Position sought: New Glarus School Board
Age: 52
City/town of residence: Town of New Glarus resident for the last 12 years.
Family: Married to Bill, with two children in New Glarus schools, Will and Amy.
Education: B.A. political science, Marquette University; Law degree (J.D.) from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Occupation: Small business owner (Human Resource professional, Wisconsin Workplace Solutions, LLC.); Former employment law partner with a large Twin Cities law firm.
Previous elected positions held: I have served on the New Glarus School Board for the past four years.
What are the top issues facing this district and how would you work to resolve it?
I am extremely proud of our relatively small, rural school district and of what we have accomplished. We have become an example to neighboring communities of what can be done with less, and it is no coincidence that New Glarus High School is one of only 21 in Wisconsin to have been named to Newsweek's list of America's 1,000 best high schools.
With that said, the challenge for all school boards, school districts, and school staff now is how to do more with less. The job of the school board is to provide staff with the tools they need to facilitate maximum student achievement and student opportunities for all types of learners, with limited resources.
School finances have been and will continue to be a constant challenge, and I have worked hard to be fiscally responsible and to always be mindful of who I represent. We have many community members with fixed incomes or who are struggling financially, and the board cannot and should not ever forget this. We must constantly balance what we want versus what we need, and make decisions accordingly. I advocated to only spend referendum funds on items falling within the scope of the referendum approved by voters, and I voted to reduce the school district mill levy for 2012-13.
Our second top issue is really an opportunity: being laser-focused on student achievement, data-driven decision-making, and continuous and systematic review of what is working for all of our students and what is not. The best school districts in our area are never satisfied with being good; they are always asking how they can be even better. We have a progressive, innovative, high performing school district, with excellent staff and respectful, good students. But, consistent with our district philosophy of "All achieving, always growing," we should always be striving to be even better.
What are other key issues facing the district, and how would you work to resolve them?
The New Glarus school district is currently engaged in a new superintendent search and interview process. As we transition to a new district and instructional leader, it is extremely important to continue to foster a district culture that is team-oriented, collaborative, and respectful of diverse approaches and opinions. Important district initiatives are much more likely to be successful for our students when all major stakeholders - staff, administration, board, and community - are directly involved and feel respected. I have worked and will continue to work hard to make sure that staff and public input is not just encouraged, but actively sought.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
I have been greatly privileged and honored to serve on the New Glarus school board for the past four years and I ask the public to give me the opportunity to continue to serve. With four years' tenure, I am the second most senior member of the board. Continuity and institutional memory are very important to the board, community, and staff, especially as we move forward to recruit a new superintendent and continue to implement student achievement initiatives.
Beyond that, I have worked extremely hard during my time on the board, having been actively engaged in much-needed board policy development and in participating in drafting a collaborative post-Act 10 employee handbook. My experience as an employment lawyer and human resource consultant have been extremely valuable in both of these huge tasks. I am deeply committed to this school district and to continuous improvement of instruction and learning. I do my best to balance our needs versus our wants, and to vote accordingly. Finally, I listen to what the community has to say. I have never forgotten and will never forget that I represent a very broad group of citizen and student constituents - young and old, well-off and on fixed incomes, college-bound or bound to immediately enter a trade.
Age: 52
City/town of residence: Town of New Glarus resident for the last 12 years.
Family: Married to Bill, with two children in New Glarus schools, Will and Amy.
Education: B.A. political science, Marquette University; Law degree (J.D.) from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Occupation: Small business owner (Human Resource professional, Wisconsin Workplace Solutions, LLC.); Former employment law partner with a large Twin Cities law firm.
Previous elected positions held: I have served on the New Glarus School Board for the past four years.
What are the top issues facing this district and how would you work to resolve it?
I am extremely proud of our relatively small, rural school district and of what we have accomplished. We have become an example to neighboring communities of what can be done with less, and it is no coincidence that New Glarus High School is one of only 21 in Wisconsin to have been named to Newsweek's list of America's 1,000 best high schools.
With that said, the challenge for all school boards, school districts, and school staff now is how to do more with less. The job of the school board is to provide staff with the tools they need to facilitate maximum student achievement and student opportunities for all types of learners, with limited resources.
School finances have been and will continue to be a constant challenge, and I have worked hard to be fiscally responsible and to always be mindful of who I represent. We have many community members with fixed incomes or who are struggling financially, and the board cannot and should not ever forget this. We must constantly balance what we want versus what we need, and make decisions accordingly. I advocated to only spend referendum funds on items falling within the scope of the referendum approved by voters, and I voted to reduce the school district mill levy for 2012-13.
Our second top issue is really an opportunity: being laser-focused on student achievement, data-driven decision-making, and continuous and systematic review of what is working for all of our students and what is not. The best school districts in our area are never satisfied with being good; they are always asking how they can be even better. We have a progressive, innovative, high performing school district, with excellent staff and respectful, good students. But, consistent with our district philosophy of "All achieving, always growing," we should always be striving to be even better.
What are other key issues facing the district, and how would you work to resolve them?
The New Glarus school district is currently engaged in a new superintendent search and interview process. As we transition to a new district and instructional leader, it is extremely important to continue to foster a district culture that is team-oriented, collaborative, and respectful of diverse approaches and opinions. Important district initiatives are much more likely to be successful for our students when all major stakeholders - staff, administration, board, and community - are directly involved and feel respected. I have worked and will continue to work hard to make sure that staff and public input is not just encouraged, but actively sought.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
I have been greatly privileged and honored to serve on the New Glarus school board for the past four years and I ask the public to give me the opportunity to continue to serve. With four years' tenure, I am the second most senior member of the board. Continuity and institutional memory are very important to the board, community, and staff, especially as we move forward to recruit a new superintendent and continue to implement student achievement initiatives.
Beyond that, I have worked extremely hard during my time on the board, having been actively engaged in much-needed board policy development and in participating in drafting a collaborative post-Act 10 employee handbook. My experience as an employment lawyer and human resource consultant have been extremely valuable in both of these huge tasks. I am deeply committed to this school district and to continuous improvement of instruction and learning. I do my best to balance our needs versus our wants, and to vote accordingly. Finally, I listen to what the community has to say. I have never forgotten and will never forget that I represent a very broad group of citizen and student constituents - young and old, well-off and on fixed incomes, college-bound or bound to immediately enter a trade.