An Epidemic of Decline

In response to falling standards, former Mequon-Thiensville school board member launches charter school

Cheryle Rebholz is the owner of a boutique shooting range in Mequon, an esthetician, a married mother of three and a former school board member in the Mequon-Thiensville School District. She is also in the initial stages of starting a new independent charter school, North Shore Classical Academy.

Rebholz sat down with Badger Institute President Mike Nichols this week to explain why a new charter school is needed in her area, why parents are already clamoring to sign up their kids and why the politicians should provide the same amount of funding for students at charter and voucher schools as they provide for students at traditional public schools.

I have twin sons. They’re 37. And I have a daughter who is 29. We moved into the Mequon-Thiensville School District when the twins were six in the early 1990s because it had an excellent reputation for general ed and especially special ed. One of the twins needed special education.

My twins did attend the Mequon-Thiensville schools, but we said we’re not sending our daughter because it pivoted. It went from being high-quality, from being a family-like environment, everybody lifting the boat, to new policies, watering down a curriculum, especially in the special ed area.

We were not going to expose my daughter to a school district whose curriculum and philosophy was turning into a different direction and away from excellence.

I ran for school board. My term was 2012 through 2015, and I ran on a couple of main issues.

I ran on technical education. They were starting to cut that out and not give the young adults in high school choices but restrict them and not give them exposure and devalue the skilled trades.

It’s a widespread issue in the wealthy communities. I said, “You just passed a referendum. Who is going to build those buildings and remodel them if it’s not the skilled trades? Your BA or your master’s in philosophy is not going to build them.” The shortage in skilled labor is manmade by the schools.

The other issue I ran on was discipline. We were having a lot of students who were performing very serious breaches of the handbook and local laws and ordinances. I started seeing the district not backing their teachers, not giving them the benefit of the doubt regarding what’s going on in that classroom because the district was intimidated by parents bringing attorneys.

Otherwise, what we have now is chaos. We have students spitting, swearing, not turning in homework, vandalizing, coming in eating, disrespecting. It starts again at the home and having a partnership with the school and that teacher and having their backs.

Also, they were going from semesters to trimesters at that time, and they were going to cut some math. Well, I disagreed with that. You need to have math. You don’t cut math for band. You don’t have to take calculus, but you need good, basic, fundamental math. You need business math.

Another issue is personal politics. Keep them out of the class, out of our district. I don't care what your politics are. They stop at the threshold. You park your car. You come in. You can teach civics and politics, but you don’t inject your personal politics.

That will absolutely not happen in the new charter school. It's going to be in the manual and, as people join, which we’ll have a lot of teachers that want to work there, it’ll be in the … employee handbook and student handbook.

I’m an activist, but on my own terms and time, not inside a school.

This will be a public charter school I’m going to launch with four pathways and students will not be restricted or forced down one pathway.

It will be college prep with the liberal arts teaching. It will be classical college prep, though. It's going to be career technical education, junior ROTC with the military leadership, and then entrepreneurship.

Everybody will get the core, K4 through eighth grade. As they mature, when they hit the ninth grade, then they’ll work with counselors and start seeing where they want to dip their toe in the water. And I want to cross-promote (the pathways) because you shouldn’t just narrow yourself.

If you’re going into, let’s say, junior ROTC, and it’s the Navy track I’ve picked and affiliated with, you should also try something in career tech ed. You should be able to cross over.

We also will teach love of country. Besides a great curriculum, it’s love of country and service.

I was officially approved through Phase I this past April with my authorizer.

It’s the Wisconsin University System – Office of Educational Opportunity. The goal is if you got through Phase I, they want you to get through Phase II and launch. And I hope to be open 2024 or 2025 at the latest.

We’re going to start up with K4 through ninth. Then every year, we’ll roll out 10th, 11th, and 12th, so our 9th graders will be our first graduating class when they’re 12th graders.

The region I want to service is the Nicolet District, Brown Deer, Mequon-Thiensville, Cedarburg, Grafton. But it’s open to anybody.

I did a survey about my charter school to see if there was a need, this past December. And after 48 hours, my marketing person called me and said, “Your charter survey is blowing up. It’s unusual. Your open rate and completion rate is through the roof.” And the results were, “Cheryle, you could fill your school if you open next fall.”

I am already interviewing teachers. The word is on the street. I have taken a couple of interviews already with teachers that want to work in this environment. Their stress and anxiety, and with the culture we have now, they want a change of venue.

We’re looking at existing buildings to retrofit. I like the city of Mequon. 

I want equal funding. I want the same amount of money a public-schooler gets in-district. That’s a policy change I would love with a new governor. That money should follow the child – period.

Badger Institute Note: Right now in Wisconsin, traditional public schools receive an average of approximately $15,000 per student in funding from federal, state and local taxpayers. Independent charter schools – which are also public schools – receive thousands less, as do private schools that accept vouchers.  

Don’t be punitive just because it’s a charter or a voucher or choice. That’s a horrible policy. It’s antiquated. It’s dated. It’s funding discrimination. It’s unfair. Where is the equity in that or equality?

We don’t have a proficient, intelligent, elegant workforce.

As I interact with the young people, they don’t have the soft skills or life skills. They couldn’t speak to me with eye contact. They need to restore writing thank you notes, how to dress for an interview, how to just be a good employee and what the expectations are.

It’s a crisis. Just interacting with people. There is a lack of manners and etiquette everywhere. Open and close a door. Say thank you and please. It’s an epidemic of decline, and we need to restore things in a school setting where we’ve captured your child six to seven hours a day.

This is an edited synopsis of a longer interview. Some quotes have been moved in order to make the narrative flow.

https://www.badgerinstitute.org/News/2022-2023/An-Epidemic-of-Decline.htm

Battleground CRT, “Sex Ed for Social Change”

Scott Sidney May 2022

Ever since the grand pandemic of 2020 parents on both sides of the political spectrum discovered lessons children were learning in their local schools. What they found alarmed them.

The first thing parents uncovered was a curriculum based in racist advocacy called Critical Race Theory (CRT). Christopher Rufo, Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute describes teaching that primary and secondary school students were receiving.
“[A] deeply divisive ideology of race essentialism, offering a distorted account of American life to promote a set of radical political ideas. [T]hat America was founded on and defined by racism and that our founding principles, our Constitution, and our way of life should be overthrown.”

The educational establishment both denied CRT was being taught and then not only defended the practice but also insisted it would continue.

Parents in Virginia, having become aware of questionable school curricula, were horrified. They revolted resulting in the November 2021 election to Governor of Glenn Youngkin running on a platform of parental rights. The impetus behind Youngkin’s victory was an assertion by his opponent, Terry McCauliffe, who stated, “I don’t think parents should be telling schools what they should teach.”

