Cedarburg School Board Candidate Answers
Forward Ozaukee asked each candidate for the School Board to answer five questions. Here are the answers of those whom replied.
April 5 is the election for the school board. YOU MAY VOTE FOR 4 CANDIDATES. The top 3 candidates will be elected to a 3-year term. The fourth-place candidate will be elected to a 1-year term. At the end of the questionnaire answers you may find the names of the candidates who chose to not participate in answering these questions.
Elizabeth Charland
Age: 37
Address: Skyline Dr. - Town of Cedarburg
Previous elected experience: None
Community involvement: Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentor, PTO Treasurer, Sunday School teacher, Room Parent
Contact Info: www.CharlandForCedarburg.com
Facebook and Instagram: @CharlandForCedarburg
Email: CharlandForCedarburg@gmail.com
Kate Erickson
Age: 38
Address: W60N982 Glenwood Drive Cedarburg WI 53012
Previous elected experience: None
Community involvement: Public Speaker on Native American History, Southeast Region Alternate Board Member of the Wisconsin Indian Education Association, Milwaukee Area Technical College DEI and Social Justice Committee Member, member of the FBI Milwaukee Community Round Table, History Faculty at the Milwaukee Area Technical College
Contact info: kateerickson4schoolboard@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/KateErickson4SchoolBoard
www.kateerickson4schoolboard.com
Laura Stroebel
Age: 60
Address: 2428 Covered Bridge Road, Cedarburg
Previous Public Office: Appointed to the Cedarburg School Board - July 2021
Community Involvement:
- Past CHS PTO president
- Past CHS PTO Treasurer
- Past CHS Booster Club Treasurer
- Past CHS Booster Club Board Member
- Girl Scout Leader for 11 years
- 4H Project Leader for 4 years
- Positive Parent Involvement Representative for 6 years
- Mom to Mom Mentor, First Immanuel Lutheran Church for 3 years
Contact info: laurastroebelforcedarburg@gmail.com
1. In your opinion, what should be the 3 top priorities of your school board?
Elizabeth Charland: 1. Academic Excellence: A school board’s top priority is to provide strong academic outcomes for students. The focus should always be on improving academic outcomes of all student groups.
2. Fiscal Responsibility: Cedarburg residents work hard and deserve to have
their tax dollars spent wisely in pursuit of the district’s mission. A strong board
will practice financial discipline and budget for “a rainy day” to avoid future
mega-million building referendums.
3. Culture of Transparency: Parents and taxpayers deserve to know what is
being taught in the classroom. Transparency creates trust. Parents should be
empowered to know that curriculum is age-appropriate and supports the district's academic goals.
Kate Erickson: Teachers, Tools, and Trust. We must work to bring in and retain top notch educators. We need to make sure we are using our “Tools” appropriately. Where is our money going? Are we providing the right compensation packages? Are we making smart decisions when investing in our facilities? Are we updating our curriculum using the latest technologies in a fiscally responsible way? As for Trust, we need a board that is open and transparent in their decisions. Increased communication will go far to help rebuild trust. I want to restore the collaborative spirit that once defined our wonderful community.
Laura Stroebel: 1. Academic success: Providing our students with a rigorous education rooted in the basics while employing great teachers and support staff to teach them.
2. Family involvement, supported with transparency and communication. Families involved in their children’s education is a win for both the students and the district.
3. Fiscal responsibility: Education dollars are finite. We need to be good stewards of taxpayer resources.
2. What are the central events/or ideas our country was founded upon, and how important is it to teach these in the classroom?
Elizabeth Charland: The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are our nation’s two most important documents. The Declaration made the case for man’s natural rights and the founding of our great nation. The Constitution went on to secure those rights by creating the framework for limited government, the separation of powers, and the rule of law. The American Experience, through struggles such as emancipation, women’s suffrage and civil rights, has been a steady progression towards reaching the Founders’ promise of “all men are created equal.” I support a history and civics curriculum that is fact-based, accurate and honest. Cedarburg’s students should graduate being engaged citizens with a strong knowledge of our nation’s founding documents and principals.
Kate Erickson: As a trained historian, it is very important to immerse our students in the foundations of the United States of America. I am a member of the Oneida Nation, which is part of the Six Nations or Haudenosaunee Confederacy. I am proud that our “Great League of Peace” served as one of the the models for the United States government and constitution. It shows that we can work together in cooperation for the betterment of all peoples.
