From Kevin Visel

Monroe

To the Editor:

For years, a common sentiment among parents of students in Monroe has been that our schools are “good enough”. Sure, we’ve had our issues, but we have many incredible teachers and a healthy nostalgia and pride in the institutions of our city.

The last couple years have caused many of us to take a closer look. Take a look for yourself: Do a web search for “Monroe WI school rating” and you’ll see what parents see when they consider moving to or away from Monroe. It’s not pretty. The reports on our elementary schools are mostly positive, but by the time our students reach high school, they’re in a school that is publicly scored at a 3 or 4 out of 10.

We’re not terrible. We have good schools, but good can be the enemy of great. We need to come to terms with the reality that 69 more students open-enrolled out of Monroe this year than in, favoring districts like Juda and New Glarus, and start asking why.

Why have our facilities fallen into disrepair despite a budget of approximately $18,000 per student? Why are some of our best teachers leaving Monroe for other districts? We all want to support our teachers, but is the status quo really the best we can do for them?

During the last couple years, the decisions of the school board left many students, parents, and staff feeling abandoned and even bullied and discriminated against by a strong-arm administration, simply because of differing personal convictions. This became the wake-up call for many parents to stop saying “good enough” and to start considering how much better our school district could actually be. I am overwhelmed by the gratitude I have already received for standing up for the children from parents and school staff throughout the district who resonate deeply with this sentiment and are hoping for better.

I have a lot of respect for anyone who offers the time and sacrifice that is required to sit on our school board, even those whom I might disagree with. However, when it comes to educating our children and supporting our teachers, the good-old-boy mentality of preserving the status quo does not resonate with local parents. We don’t need to protect our board; we need to improve it. Our children deserve the best, and that starts with putting children first, honoring the role of the parent, and taking better care of our teachers.

My name is Kevin Visel. I am a husband, father, property owner, and business owner in Monroe and I love our city. I have united my campaign for a seat on the school board with Camae Blackburn and Justin Hitchins because we are united in our purpose to put children first again in our schools. Making the children our first priority is the litmus test through which we are committed to making decisions for our school district. We truly appreciate your support and your vote on April 5th.