Monroe School Board
MONROE school board
There are four candidates running for three spots on the Monroe school board. Incumbents Robert Erb, Mary Berger and Amy Bazley, as well as newcomer Nikki Saugstad, are on the ballot.
Position sought: Monroe school board
Age: 29
City/town of residence: Monroe
Family: Husband Brad and son Peter, 2
Education: Bachelor of Science in Art Education from UW-River Falls
Occupation: Stay-at-home mom and self-employed artist
Previous elected positions held: none
What are the top issues facing this district/municipality and how would you work to resolve them?
The budget is the biggest looming issue right now. Due to proposed major funding cuts at the state level, our district will most likely be going to a referendum in the near future and/or making significant cuts. Without the needed funding to operate as the district has in years past, it is time to closely examine how the funds that we do have are being used. We may not have much control over how much money is coming in, but we do have some control over how we are allocating those funds and what we are choosing to spend or not spend our current finances on. With the help of some training, I believe that many school district employees could have a better understanding of the current resources and funds available to them within their specific fields. Seeing the numbers, having some buy-in, and using common sense and wisdom, employees could offer suggestions and use discretion in order to cut back on areas that are not of great need. In better educating our staff on our current budget and in seeking their feedback as to what they feel the district can live without, together we could work to trim as much from the budget as possible while making every effort not to make reductions in staffing. Our society expects schools to have all the bells and whistles these days, but the bottom line is that we need qualified, exceptional teachers and staff in our schools. Without them we are doing our students an injustice.
What are other key issues facing the district/municipality, and how would you work to resolve them?
Who speaks at school board meetings? School board members, administrators, and invited presenters are the only people who are allowed to speak during these meetings (other than the brief public comment time which is not an appropriate time to address significant concerns). What percentage of the district is involved in making decisions that affect day-to-day life in the schools? A small number. I see a problem with this. There are many important voices that are not being heard. From my experience in the classroom and the relationships that I have in the community, there are many ongoing problems that the school board and administration are unaware of. Many of these issues could be addressed by making one significant change. We need to have a dialogue between all key parties involved in our schools (school board, administration, teachers, support staff, parents, and students) where there is freedom to share concerns, ideas, and constructive feedback, leading to improvements in our students' education. Concerns and ideas for improvement are not being shared because of (a) a lack of opportunities and/or knowledge of where to start, who to contact and how and (b) fear of negative personal repercussions from sharing opposing viewpoints. Some concerns that have been shared with me by multiple Monroe teachers and parents involve how discipline is being addressed throughout the district, curriculum problems, and a need for improvement in working relationships between teachers/support staff and administration. In developing opportunities for involved parties to share constructive feedback, these issues along with others could naturally be addressed and improved upon.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
Here are some characteristics that set me apart from the other candidates and current BOE members:
• former teacher at the elementary level
• arts background, having a unique way of looking at issues and solving problems
• under the age of 30
• in a different socio-economic bracket, being able to relate more closely to a larger segment of our population
These personal characteristics give me a different perspective than other BOE members. I feel that we should have more differing perspectives involved rather than more of the same in order to make decisions that are in the best interest of our entire student body and community. Additionally, I have been committed to praying for our schools on a regular basis, as I believe prayer has the power to assist us in our efforts.
Age: 29
City/town of residence: Monroe
Family: Husband Brad and son Peter, 2
Education: Bachelor of Science in Art Education from UW-River Falls
Occupation: Stay-at-home mom and self-employed artist
Previous elected positions held: none
What are the top issues facing this district/municipality and how would you work to resolve them?
The budget is the biggest looming issue right now. Due to proposed major funding cuts at the state level, our district will most likely be going to a referendum in the near future and/or making significant cuts. Without the needed funding to operate as the district has in years past, it is time to closely examine how the funds that we do have are being used. We may not have much control over how much money is coming in, but we do have some control over how we are allocating those funds and what we are choosing to spend or not spend our current finances on. With the help of some training, I believe that many school district employees could have a better understanding of the current resources and funds available to them within their specific fields. Seeing the numbers, having some buy-in, and using common sense and wisdom, employees could offer suggestions and use discretion in order to cut back on areas that are not of great need. In better educating our staff on our current budget and in seeking their feedback as to what they feel the district can live without, together we could work to trim as much from the budget as possible while making every effort not to make reductions in staffing. Our society expects schools to have all the bells and whistles these days, but the bottom line is that we need qualified, exceptional teachers and staff in our schools. Without them we are doing our students an injustice.
What are other key issues facing the district/municipality, and how would you work to resolve them?
Who speaks at school board meetings? School board members, administrators, and invited presenters are the only people who are allowed to speak during these meetings (other than the brief public comment time which is not an appropriate time to address significant concerns). What percentage of the district is involved in making decisions that affect day-to-day life in the schools? A small number. I see a problem with this. There are many important voices that are not being heard. From my experience in the classroom and the relationships that I have in the community, there are many ongoing problems that the school board and administration are unaware of. Many of these issues could be addressed by making one significant change. We need to have a dialogue between all key parties involved in our schools (school board, administration, teachers, support staff, parents, and students) where there is freedom to share concerns, ideas, and constructive feedback, leading to improvements in our students' education. Concerns and ideas for improvement are not being shared because of (a) a lack of opportunities and/or knowledge of where to start, who to contact and how and (b) fear of negative personal repercussions from sharing opposing viewpoints. Some concerns that have been shared with me by multiple Monroe teachers and parents involve how discipline is being addressed throughout the district, curriculum problems, and a need for improvement in working relationships between teachers/support staff and administration. In developing opportunities for involved parties to share constructive feedback, these issues along with others could naturally be addressed and improved upon.
Why are you the best candidate for this office?
Here are some characteristics that set me apart from the other candidates and current BOE members:
• former teacher at the elementary level
• arts background, having a unique way of looking at issues and solving problems
• under the age of 30
• in a different socio-economic bracket, being able to relate more closely to a larger segment of our population
These personal characteristics give me a different perspective than other BOE members. I feel that we should have more differing perspectives involved rather than more of the same in order to make decisions that are in the best interest of our entire student body and community. Additionally, I have been committed to praying for our schools on a regular basis, as I believe prayer has the power to assist us in our efforts.