Thanks to Clover Montessori School for their support.
There are five candidates running for four seats on the ISD 197 school board this year. We’ve asked the candidates a series of questions to see where they stand on the issues. We’ll share one question and the responses at a time leading up to the election on November 7. See our ISD 197 voter’s guide for more.
We already asked about the candidates‘ top priorities, levies, money, volunteer experience, equity, what sets candidates apart, and district strengths and weaknesses. This week we’re asking about improving ISD 197.
How will you make ISD 197 better? What specific strategies or policies can the school board put in place to create positive change?
We posed this question to all candidates. Here are their answers in random order:
Morgan Steele
I am a critical thinker and I ask a lot of questions prior to making a decision, especially when that decision will affect a lot of people. Being a teacher in a post-pandemic world, I know a lot of the day-to-day challenges that our young people are facing and believe that I will keep our student’s needs at the center of every decision being made. To that end, I can disagree with people about a lot of things but if something is best for students, I can get behind a decision and stand in support of that decision. As far as specific policies or strategies go, I’d be interested in seeing the board open up a listening session for students on site at each school once per year. That would give an opportunity for students to share their school community with board members and also ask questions or share their own vision for our district.
Additionally, board policy 106 commits to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce that reflects the demographic of our student population and I have a lot of ideas on how we might do this. One of those ideas includes recruiting at job fairs at HBCUs in the spring to bring teachers to us and another is to make sure that our contracts for new teachers are attractive enough for teachers to choose us over surrounding districts.
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Randi Walz
As a school board member, I would be committed to actively listening, facilitating support, and advancing our district upward.
Actively Listen:
I aim to engage in attentive and empathetic listening as this fosters understanding, inclusivity and effective decision making. Being an adept listener and conveying the insights gathered is the key. I will work to truly comprehend the perspectives and input of all stakeholders involved. By engaging in interactions that directly impact students, I intend to genuinely make a difference in our community.
Facilitate Support:
It truly takes a village; our schools stand as the foundation of our community. When each individual thrives, the entire community flourishes. Equity and Inclusion initiatives, continuing education for staff, mental health care, parent resources and opportunities to connect are just a few of the ways our school board can foster a community of support.
Move Upward:
I admire the district’s goals outlined in the Strategic Framework and am eager to contribute to their advancement, striving to deepen their impact by engaging a diverse range of stakeholders. I am committed to meticulously understanding what these goals look like in real classroom settings and, more importantly, implementing these goals to benefit the lives of our students.
With this focus, I would aim to bring both continuity and fresh perspectives to ensure our school board operates at its utmost effectiveness, emphasizing a holistic view over individual perspectives. In policymaking, goal setting, and engaging stakeholders, I will prioritize student achievement while being a integral member of a team.
Rowen Elsmore
First and foremost, I will be directly asking our students, teachers, paraprofessionals, staff, principals and community members what their needs are and how policies are directly impacting them. When talking with stakeholders throughout the district, one of the biggest concerns I hear is a feeling of disconnect between the school board and the people that are affected by policies. I will work to ensure I am engaging stakeholders throughout the system to deeply understand their needs.
Our policies need to strongly represent the needs of all of our students, including our BIPOC and LGBTQ+ students. Our equity policy is starting to take steps in this direction, I plan to evaluate how it is working and would like to see it strengthened. Specific protections should be named and put in place for students from our marginalized groups, including specific expectations that preferred names and pronouns are honored for our students.
Finally I believe that school board members should be working to directly advocate for our needs with the legislature. Gains were made in the last session that helped to start shifting things the right direction, but there is more work to be done. I want to see the special education cross-subsidy ended, and special education fully funded.
Tim Aune
As a Board Member I would encourage us to both listen to the people in the classroom as well as other education professional to make sure our district policies reflect updated best practices. Big hooray to the current Board for new cell phone policy. I am also curious about the research on rote learning and note taking on functional memory and retention. Can’t be afraid to look both forward and back for ideas. There is a big difference between getting, and knowing, an answer, and our kids deserve to discover the latter.
I also hope to be a positive ambassador for our schools and the district, encouraging members of our community to become engaged. Mentoring, tutoring, attending a play, concert, or athletic event, supporting the 197 Foundation; all wonderful ways to be involved and connect. When we’re connected, we thrive.
Byron Schwab
I as an individual school board member can make ISD 197 better by knowing, understanding, supporting and promoting what experts in education are saying is research based best practice to improve student achievement, support and retain quality staff and make fiscally responsible decisions. What the school board can do to create positive change is to assure all policies, practices and procedures are in the BEST interest of ALL students and staff in ISD 197.
Note:
Barbara Kessler dropped out of the race in August, though her name will still appear on the ballot.
Vote on November 7
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. The ISD 197 website has details on where and how to vote. Voting options also include absentee voting, either by mail or in person, which starts September 22.
We’ll share more candidate responses as we get closer to the 2023 election. You can also see our ISD 197 voter’s guide for more.
Thank you to the candidates for taking the time to respond.
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