In the wake of that momentous election Progressive school board members were being recalled across the country. Even in the overwhelmingly reliable Progressive stronghold of San Francisco board members were recalled. Parents cited board overreach and “pushing progressive politics instead of acting in the best interests of children.” Ballotpedia wrote of the nationwide phenomenon, “This is the highest number of school board recalls Ballotpedia has tracked in one year since our tracking began in 2010.”

The National Association of School Boards (NASB) fought back penning a letter to the Biden Administration asking the Justice Department to declare protesting parents “Domestic Terrorists” and to use the FBI to threaten parents if they oppose school boards during school board meetings. The tactic backfired spectacularly with many local school boards still withdrawing their membership from NASB.

CRT was just the first flash point in a battle to control school children. Parents are now on high alert for curricula they find objectionable or age-inappropriate. It didn’t take long to discover another disturbing activity: schools were introducing sexual politics to children as young as six.

Amid historically unprecedented increased reports of female gender dysphoria, parents started seeing how school policies, administrators, and teachers encouraged youngsters to first embrace a biologically untenable transformation but also to keep appropriated “transgender” identities from their parents. In fact the school district in Eau Claire, Wisconsin instructed teachers that parents do not have a right to know how their child may identify themselves sexually.

This all came to a head, again, when Florida passed a “Parental Rights Bill” that the usual suspects on the left dubbed, “The Don’t Say Gay” bill. As with every issue that the far left Progressives oppose, they lie about the legislation and its contents. But the purpose of the Parental Rights legislation is to, "reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children in a specified manner.”

While the bill was pending, and in a fit of juvenile obtuseness, adult Florida teachers paraded through their school halls chanting, “Gay! Gay! Gay!” We all know that sex is a difficult enough dynamic for adults to grasp, navigate or even understand. Making intimate human biological forces public school pageantry destroys any respect towards others turning sex into a political performance of singular self indulgence.

In an interview appearing on the Indiana NPR/PBS affiliate wfyi web page, Nora Gelperin (director of sex education and training with Advocates for Youth) reacted to opposition by stating, “It's all part of the same movement by well-funded far-right organizations.”

In the same interview SIECUS reported, “[T]here were 73 “parental rights” bills introduced this year, including the Florida law opponents dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which bans discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten through third grade.”

SIECUS is the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. The SIECUS tagline from their website is, “Advancing sex ed for social change since 1964. [SEICUS] advances comprehensive sexuality education as a means of building a foundation for a long-term culture shift.” In a bid to achieve their ideological leftist “culture shift” Progressive Democrats are not above using blackmail as in this: “Biden Admin: K-12 Schools Must Put Boys In Girls’ Bathrooms To Get Federal Lunch Money.”

These are not tactics a representative government uses to negotiate compromise between opposing points of view. This is authoritarian rule.

Both CRT and Parental Rights are issues over which parents are going to war with educational and administrative autocrats who believe children are wards of the state and do not belong to parents. Leftists believe controlling children advances their far-left agenda: uniformity of thought, one party governance. They defame anyone getting in their way; anyone disagreeing with their imperious plans. There will certainly be more battles. It’s a war over control of the country’s future.

Op-Ed by Scott Sidney

Kids Are Far, Far Behind in School

The Atlantic article

Kids Are Far, Far Behind in School

Educators need a plan ambitious enough to remedy enormous learning losses.

By Thomas Kane

Starting in the spring of 2020, school boards and superintendents across the country faced a dreadful choice: Keep classrooms open and risk more COVID-19 deaths, or close schools and sacrifice children’s learning. In the name of safety, many districts shut down for long periods. But researchers are now learning that the closures came at a stiff price—a large decline in children’s achievement overall and a historic widening in achievement gaps by race and economic status.

The achievement loss is far greater than most educators and parents seem to realize. The only question now is whether state and local governments will recognize the magnitude of the educational damage and make students whole. Adults are free to disagree about whether school closures were justified or a mistake. But either way, children should not be stuck with the bill for a public-health measure taken on everyone’s behalf.

I am part of a team from the American Institutes for Research, Dartmouth College, Harvard, and the educational-assessment nonprofit NWEA that has been investigating the impact of remote and hybrid instruction on student learning during the 2020–21 academic year. We have assembled testing results from 2.1 million elementary- and middle-school students in 10,000 schools in 49 states and Washington, D.C., and combined those with data on the number of weeks schools were in-person, remote, or hybrid during 2020–21. Our team compared student-achievement growth in the period before the pandemic, from fall 2017 to fall 2019, with the period from fall 2019 to fall 2021. For years, districts have regularly been using NWEA tests to measure how students’ performance in reading and math changes during a school year; in a typical week of in-person instruction before the pandemic, the average student improved 0.3 points in math (on the NWEA’s scale) and 0.2 points in reading.

During the spring semester of 2020, though, nearly all schools went remote. Distractions, technical glitches, and the many other pitfalls of online education made it far less effective than in-person school.

One-fifth of American students, by our calculations, were enrolled in districts that remained remote for the majority of the 2020–21 school year. For these students, the effects were severe. Growth in student achievement slowed to the point that, even in low-poverty schools, students in fall 2021 had fallen well behind what pre-pandemic patterns would have predicted; in effect, students at low-poverty schools that stayed remote had lost the equivalent of 13 weeks of in-person instruction. At high-poverty schools that stayed remote, students lost the equivalent of 22 weeks. Racial gaps widened too: In the districts that stayed remote for most of last year, the outcome was as if Black and Hispanic students had lost four to five more weeks of instruction than white students had.

By our calculations, about 50 percent of students nationally returned in person in the fall and spent less than a month remote during the 2020–21 school year. In these districts where classrooms reopened relatively quickly, student-achievement gaps by race and socioeconomic status widened a bit in reading but, fortunately, not in math. And overall student achievement fell only modestly. The average student in the quicker-to-reopen districts lost the equivalent of about seven to 10 weeks of in-person instruction. (That losing just a quarter of a typical school year’s academic progress is a relatively good outcome only underscores the dimension of the overall problem.)

What happened in spring 2020 was like flipping off a switch on a vital piece of our social infrastructure. Where schools stayed closed longer, gaps widened; where schools reopened sooner, they didn’t. Schools truly are, as Horace Mann famously argued, the “balance wheel of the social machinery.”

Like any other parent who witnessed their child dozing in front of a Zoom screen last year, I was not surprised that learning slowed. However, as a researcher, I did find the size of the losses startling—all the more so because I know that very few remedial interventions have ever been shown to produce benefits equivalent to 22 weeks of additional in-person instruction.

High-dosage tutoring—which educators define as involving a trained tutor working with one to four students at a time, three times a week for a whole year—is one of the few interventions with a demonstrated benefit that comes close, producing an average gain equivalent to 19 weeks of instruction. One of those leading the charge on tutoring is Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn, who is offering matching funds to encourage school districts to launch tutoring initiatives. Tennessee’s goal is to provide high-dosage tutors to 50,000 students a year for the next two years. School systems elsewhere have similar ambitions. The educational-policy think tank FutureEd, at Georgetown University, reviewed the pandemic-recovery plans of thousands of districts and found that a quarter had tutoring initiatives in the works.