Laura Stroebel: Our country was founded upon the idea that all men are created equal. An individual’s freedoms and liberties are key to the success of our great nation. Our founding fathers experienced tyranny, which gave them the insight to create the framework of our nation today. Our country is not perfect, but we are the greatest nation in the world. Our students need to know the history of our country and the many sacrifices our forefathers made to allow us the freedoms we have today. Learning our nation's history shapes the identity of our next generation.
3. What should the district's position be on teaching CRT, or topics related to it?
Elizabeth Charland: I do not support the teaching of Critical Race Theory or Critical Race Theory Praxis (the practice or implementation of the theory) in Cedarburg schools. In my opinion, CRT is divisive and would take valuable time away from teaching students what they are supposed to be learning—reading, writing, math and science.
As a Hispanic woman, I feel I have a unique perspective to offer on this topic and have spoken at several board meetings on this topic last year. Racism still exists and needs to be dealt with seriously, harshly and consistently when it occurs. I support giving Cedarburg students the unlimited opportunity to succeed and teaching them the universal values of respect, kindness and equality.
Kate Erickson: I have said publicly several times, Critical Race Theory is meant for graduate level law school curriculum. I am a history professor, I do not use it in my classes, as they are not graduate level courses in law. It would not be appropriate to implement that type of curriculum for k-12. While our students are very talented, they aren’t ready for graduate school. I am for a truthful, unbiased Social Studies curriculum. We do our students no favors by hiding or glossing over unpleasant historical facts.
Laura Stroebel: Critical Race Theory (CRT) is based upon defining one group as the oppressor and another as the oppressed. As CRT makes no distinction for the individual, it shouldn’t be taught in the district. Students need to know that each and every one of them is special, unique and like no other person. Skin color does not define who they are. They need to find strength and hope in their uniqueness and know that with hard work, the world of opportunities is open to them. We do need to set this tone in our schools with respect and kindness for all.
4. Can you explain your understanding of equity vs equality and what this means for education?
Elizabeth Charland: Equity is often used interchangeably with Equality, however the words have opposite meanings. Equality means that any two people are treated the same— the equality of opportunity. Equity seeks the equality of outcomes—if two people have different outcomes, the person with the lesser outcome should receive “more” and the person with the greater outcome should receive “less.” Equity is also often addressed historically with the intent of making up for past injustices. Equity is the “E” in DEI: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
I don’t believe “Equity” is a better version of Equality and as a board member I would support policies that are grounded in equal opportunity, merit, objective standards and fairness.
Kate Erickson: Equality means that every child is given the same cookie cutter educational experience. Unfortunately, not all children learn the same way, nor do they make progress in learning skills at the same speed. We hire staff to work with our children who may be struggling in reading or math, or perhaps they need help with speech. Some students may need more assistance through Individualized Education Programs. We provide for students who are excelling in order to help push them to their full potential. Equity in education means we work to ensure that all of our students are equipped to succeed.
Laura Stroebel: All students should equally receive an excellent education. Having 8 children, I have experienced how different learning styles can be from child to child. As a parent, I made adjustments based upon each one’s specific needs. Yet, I made sure they were all equally getting the attention they needed. I believe a good teacher will do the same in his/her classroom. While having to adjust for each student based on their individuality, a teacher will ensure that all students are getting the equal attention they need to succeed in the classroom.
5. Do you think enhanced pay in recognition of high performing teachers should be part of a district's compensation package?
Elizabeth Charland: I support better rewarding high performing teachers. I’m interested in allocating “a bigger piece of the pie” of the overall budget into the classroom. Tax dollars spent in the classroom—on hiring great teachers and on top-notch curriculum— have the biggest impact on student achievement. In this post-ACT 10 era when teachers are more or less “free agents” I think a bigger “bang for the taxpayer buck” would be spent on retaining and recruiting high performing teachers, rather than investing further in infrastructure or administration.
Kate Erickson: I love the idea of enhanced pay for our best teachers, yet I struggle with how it would work in practical application. What would be the definition of “high performing?” As an educator at the college level, should I be held accountable for my students' exam scores should they choose not to study? Or should I be rewarded for engaging my students in the subject matter to motivate them to study harder? I believe that an attractive compensation package would help to bring in high quality educators.
Laura Stroebel: Teachers are the backbone of our schools. In order to achieve academic success, it is imperative to employ and retain high-quality teachers. I am in favor of using a market-based approach to attract and retain high quality teachers. Cedarburg is a destination district recognized for its excellence and that needs to be maintained. We must always recognize and reward those that draw out the best in our students.
Candidates who chose not to respond: Jen Calzada, Ryan Hammetter, Rick Leach, Jamie Maier, and Hani Malek.