Age: 49
Address: 2118 20th Ave. Monroe.
Family: Wife, Wendy; daughters Avery, 16, and Ellis, 13.
Education: Bachelor of business administration in finance, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; Executive M.B.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Occupation: Vice-President, Colony Brands
Previous elected positions held: Monroe School Board (2006-2012)
Community involvement: Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Green County, 2004 to 2007 (past treasurer), Green County YMCA, 2004 to 2010 (past president), Green County Leaders, 2002, member, St. Victor Church.
What are the top issues facing this board/council and how would you resolve them?
1. Continuing to build a district that is a strong asset for economic development in our community - for Monroe to prosper and grow, our community needs to be attractive to those who don't live here today, whether they be entrepreneurs launching new businesses, companies that are expanding, or people looking for a place to live with a good quality of life. Strong schools are a key link in attracting new families, jobs, and business to our area. Because our population growth is flat and our community is aging, our declining enrollment means we are unable to offer the same amount of services and programs to our students each year. I believe our community and school district need to work together to decide if we want our schools to be "bare bones," or if we want to invest in our future by making our schools not just average, but a true community asset that can attract new families and jobs to our area.
2. Continuing to develop college- and career-ready skills within our graduates - in the current economy, our graduates will need to develop job skills that are more advanced than ever to compete for jobs that will support a good and stable lifestyle. Many jobs our graduates will ultimately perform don't even exist today. Our graduates will need high-level knowledge, critical thinking and communication skills to fulfill not only their own dreams, but also our dreams for them. I believe our district must continue to emphasize a rigorous and relevant education across all grades, and for all students, so they can reach their fullest potential. I also believe each person, whether a teacher, parent, administrator, aide, mentor or board member, needs to be relentlessly accountable in our journey to make our schools the only place kids should go, not just the only place for kids to go.
3. Fostering our district as an attractive place to work for talented staff - unfortunately, the past year or so has been a difficult period for anyone involved in education. What has frequently gotten lost in all of the rhetoric is how we will attract talented people to the profession of teaching, and how we will convince some of those people to work here in our district in the future as we have job openings. The most consistent theme in all the research I have read on education is that teacher quality is the most effective tool there is at impacting student achievement, far beyond anything else we can do. Great teachers can help kids achieve at a high level, and can close achievement gaps caused by poverty, race, and other factors our students face. I believe it is in our best interest to have a district with high standards of accountability for all, but also one offering opportunities for talented teachers who want to come here or remain here to help our kids learn to their fullest. It does us no good to make our district an unattractive place to work for talented people who can really help our kids, and similarly, we should never be the "district of last resort" for people who aren't talented enough to work where the opportunities or climate are more attractive.
Address: 2118 20th Ave. Monroe.
Family: Wife, Wendy; daughters Avery, 16, and Ellis, 13.
Education: Bachelor of business administration in finance, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; Executive M.B.A., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Occupation: Vice-President, Colony Brands
Previous elected positions held: Monroe School Board (2006-2012)
Community involvement: Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Green County, 2004 to 2007 (past treasurer), Green County YMCA, 2004 to 2010 (past president), Green County Leaders, 2002, member, St. Victor Church.
What are the top issues facing this board/council and how would you resolve them?
1. Continuing to build a district that is a strong asset for economic development in our community - for Monroe to prosper and grow, our community needs to be attractive to those who don't live here today, whether they be entrepreneurs launching new businesses, companies that are expanding, or people looking for a place to live with a good quality of life. Strong schools are a key link in attracting new families, jobs, and business to our area. Because our population growth is flat and our community is aging, our declining enrollment means we are unable to offer the same amount of services and programs to our students each year. I believe our community and school district need to work together to decide if we want our schools to be "bare bones," or if we want to invest in our future by making our schools not just average, but a true community asset that can attract new families and jobs to our area.
2. Continuing to develop college- and career-ready skills within our graduates - in the current economy, our graduates will need to develop job skills that are more advanced than ever to compete for jobs that will support a good and stable lifestyle. Many jobs our graduates will ultimately perform don't even exist today. Our graduates will need high-level knowledge, critical thinking and communication skills to fulfill not only their own dreams, but also our dreams for them. I believe our district must continue to emphasize a rigorous and relevant education across all grades, and for all students, so they can reach their fullest potential. I also believe each person, whether a teacher, parent, administrator, aide, mentor or board member, needs to be relentlessly accountable in our journey to make our schools the only place kids should go, not just the only place for kids to go.
3. Fostering our district as an attractive place to work for talented staff - unfortunately, the past year or so has been a difficult period for anyone involved in education. What has frequently gotten lost in all of the rhetoric is how we will attract talented people to the profession of teaching, and how we will convince some of those people to work here in our district in the future as we have job openings. The most consistent theme in all the research I have read on education is that teacher quality is the most effective tool there is at impacting student achievement, far beyond anything else we can do. Great teachers can help kids achieve at a high level, and can close achievement gaps caused by poverty, race, and other factors our students face. I believe it is in our best interest to have a district with high standards of accountability for all, but also one offering opportunities for talented teachers who want to come here or remain here to help our kids learn to their fullest. It does us no good to make our district an unattractive place to work for talented people who can really help our kids, and similarly, we should never be the "district of last resort" for people who aren't talented enough to work where the opportunities or climate are more attractive.