The obvious challenge with tutoring is how to offer it to students on an enormous scale. To eliminate a 22-week instruction loss would require providing a tutor to every single student in a school. Yet Tennessee’s plan would serve just one out of 12 Tennessee students in the targeted grades.

Given the magnitude and breadth of the losses, educators should not see tutoring as the sole answer to the problem. School systems need a patch big enough to cover the hole.

Many district leaders I know are considering three additional measures. One option is voluntary summer school, which, according to prior research, has yielded about five weeks of instructional gain per student. Another option is an extra period each day of instruction in core subjects. A double dose of math over the course of an entire school year has been shown to produce gains equivalent to about 10 weeks of in-person instruction, although the evidence on reading is weaker. (Our team will be working with districts to measure the efficacy of these and other catch-up efforts over the next two years.)

Like tutoring, double-dose math will be hard to scale up. Staffing the additional sections of math requires hiring more math teachers amid a historically hot labor market. Unlike tutors (who can be contractors), districts are hesitant to add permanent teaching staff for a short-term catch-up effort.

Meanwhile, summer school has historically struggled with low student attendance. In a typical pre-pandemic year, only about 6 percent of students attended summer school. Even if districts managed to triple that number, enrollment would still fall far short of the magnitude required to eliminate learning loss.

A third alternative would be lengthening the school year for the next two years. Of course, districts would have to pay teachers, janitors, and bus drivers more, perhaps at time and a half, to work the extra weeks. But unlike with tutoring or double-dose math, districts already have the personnel, the buildings, the buses, the schedules. As long as educators, parents, and students view the extra instructional time as just an extension of the school year—like days added to make up for snow closures—the power of family and school routine will deliver higher attendance than summer school.

The primary problem with a longer school year is political, not logistical. After opposition from the local teachers’ union and some parents, the Los Angeles Unified School District was able to add only four optional days of school next year. This is, to be sure, more make-up time than many other school systems have planned, but quite inadequate given that the nation’s second-largest school district was remote for three-quarters of 2020–21.

I fear that, in areas where classrooms remained closed for long periods, school officials are not doing the basic math. High-dosage tutoring may produce the equivalent of 19 weeks of instruction for students who receive it, but is a district prepared to offer it to everyone? Alternatively, suppose that a school offers double-dose math for every single student and somehow convinces them to attend summer school, too. That, educational research suggests, would help students make up a total of 15 weeks of lost instruction. Even if every single student in a high-poverty school received both interventions, they would still face a seven-week gap.

Educational interventions have a way of being watered down in practice; many superintendents and school boards may tell themselves that they are taking a variety of steps to help students make up lost time. And yet most district plans are currently nowhere near commensurate with their students’ losses.

I understand the many practical challenges of implementing any of these measures—much less implementing all of them quickly. Yet speed is essential. State and local school agencies received $190 billion in federal pandemic relief, much of which remains unspent. Districts have more than two full school years in which to spend the aid. But if they do not get started at sufficient scale during the coming school year, they risk using the aid for other purposes and running out of time and money later.

Last year, Miguel Cardona, the secretary of education, urged schools to return to in-person learning. Now the department that he leads should be encouraging (or requiring) districts to update their recovery plans in light of achievement losses. Local school boards should have to show that their recovery programs are plausibly sufficient to cover those losses. When Congress approved federal aid packages for schools, the magnitude of the achievement losses were unclear, and many analysts were preoccupied with potential shortfalls in the state and local tax revenue used to fund schools. Thus, the law required districts to spend only 20 percent of their COVID-relief money on academic recovery; the rest could go to the day-to-day needs of a school district—salaries, curriculum materials, teacher training, facility improvements. But many districts, especially those that were remote for much of 2020–21, will have to spend nearly all of their federal relief funds on academic recovery if they want students to catch up.

Reversing pandemic-era achievement losses will take aggressive action over the next several years. And yet the problem also presents an opportunity for any governor or mayor or superintendent looking to make meaningful improvements in children’s education. Federal aid is available. No obvious partisan roadblocks stand in the way. Most communities just need leadership—and a sufficiently ambitious recovery plan. In Tennessee, Schwinn has at least recognized the enormous scope of the problem. Which other state and local leaders will join her?

Thomas Kane is an economist and the faculty director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.

Op-ed

Here is an op-ed in response to a front page article in the News Graphic the day of the election (April 5). The article detailed a communication by 7 doctors and 2 others about how the Cedarburg School Board proposed new sex-ed policies. Here is the full op-ed.

Sex, Lies, and Screw-tapes

By Scott Sidney, April 7, 2022

Just what is this diabolical fascination members of a certain ideological worldview have with the sex lives of children? How is anyone to believe in or trust our local medical professionals who subscribe to that worldview, some of whom work in such notable facilities as Ascension, Children's Wisconsin or Aurora, when they make snide public statements that are demonstrably deceptive? What is their agenda?

“’Once again, the Cedarburg Board of Education is attempting to make a radical, regressive change to Human Growth and Development education in Cedarburg,’ according to the statement.  ‘At the school board policy meeting on March 30, changes to the policy statement on HGD education were proposed. These changes represent a huge step backwards in educating our children.’”

The News Graphic reported these remarks by 9 so-called professionals 7 of whom profess medical degrees in the Tuesday, April 5th edition; interestingly published the morning of the school board election.

A nearly identical HG&D proposal was taken up by the Grafton School Board on March 14th of this year using the same policy consultant company – Neola. Several complaining doctors work or reside in Grafton and yet, curiously, there was no slamming of that board’s consideration of potential changes; no “Having a professional opinion” broadcast as one disturbed professional put it. Why?

The Cease-and-Desist letter sent to these “professionals” - one of whom is a 20 year employee of Planned Parenthood whose primary business is in aborting children - was mocked. And according to FEC Contribution filings, at least one family member of other signatories donated to ACTBLUE an organization which promotes left leaning causes.

It’s not only eminently reasonable, then, to request others to stop lying about procedural facts but necessary to call out misleading accusations.

Here is an excerpt of the statement issued by the School District.

“[N]ot only did the Committee not recommend that Neola’s proposed changes to the Board’s HGD policy be approved, but the Committee did not even consider the proposed changes to the policy.” [emphasis mine].

There is a belief by the moral elite above us that their approach to a child’s sex education is far superior to some backward, ole fashion notion which includes abstinence; that allowing intimate discussions regarding a child’s development is far too important to leave to regressive parents; regressive parents who by the way were raised in the full bloom of the sexual revolution but still cling to quaint notions of modesty.

