recently read a
comprehensive survey regarding the history, current state and research based
evidence for future direction of school boards in the United States.(1) That
document notes that an initial reason for creating an elected school board was
to establish local governance of public education, governance which reflects
the values of the community. There is
evidence to support that the current school board has done a good job taking
the community pulse for critical issues such as creating the district Vision
Statement. They continue to seek community input on topics ranging from open
enrollment to creating a new employee manual for the district. I would like to
help the board continue that important aspect of governance.
I’m running for school
board because, while I believe that the Evansville Community School District
has many good attributes, I envision its excellence. Every child deserves a
public school education that prepares them to successfully pursue their dreams,
whether those dreams are to attend Harvard Medical School, to become the most
outstanding carpenter in the tri-state area or to enlist in a branch of the
Armed Services. When I worked at
Wisconsin Energies in Milwaukee many years ago, a vendor who was trying to sell
me a million dollar piece of equipment asked me if I was from Missouri “because
you don’t believe anything I tell you unless I show you.” That effectively
summarizes my approach to everything: Trust but verify. School board members that provide an
independent analysis of educational initiatives are valuable assets to their
districts. I believe my data analysis skills were beneficial when I was on the
board previously and will continue to be an asset to the board if I am elected
again this spring.
The coming years of increased
expectations in student achievement through Wisconsin’s new Agenda 2017
combined with widespread budgetary challenges will require board members who
are capable of evaluating enormous quantities of data and drawing conclusions
from that data. I come before the voters ready to take on that challenge. I am well
informed as to the inner workings of often convoluted public school finance. I
stay abreast of what’s happening with the state budget and either figure out
how it affects the district revenue stream or ask questions until I am
satisfied that I do understand it. I make it a priority to stay current with
educational trends and seek information regarding the efficacy of those trends.
One common problem that often surprises new school board members is the
relatively long learning curve on the way to becoming an effective board
member. Some board members have noted that they were finally becoming
comfortable in their role just as their seat was up for re-election. I have been continuously monitoring ECSD
board business since 2006, first as a citizen activist, then as a board member
and finally as a free-lance journalist. The
seven years I have spent in these endeavors exceeds some current board members’
tenures. This will enable me to hit the ground running while preserving an
essential eagle’s eye view of where ECSD has been and, more importantly, where
it is going and how it can achieve its vision of excellence in all aspects of
education.
(1)
http://www.csos.jhu.edu/crespar/techReports/Report56.pdf
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