Position sought: New Glarus School Board
Age: 39
City/town of residence: New Glarus
Family: Husband - Dr. Joshua Morrison and 3 Daughters - Ages 10, 8, 4
Education: BS UW-Madison - Art Education, French
Occupation: Former High School Art Teacher; Stay-at-home Mom; Swim Coach - Sugar River Rapids Swim Team and Green County YMCA Gators
Previous elected positions held: Current School Board President
What are the top issues facing this district/municipality and how would you work to resolve it?
In my opinion, one of the biggest issues in all schools today, is making sure all students receive a quality education. The staff at New Glarus Schools have been making excellent strides in the past few years to close the gaps in student achievement, but there is always room for improvement. Socioeconomic, racial, gender and cultural differences cannot be barriers in our education system.
The School Board's most important job is to make sure we have an effective leader for our district. I strongly believe that we have a top-notch District Administrator who is focused on preparing all students for success in the classroom and in life. I have had many conversations with Dr. Thayer and I know that addressing equity issues is at the top of her priority list.
Setting the vision for the schools is another important role of the School Board. As Board President, I recently led the process of revising the Strategic Plan for our district. The goals we set for our schools focus on providing an excellent education for all students and improving the number of college, career and life ready students.
What are other key issues facing the district/municipality, and how would you work to resolve them?
With all of the violence and troubles in our society today, it is crucial to ensure that all students are connected in our schools and in our community. We need to provide more opportunities and programs for students that help them develop empathy, self-awareness and social connection.
As a district we are currently working on finding more ways to connect with students. The fact that we are a small school works to our advantage, because teachers truly know their students - it is difficult to get lost in the crowd. Our educators work hard on a daily basis to get to know all students and develop meaningful relationships.
However, on the flip side, being a smaller school, we do not have the facilities, resources and extensive after-school programming that many larger schools offer. As a leader for our schools, I am advocating for expansion of our athletics, arts, volunteer and community programs, especially after school. If a student finds their niche within the school and community they will build stronger connections with teachers, coaches and friends. Strong connections can boost mental happiness which can lead to greater academic success and fewer social problems.
Age: 39
City/town of residence: New Glarus
Family: Husband - Dr. Joshua Morrison and 3 Daughters - Ages 10, 8, 4
Education: BS UW-Madison - Art Education, French
Occupation: Former High School Art Teacher; Stay-at-home Mom; Swim Coach - Sugar River Rapids Swim Team and Green County YMCA Gators
Previous elected positions held: Current School Board President
What are the top issues facing this district/municipality and how would you work to resolve it?
In my opinion, one of the biggest issues in all schools today, is making sure all students receive a quality education. The staff at New Glarus Schools have been making excellent strides in the past few years to close the gaps in student achievement, but there is always room for improvement. Socioeconomic, racial, gender and cultural differences cannot be barriers in our education system.
The School Board's most important job is to make sure we have an effective leader for our district. I strongly believe that we have a top-notch District Administrator who is focused on preparing all students for success in the classroom and in life. I have had many conversations with Dr. Thayer and I know that addressing equity issues is at the top of her priority list.
Setting the vision for the schools is another important role of the School Board. As Board President, I recently led the process of revising the Strategic Plan for our district. The goals we set for our schools focus on providing an excellent education for all students and improving the number of college, career and life ready students.
What are other key issues facing the district/municipality, and how would you work to resolve them?
With all of the violence and troubles in our society today, it is crucial to ensure that all students are connected in our schools and in our community. We need to provide more opportunities and programs for students that help them develop empathy, self-awareness and social connection.
As a district we are currently working on finding more ways to connect with students. The fact that we are a small school works to our advantage, because teachers truly know their students - it is difficult to get lost in the crowd. Our educators work hard on a daily basis to get to know all students and develop meaningful relationships.
However, on the flip side, being a smaller school, we do not have the facilities, resources and extensive after-school programming that many larger schools offer. As a leader for our schools, I am advocating for expansion of our athletics, arts, volunteer and community programs, especially after school. If a student finds their niche within the school and community they will build stronger connections with teachers, coaches and friends. Strong connections can boost mental happiness which can lead to greater academic success and fewer social problems.