Let’s look for a moment at resulting inarguable failures of some new-fangled sex ed experiments. “Congress set up [a] program in 2010 to analyze and fund teen pregnancy programs that don’t focus primarily on avoiding sexual risk.... [in 2016], HHS highlighted …the programs… [W]hat was shown was marked ineffectiveness, and in some cases increases in sexually risky behavior.”

So, why do it? It is an ideological, political worldview which considers children wards of the state. One need only review incidents in the last couple years to conclude that the moral elite wish to dispense with meddling parents and to fully indoctrinate children as young as kindergartners into an adult world of sex.

In fact, the American Association of Pediatrics (District policy critics include pediatricians) says this, “The physician … should not ‘inform parents/guardians about the teenager’s sexual identity or behavior; doing so could expose the youth to harm.’”

It’s plain to see there is a concerted effort by politically motivated ideologues and state education collectives to wrest control of children from parents through a variety of obnoxious programs including Critical Race Theory and offensive sexual instruction. Parents raise children. Not civil servants or procacious, dissembling professionals.

-Shorter version in the NewsGraphic on April 14, 2022.

ESG and you

Marlo Oaks, Treasurer of the State of Utah, has something very important to say. Please read this article.

http://thenakeddollar.blogspot.com/2022/04/esg-politicization-of-capital.html?m=1

Effects of inflation

Has inflation affected you? Chances are if you are following news reports or tracking expenses you’ve noticed the percentage on inflation creeping higher. However, this article from “The Federalist” puts into a dollar amount what is actually happening with the percentages on your income, savings and expenses.

While “[n]ear-8 percent inflation already sounds high, look at the actual drain on your paycheck and simultaneous spike in your expenses, and that number suddenly feels a whole lot higher.”

Wisconsin’s parent bill of rights…

Use this link to read about what a parent bill of rights in Wisconsin entails in response to several cases.

An excerpt: "Wisconsin's parent bill of rights establishes a statutory legal right for parents to direct their child's education and a legal framework to hold schools accountable to this law."

Cedarburg Letter from W.I.L.L.

Click here for the original article from W.I.L.L.

Letter to the Superintendent and School Board.

"...nothing in Wisconsin law requires that it be taught. ...if taught in certain ways, an ideology that advances notions of racial guilt and entitlement might itself violate nondiscrimination laws by creating a hostile racial environment." -from a March 17, 2022 letter from Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty to Superintendent Bugnacki and Cedarburg School Board Members

A portion of the letter sent to the Cedarburg School District Superintendent and School Board Members states in the Conclusion that:
“In Wisconsin, school districts select their own curriculum. While Cedarburg is certainly free to amend or add to its curriculum, it need not make any changes as a result of the Bridge the Divide complaint and appeal. Specifically, it need not teach a highly politicized and contested view of history and of race and, depending on how it is executed, may even be forbidden from doing so.
It would be inappropriate and unwarranted for the DPI to find that the
Cedarburg School District curriculum fails to comply with state law as it relates to teaching about race and matters of cultural diversity. Similarly, it would be an overreach for the DPI to mandate wholesale changes to the Cedarburg School District curriculum under Wis. Stat. § 118.13. We will be watching for the response by the DPI and are hopeful that it will find no corrective action is required.”
The links above are to the article from W.I.L.L. as well as the specific letter. Read them to find links to all of the referenced instances as well as the citations of the legalities of what is requested.

School Scorecard

There are many school board races this Spring Election. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty has provided “a one-stop-shop for information about Wisconsin schools.” Find information about your local school district here. You are able to easily view trends in enrollment, proficiency, spending, and a host of other information on this site!

Northern Ozaukee School District

There are three positions available for the School Board. You may vote for one candidate for the Town of Belgium seat, one candidate for the Town of Saukville seat and one candidate for the town of Fredonia seat.

Mr. Dan Large, from the Town of Belgium, was the only reply we had to the repeated emails about responding to our five questions. He chose to not respond to the questions. You may email any of the candidates at their following email addresses:

Town of Belgium - Dan Large dlarge@nosd.edu

Town of Saukville - Rick Hamm rhamm@nosd.edu

Town of Fredonia - Suzanne P. Miller smiller@nosd.edu (incumbent)

Jason W. Stielow stielow@gmail.com

Grafton School District

You may vote for up to 2 candidates for the Grafton School Board. The candidates are:

Mark Koehler - mkoehler@grafton.k12.wi.us

Blair Jamieson - jamiesongolf@gmail.com

PWSSD Candidate Answers

Forward Ozaukee asked each candidate for the Port Washington-Saukville School Board to answer five questions in 100 words or less.  Here are those replies.

You may elect up to 3 candidates on April 5: 1 candidate for the at-large seat and 2 candidates for the City of Port Washington seats.  Candidates have been arranged alphabetically by last name for their responses. For more details, you may directly contact each candidate with the information provided below.

2 Candidates for 1 At Large Seat:

Yvonne Klotz
Age: Do you really want to know? 
Address: 124 S Tower Drive, Port Washington 53074
Previous Public Office: Only local seat I've been in was the AT LARGE seat I am running for this time
Community Involvement: I currently work for the City of Port in Parks&Rec. I am an avid supporter of the Music Booster group at PWHS. As a board member I visit schools annually and meet with a variety of staff on my own.
Contact Information: Cell: 262-685-6533 or klotzgang@sbcglobal.net

Richard R. Sternhagen
Age: 65
Address:  755 N. Milwaukee Street Port Washington, WI
Previous Public Office: (none)
Community Involvement: Lions Club-Port Washington
Junior Achievement-Sheboygan
United Way-Sheboygan & Ozaukee County
RPW/RPOC
Contact Information:  email risternh@gmail.com
Cell: 262-488-9065
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/richard4PWSSB; http://www.sternhagenforpwssd.com/

3 Candidates for 2 City of Port Washington Seats:

Karen L. Krainz 
Age:  58
Address:  Port Washington, WI
Previous Public Office:  None
Community Involvement: Port Washington Main Street Economic
Restructuring Committee Co-Chair
Business Development Committee member
Wisconsin Humane Society - Ozaukee Campus
People & Animals Learning (PAL) children’s program
Dog walking & socialization
Photographing dogs for website
Contact Information: website:  https://www.krainzforpwssd.com/
linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-krainz-a152a41b/
facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Karen-L-Krainz-for-PWSSD-School-Board-107068715247586

Johnny Lanser 
Age: 35
Address:     1015 Fairview Dr – Port Washington
Previous Public Office: none
Community Involvement: St. John 23 – Finance Committee Member 
Port Washington-Saukville School Foundation Member
Park and Rec Youth Flag Football Coach – 4years
St. John 23 Youth Basketball Coach
Former Port Hoops Board member – Vice President and voting member
Contact Information: Cell:  262-339-0734
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnny.lanser
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/johnnylanser/?hl=en

Brian Stevens 
Age:    53
Address:    1550 North Holden St, Port Washington
Previous Public Office:    PWSSD Board member since appointment in 2014
Community Involvement:    Member of the PWHS STEM advisory committee previously member of the Port Washington Main Street Economic Restructuring and Design Committees
Contact Information:    email:  brian.stevens@pwssd.k12.wi.us
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BrianStevensForPortSchoolBoard

1. In your opinion, what should be the 3 top priorities of your school board?

Yvonne Klotz 1.    Keep the focus on students 1st; many different needs and aspirations.

2.    Support staff at a variety of levels. Learning environments include a variety of people that make the school a comfortable and safe place to learn. 

3.    Funding to sustain a well rounded program as costs continue to rise, along with retaining staff to provide consistency with instruction and relationships is going to have to be addressed.     

Richard R. Sternhagen

• Create a culture and policy that supports transparency through continuous communication.

• Review and allocate all resources based upon the contribution towards education excellence for all students.

• Enhance education experience through an aggressive solicitation of community input and involvement.

• Create policy that mandates common sense, conservative financial stewardship.

Karen L. Krainz

·      Supporting high quality education for our students with a strong teaching staff and curriculum;

·      Fiscal responsibility in allocating school district funds and resources;

·      Ongoing communication and engagement with our community to ensure goals, priorities and values are being represented

Johnny Lanser

a.             Overall student achievement and success. Providing resources to the students so they can become the best possible version of themselves.

b.             Providing support to teachers and staff to aid in their ongoing success and development. If teachers don’t have the support and/or tools they need, how can we expect them to live in a culture of success.

c.              Community engagement by way of transparency and involvement. Share what’s going on in the schools such as curriculum and live stream or post video and discussion of board meetings. TRANSPERENCY = TRUST = OWNERSHIP

Brian Stevens

1.    With a District Office Leadership team that has been with the district less than one year, ensuring that the team is focused and collectively headed in the direction desired by our community.

2.    Continuing to improve transparency, communication, and marketing within and for the district.

3.    Continuing to be fiscally responsible with the resources we have been provided

2. What are the central events/or ideas our country was founded upon, and how important is it to teach these in the classroom?
Yvonne Klotz Two ways of learning history I’m aware of are: step by step of events or thematically. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Depending on the approach of teaching the events or themes, there are various ideals and struggles left out, ignoring that America has been built upon struggles and sufferings. America continues to grow with struggles and suffering. Teachers have opportunities to help students learn about our growth as a nation with its struggles and sufferings. Teachers think critically about diving into the truths that students seek, which is important for learning together. I see this as an ongoing process.
Richard R. Sternhagen Policy should require curriculum at all grade levels that include a comprehensive review of World History, Economics, U.S. history, Wisconsin History and Civics education. It’s critical all students understand the conditions and motivations that inspired the creation and the evolution of our great country and their responsibilities as citizens.            

Karen L. Krainz Our country was founded on the idea that all people are created equal and that we all have fundamental rights such as liberty, free speech, freedom of religion, due process of law, and freedom of assembly. The origins and historical events of our country through the years, good and bad, along with effects on our people is important for students to learn, discuss and understand. 
Johnny Lanser Freedom and free thinking. Teaching our children HOW to think instead of WHAT to think. I believe that it is extremely important to teach the students the history of this country and how/why we are here today living in the best country in the world.
Brian Stevens The primary events or ideas of our country’s founding are the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, and the Constitution. Understanding these events, the ideas, and people that led to them are crucial to understanding the basis of our country and should be known by anyone graduating from our district. These events, ideas, and people set the stage for other events in our country going forward, and forced us as a country to face our shortcomings, and work to fix them, and can still be drawn upon today when evaluating current events in the world and how we as individuals, or our government react to these events. 

3. What should the district's position be on teaching CRT, or topics related to it?
Yvonne Klotz   For the CRT question, I would first like to ask the person or group who ask about CRT, what is it? Can the person(s) give me detail about what this looks like to them. I’ve visited all schools over the course of my term several times as a SB member. I have not seen anything like what I hear people explain to me what they think CRT is. So, at this time, I’d like to learn what people are fearful of if they think we’re doing something in our schools with specific examples they have seen or experienced.
Richard R. Sternhagen All curriculum development should be assessed based upon the contribution towards preparing the student to have a competitive advantage within the global economy. Topics including CRT and iterations of CRT do not inspire the development of critical thinking or support excellence in the education. Much of CRT demands compliance of thought and is not an honest assessment of history.       

Karen L. Krainz Critical Race Theory (CRT) is taught at the collegiate level and should NOT be part of the K-12 curriculum. However, where racial differences had a significant impact in historical events, these facts and their effects on people of different races should be taught in social studies and literature.
Johnny Lanser To answer this directly, CRT and/or any topics related to it do not belong in our schools here in Port Washington-Saukville or anywhere in the country for that matter. CRT is a divisive idea of which none should be taught to the children and taking time away from real academia. The district should take a strong stand that they will not allow CRT or any related idea to be taught in our schools.
Brian Stevens I only know what I have heard about CRT. … That said, based on what I have heard about CRT, I don’t think that teaching anyone they are a victim, or an oppressor based on race or skin color benefits anyone and should not be practiced. 
I think we should teach history, both the good and the bad. Along with that, we should be teaching how things changed and the people that facilitated that change. All of this formed us as a country, and we would all benefit from more people having a broader understanding of how we got to where we are now. 

4. Can you explain your understanding of equity vs equality and what this means for education?
Yvonne Klotz Equity vs Equality: The two words are different. Equity is having access to the resources, then you begin to work with delivering equality in the educational world. Access to our resources and having familiarity with something will help all when diving into whatever content you are teaching. PWSSD is a public school that serves ALL kids that walk through the doors. We take the student where they are at. We have to.  We also have to remember to not put them down for something they aren’t even aware of (i.e not understanding water fountain vs bubbler).
Richard R. Sternhagen There should always be equal opportunity for all students to thrive and learn. Students should be the “hero” with educators doing everything they can to support their success. Demanding equal outcome encourages a reduction of expectations discouraging students and educators to strive for excellence.  

Karen L. Krainz Equality is providing the same to all. Equity is the quality of being fair and impartial. Equality in education means that every child has the same rights, opportunities and resources. Equity in education means that each child receives what they need to develop to their full academic and social potential. Equity is individual focused and takes into account each child’s differences.
Johnny Lanser Everyone deserves an equal opportunity, not equal results. Every student deserves the right to the same education regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation. However, this does not mean that everyone will achieve the same result. The standard education should be the same for all students with additional resources available to those that require specialized instruction outside of regular schooling. If you want equal results, you must put in the work to do so. It is the responsibility of the school to provide necessary resources.
Brian Stevens Everyone learns differently. For learning to occur, teachers must understand the student in front of them, and what methods are successful in helping them learn. It would be a mistake for anyone to make assumptions about an individual’s ability to learn based solely on demographics and create policies based on these assumptions. Multiple methods that align with an individual student’s effective method of learning successfully must be used, and teachers must have relationships with their individual students so that they understand what methods enable success on an individual level. 

5. Do you think enhanced pay in recognition of high performing teachers should be part of a district's compensation package?
Yvonne Klotz I do not believe enhanced pay in recognitin of high performing teachers should be part of a district's compensation package. I state this because I was an educator in the CSD and saw how it created competition rather than collaboration between teachers. Guys and gals that didn't have families could do extra things, and they get recognized for that on top of the extra pay they received for coaching or being a club advisor. There are so many ways that leaders discrimminated against women in the teaching field, and I was experienced the high turn over rates. I saw half
Richard R. Sternhagen Exceeding meaningful and measurable goals that contribute towards student success should be rewarded through compensation or recognition.   

Karen L. Krainz  Enhanced pay in recognition of high performing teachers is a good idea but would be difficult to apply in practice. I am an advocate for greater compensation to retain and attract high performing teachers, as they are the backbone of a high quality education.

Johnny Lanser  I am all for having a larger portion of a budget go to increased pay to teachers. These teachers spend a lot of time with the students and are greatly responsible for who these kids become if done right. I do however think that with greater pay, comes greater expectations and less tolerance for teachers not living up to the expectation. The expectation would be nothing short of excellence in the classrooms.
Brian Stevens Conceptually, I think rewarding high-performing teachers as part of the district’s compensation package should be considered as a way to attract and retain the best teachers in our district.

Spring Elections

ALL elections are important to your civic duty. However, Spring Elections are the ones that elect people to positions closer-to-home.

This year in Ozaukee County, the ballots for the Spring Election contain an election for a judge for the Court of Appeals, a County Supervisor, a Mayor, School Board Members, Trustees and Town Supervisors.

If you are wondering when and where you can vote, click HERE. By entering your address, you will be able to see the hours and location of your polling place, a sample of your ballot with all categories and names, and links to information if you need to vote absentee.

This year’s Spring Election is on Tuesday, April 5.

Bring a friend and come vote for your neighbors who will be making decisions that immediately affect you.

Accountability consideration?

Should Wisconsin voters directly elect their top election official? 33 other states (both blue and red) already empower voters to do this.

Institute for Reforming Government has an interesting piece on holding election officials accountable by electing the top official. Should Wisconsin be considering something like this?

Read the article by clicking this link.

https://reforminggovernment.org/policy-solution-make-state-elections-official-accountable-to-voters/

MTSD 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. Some answers exceeded the 100 word count limit, so for further details or clarification please contact the candidates directly. Their contact information can be found at the top of the document.

The top 2 candidates in April will be elected to a 3-year term.

Paul Buzzell:
Connect with me:
linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbcfo/
facebook https://www.facebook.com/paulhbuzzell/
Website:  Pb4mtsd.com

Jill Chromy: 
Age: 52
Address: 13033 N Phillip Dr. Mequon, WI 53097
Previous Public Office: None
Community involvement: PTO President Lake Shore Middle School, Area Council Representative in MTSD, Destination Team manager for MTSD, Member Christ Church and Christ Church Women's Group (Monday AM)  
Contact information:  Email      chromy4mtsd@gmail.com
Phone     414-331-4241
Website  chromy4mtsd.com

Scarlett Johnson:
Age:  47 yrs
Address:  10935 N Wyngate Trace Mequon
Email: Scarlett@scarlettforkids.com
Website: www.scarlettforkids.com
Facebook: @scarlettforkids 

Jason Levash:
Age: 41
Address: 8955 W Highlander Dr, Mequon WI 53097
Previous Public Office: none
Community Involvement: past and present listed on my website under "Meet Jason"
Contact Information: jason@levash4MTSD.com, 920-540-6150 or levash4MTSD.com

1. In your opinion, what should be the 3 top priorities of your school board?
Paul Buzzell:  Sound Strategy. Good Policy. Appropriate Budgets. Actions by MTSD’s Board of Education waterfalls to impact student growth, beginning with the Board-developed 2021-2024 Strategic Plan’s five goals and 17 objectives. The plan is the foundation for district work whereby Board members ensure tactical alignment. Board policy is the framework for District operations, carried out by the Superintendent and Administration. Board members must be astute to policy change nuances and its importance shouldn’t be diminished. Finally, good budgeting, which meets educational objectives, maintains physical plant and balances the needs of all is mandatory, and requires financial competencies to support long-term district needs.
Jill Chromy:  Excellence in Academics should be priority one and happens if we have high standards and expectations of students, quality curriculum, and a strong teaching staff.  
Fiscal Responsibility - Communities expect measurable results showing return on investment for tax dollars. Resources in time, staffing, and monies spent for curriculum and consulting, should be utilized in a way that ensures the needs of the student body and educational goals are being met.   
Community Engagement - School boards should have a partnership with the community it serves. The board should ensure that its policies are representative of the priorities, goals, and values of the community.
Scarlett Johnson:  Students First, Parents as Partners, Teachers Supported. …School boards should operate business in an atmosphere of mutual cooperation and trust, providing a safe space for educators and parents to communicate with board members. Our district needs to move from a rigid top-down system that stifles creativity, to a system that encourages teachers to be more intuitive and less focused on paperwork and checking boxes…...A “back to basics" approach would translate into smaller classrooms and more direct instruction, to that end it is clear that the district must provide relief to current teachers and attract more in-person instructors.
Jason Levash:  Supporting Learning - The pandemic has resulted in learning loss for students; the academic recovery plan in place needs to be deployed with fidelity, supported with adequate resources and monitored. A focus also needs to be on improving the District’s student growth and target group outcomes. 2: Community Engagement - Strong communities build strong schools so the board needs to engage with the community in new ways so every stakeholder has a voice, is responded to, and is able to engage in civil discourse. 3: Fiscal Management - The district is going to be facing significant fiscal restraints while developing the 2022-2023 budget, a focus will need to be on allocating resources in a fiscally conservative manner that will support ALL students.

2. What are the central events/or ideas our country was founded upon, and how important is it to teach these in the classroom?
Paul Buzzell:  Freedom is in the DNA of America. Free markets and free people are fundamental for personal and collective prosperity, and having an educated populous is critical to ensuring them. The nexus between founding ideals and education is discoverable and lessons immutable through research, questioning and critical thinking. The days of memorization are over. Schools teach to standards, but the entre of value systems is naturally occurring. It is important for students to understand the DNA of our country and how historical events shaped us. When these concepts are openly explored and compared to other nations, America’s uniqueness can be understood.
Jill Chromy:  The history surrounding the Revolutionary War and the ideals that are laid out in the Declaration of Independence, the US constitution, its Bill of Rights and additional amendments, create the strong foundation for our country.   It is of utmost importance that this is taught in the classroom as it provides students with a sense of belonging within the American identity, a history of the sacrifices made for our freedoms and rights, and displays that our Constitution is a living and working document that provides a pathway for correction, improvement, and flexibility for future challenges.
Scarlett Johnson: … I am thankful every day that I was born here, as this is the only country in the world where a kid who was born to a fourteen-year-old, unmarried, Puerto Rican mom can be in the position that I am now. … …It is important to be honest about America’s history, children must learn about the shameful treatment of different races and ethnic groups. In the spirit of “speaking truth” students must also be taught that slavery, legal racial discrimination, and racism are so inconsistent with the founding principles of the United States that Americans fought a civil war …Though not perfect, America has always made progress towards “a more perfect union.”
Jason Levash:  MTSD has adopted the 2018 Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies. Standard PS1.b: Origins and foundation of the government of the United States has a focus on investigating how principles expressed in the Declaration of
Independence, Constitution (including the Preamble and the Bill of Rights) have been applied throughout United States history. I believe students should have a strong understanding of the origins of the US along with the how and why the country exists today. It is the responsibility of the professional educators of the District to deliver instruction in alignment with the standards. 

3. What should the district's position be on teaching CRT, or topics related to it?
Paul Buzzell:  CRT has no place in our District and MTSD Administration agrees. I am the only Board candidate to deep dive CRT and can confirm no CRT at MTSD. Topics relating to CRT, I understand means “equity” versus “equality”. I cannot speak to other schools or “equity” outside of education, but I do know MTSD’s application of “educational equity” through instruction. I’ve researched this in-depth, and found it both conceptually and in practice, to align to our vision, “each student, every time, empowered to succeed.” It’s not racist or scandalous, but based on the question, clearly more public education is required.
Jill Chromy:  I believe Critical Race Theory does not belong in our schools. Originally seen as a theory taught at the collegiate level, more literature is being published on its use in all levels of education. There is general confusion and disagreement about what CRT is. Therefore, more work needs to be done in defining what CRT in K-12 looks like.  While continued open and transparent discussion is required, we must not lose sight of other important goals. MTSD should continue to focus on academic excellence for all of our students so they can be successful in whatever career pathway they choose.
Scarlett Johnson:  …CRT is framework, a lens, one of many of critical theories that puts identity politics and anti-western sensibilities above all else. The intent of Critical Theorists is to convince Americans, including children, to apply prejudicial ideas to every aspect of their lives. …– a concept that when applied in practice, results in new forms of state-sanctioned racial discrimination, quotas, and unequal treatment.
I do not support the implementation of policies, curriculum, and professional development that are ideological in nature and meant to achieve an ideological agenda. …  … This is the main idea behind one of critical race theory’s central precepts, that everyone is guilty of unconscious bias.
Jason Levash:  Critical Race Theory should not be taught in the district or be in the curriculum of any course. The classroom should be free of any theories or practices that teach students what to think. Instead students should engage with a rigorous curriculum so they can learn how to think critically. The standards adopted by the board should identify what students should know and be able to do. At the same time, students should be able to explore for themselves theories, diverse perspectives and historical facts without being censored.

4. Can you explain your understanding of equity vs equality and what this means for education?
Paul Buzzell:  Thank you. These concepts are wildly misunderstood. Educational EQUITY means each student gets what they need to be successful. Educational EQUALITY means each students gets the same thing. The idea of educational equity has existed since at least the 1970’s when my elementary class was split into three math sections based on capability. Today, classes are homogeneous; specialization occurs within. To have educational EQUALITY, every student gets the exact same lecture and materials, technically meaning no AP courses and no IEP’s, which clearly is not what’s best for kids. To learn what educational equity means at MTSD, go to pb4mtsd/ee.
Jill Chromy:  All students should be given the tools they need to succeed and reach their full potential regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or disability. 
Equality in education means that students are treated equally and that all have access to the same opportunities and resources.  
Equity means that some students will also receive additional resources and opportunities depending on their specific needs or situation to help them reach their full potential.  
Scarlett Johnson:  When the average person ponders the term “equity” they think “equal opportunity.” In reality, “equity” in education policy translates into equalizing outcomes among groups, usually based on group identity. This needs to change.
“Equity” should refer to the principle that all stakeholders must receive fair and impartial treatment, regardless of their identity. All individuals and groups of individuals must have equal opportunities to participate in and benefit from the District’s programs so that every stakeholder can benefit from the MTSD equity/equal opportunity policies. MTSD should ensure that every single student is seen, heard, and valued as a singular personality, not simply a representative member of a monolithic identity group…
Jason Levash:  Educational equality focuses on ensuring everyone has the same rights, opportunities, and resources. Educational equity ensures ALL students have access to resources, opportunities and support unique to them so they can be successful today while preparing them for college, careers and life regardless of their current ability, socioeconomic standing, race, ethnicity, language, gender or disability. We need to start with equality by providing all students the same opportunities to ensure success while being equitable to adjust the equal opportunities to the student based upon who they are as a human being. 

5. Do you think enhanced pay in recognition of high performing teachers should be part of a district's compensation package?
Paul Buzzell:  Absolutely, and I support MTSD’s performance-based enhanced compensation plan available post-Wisconsin Act 10, which limited base wage growth to CPI (historically near 0.5%). For staff electing Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) and Professional Practice Goals (PPGs), this with administrative observations could add another 2.25% to wages. SLO success is generally measured by student outcomes (e.g., MAP scores), aligning to District milestones. Since my last Board tenure, I continue to advocate tracking cohort growth through individual teachers to identify professional development opportunities and hiring experience. Further, to achieve MTSD’s 95%+ staff retention goal, focus on employee experiences (strategic objective 4A) is paramount.
Jill Chromy:  This is a challenging question complicated by larger classroom sizes and a wide range of student needs and abilities in and between classrooms. As a substitute teacher, I see these challenges and understand that direct support within the classroom could add to academic success of our teaching staff.  
I believe we need to ensure teaching salaries are highly competitive and provide adequate direct teaching support.  The addition of pay recognition for high performing teachers could then strengthen MTSD’s ability to make the district highly attractive in both obtaining and retaining successful educators.  
Scarlett Johnson:  Yes, enhanced pay is definitely something to consider as a way to reward and attract high performing educators.  -EDUCATION BEFORE BUILDINGS:  The hiring of more educators to offer in classroom support and retaining talented educators is vital to academic recovery. … … Building effective teachers who work …with collective efficacy and evidence can prove teaching and learning strategies are working.  -SCHOOL LEADERSHIP:  Our schools need leaders with vision who understand instruction at the levels they evaluate and are held accountable for making learning happen.  -PARTNERSHIP:  We need to advocate for parents to be more involved and engaged. Educators and parents should work together to set expectations and follow through on them.
Jason Levash:  The MTSD’s current compensation model has elements of recognition for high performance. The model has three elements: Student Learning Objective, SLO (50%), Evaluation of Teacher Effectiveness using the Danielson Model (30%) and Professional Practice Goal (20%). Teachers that meet their SLO goal(s), are rated effective or highly effective and engage in professional development have access to compensation increases annually. All teachers do not receive the same increase in compensation since increases are awarded on a continuum based upon their performance. I support the current model and have professional administrative experience in implementing a like model in another district.

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.

The Revolving Door Crime Wave

Editors note from the Maciver Institute: Editor’s Note: Chris Kemble first published this column on crime and liberal criminal justice policies back in 2005. The original article appeared in the opinion journal, WI: Wisconsin Interest and he has now updated it with the latest crime data from today. As you read the original part of the article from sixteen years ago, it is amazing how many of the issues and insights that Chris raises are still relevant and fundamental to the debate we are having today in this country on lenient sentencing and low bail.

Chris has written articles published at Federalist Society, American Thinker, Wisconsin Interest, Natural Gas Now, and Canada Free Press. 

Read the article here.

Get INVOLVED!

By Lisa Curtis

Special to the News Graphic

MEQUON — They say all politics are local. Well, it doesn’t get any more local than serving on a town board, common council or school board.

Anyone interested in starting or continuing a career on a local board can begin circulating nomination papers Wednesday [December 1] for the April 5 nonpartisan election. If necessary, a primary will be held Feb. 15, 2022.

Candidates must complete and submit a registration statement, a declaration of candidacy and nomination papers. Town and village offices require between 20 and 40 signatures. Cedarburg and Mequon alderperson candidates must also submit between 20 and 40 signatures and the Mequon mayoral candidate must obtain between 200 and 400 signatures.

See PAPERS, PAGE 6A

Papers

From Page 1A

Nomination papers are available at the clerk’s office or school district office in the municipality in which the seat is located. The final day for filing papers is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. Terms are typically two or three years for municipalities and three years for school board positions.

Here are details of open positions: Ozaukee County Board: All 26 seats on the County Board will be up for election in April. As of Monday, District 13 Supervisor Donald Korinek has filed papers of noncandidacy.

County Board candidates are required to submit a campaign registration statement, a declaration of candidacy and nomination papers for nonpartisan office with no fewer than 20 and not more than 100 signatures. Forms can be picked up at the Ozaukee County Clerk’s office, 121 W. Main St. in Port Washington, or downloaded from the county website, www.co.ozaukee.wi.us. Papers should be turned in to the County Clerk’s office.

City of Cedarburg: In the city of Cedarburg, elections will be held for council members in Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7, held respectively by Sherry Bublitz, Kristin Burkart, Robert Simpson and Barbara Lythjohan.

Nomination papers can be obtained and filed at the City Clerk’s Office, W63 N645 Washington Ave.

Mequon: In Mequon, elections will be held for mayor, currently held by John Wirth, as well as aldermen in districts 1 and 4, currently held by Rob Strzelczyk and Jeffrey Hansher, respectively. All positions are three-year terms.

Candidates for alderman must obtain 20 to 40 signatures on nomination papers. Nomination papers can be picked up in the Clerk’s Office, 11333 N. Cedarburg Road, or can be found on the city’s website.

Village of Grafton: There are three seats up for election for village trustee positions, those currently held by incumbents Lisa Harback, Dan Deloroit and Amy Luft. Nomination papers can be obtained in the clerk’s office at Village Hall, 860 Badger Circle.

Papers require at least 20 but not more than 100 signatures.

Village of Thiensville: The village of Thiensville will have two at-large trustee seats on the ballot. The winners will serve three-year terms. The seats now are held by Kristina Eckert and David Lange.

Election papers may be obtained at Village Hall, 250 Elm St. For more information, call Village Clerk Amy Langlois at 262-242-3720.

Town of Cedarburg: The town will have elections for supervisor seats 2 and 4, currently held by Bill Wattson and Tom Esser, respectively.

Nomination papers may be picked up at Cedarburg Town Hall, 1293 Washington Ave.

Town of Grafton: There are two positions on the spring ballot, trustee seats currently held by Tom Grabow and Tom Sykora. Nomination papers can be obtained at the Town Hall, 1102 Bridge St. Terms last two years.

Cedarburg School Board: Four seats are up for election on the Cedarburg School Board. They are currently held by Rick Leach, Kristin Padberg, Laura Stroebel and Jennifer Calzada.

Meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month. The school district requires 25 to 30 nomination signatures, but submitting more than the minimum is encouraged. Campaign registration statement and declaration of candidacy forms are available at the district office, W68 N611 Evergreen Blvd.

Grafton School Board: Two seats will be on the ballot for the Grafton School Board. They are currently held by Mark Koehler and Jo Maehl.

Candidates must file a campaign registration statement and a declaration of candidacy. Forms are available in the district office, 1900 Washington St.

Regular meetings of the Grafton School District Board are held at 6 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month.

Mequon-Thiensville School Board: There are two School Board seats on the ballot. They currently are held by Chris Schultz and Akram Khan.

Candidates are not required to collect signatures. Papers may be picked up at the District Office, 5000 W. Mequon Road.

In general, the board of education holds its regular business meetings at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month.

Ozaukee County, WI - Official Website

Politics vs. Policies

Politics vs. Policy. What is the MTSD recall really about? Listen as Van Mobley, the President of the Village of Thiensville, speaks about the accountability needed for the School Board in his community. Melissa Baldauff argues that it is only political. She is a Democratic strategist who is currently a trustee in Shorewood and a former press aide to now-Governor Evers. What is the MTSD recall really about…? Watch these interviews and be sure to vote!

New to Politics

“I wouldn’t know what to say.”
“Someone else will do it.”
“I’m only one person-how much difference can I actually create?”
“I vote-isn’t that enough?”

Many people are hesitant to get more involved in local politics. There are so many unknowns about what the campaign and job will entail that those fears alone can prevent someone from pursuing a political office. They may feel they don’t have enough of the “required” experience or connections to make a “good candidate.”

Yet parents in Guilford, Connecticut stood up to their fears and ran in a Republican primary. Five parents, who had never before been a part of the political sphere, beat the three Republican incumbents.

Their experience? Being a parent and seeing the divisiveness that the “equity” education was causing. They saw a problem, realized those whom they had trusted were only rubber-stamping these policies, and ran the ultimate gamble. And WON. They managed to beat all three of the incumbents!

All five are now running in the general school board election in November. In Guilford, there are four Democrat, four Republican and one swing vote spot on the school board.

They have won this battle, but still are focusing on educating independent voters in this heavily-Democratic area on their reasons for concern and the solutions they would provide. If all five were to win, conservatives would hold the majority on the school board.

In your community, how aware are you of what is happening? How involved are you? What is holding you back?

Although only one person, you can help lead a movement against divisiveness and hate!