Election Preview: Fox Point-Bayside School Board

Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Fox Point-Bayside Village Board in the April 2 election.

Michael Weidner, Tom Hayssen, David Smulyan and Libby (Elizabeth) Wick are running for the three-year term on the board. (Click on link for biographical information on each candidate).

To provide residents with the most information about the election, Patch asked the candidates their views on the key issues facing the village.

Here, in their own words, are the candidates' answers to those questions as well as some posed by Patch.

I am concerned our district lacks the academic rigor in the upper grades that our students need. We have capable students, involved parents, dedicated staff, and generous taxpayers. We have had a failure of management. That begins with the school board, as does the solution.

My desire to run for the school board is an extension of my growing involvement and interest in the public education system. I like to give my time and energy to organizations and causes I’m passionate about. I am passionate about education! I want to assume a leadership role so that our school district can continue to provide the quality education our community expects and deserves. In these challenging economic times, I believe the Board could benefit from my solid background and experience in finance when it comes to creating financial plans and balancing budgets.

To give back to the comminuty that I have been a member of for the past 13+ years. To improve the education of our children within the district by improving the communication between the citizens, the school board, the administration, the teachers and the students. I am a community oriented individual, a good listener, a strong communicator and an experienced problem solver, dealing with difficult economic decisions in my business. I would like to make sure the Fox Point/Bayside school distrisct continues to be a high performing district that families and teachers want to be a part of.

The challenge is finding a way to improve the quality of education while keeping costs flat. We do not spend money wisely. For example, we spend money on technology that results in no demonstrable improvement in education and that does not reduce labor costs. The current district push is for a white board in every classroom. White boards are fun, but do they really improve test scores?

We are at the beginning of a boom in online learning. The district has to address that. Online offerings have the potential to dramatically increase quality while reducing costs. That is technology that makes sense.

There are several big issues facing the district and they can’t be answered in 100 word limited questions.
Four of my top priorities would be the following:
1)Make sure we hire the “right” new superintendent for our district. 2)Determine the most efficient use of our precious resources to continue providing the quality education our Community expects and deserves.
3)In the area of curriculum, make sure we adopt and successfully implement the national educational initiative of Common Core Standards.
4)Ensure an atmosphere of trust and open communication amongst Administration, School Board, Teachers and Community.

I believe our biggest issues are fiscal. Districts in general are finding it necessary to do more with less. We shouldn’t simply be looking at larger class sizes and teacher pay and benefits. Everything should be on the table from the possibility of additional fund raising, to corporate sponsors, to investigating the possibility of writing grants. Every line item from administrative costs to the cost of hand soap should be considered. We need to think creatively and be open to every option.

The district does a wonderful job providing opportunities and support to our students. Providing education and services to those most in need is fundamental to public education and something we must continue. Early support in reading and math saves money in later years. Art, music, languages and other offerings are important for our educational experience. We must maintain our commitment to them.
We need to reevaluate staff levels throughout the district. Student-teacher ratio is a poor proxy for quality. The district office has grown larger and more expensive than what the district needs or can afford.

We have to be diligent in making sure every dollar spent has the best interests of our children in mind. We have to be resourceful, creative, and forward-thinking in how we approach this challenge. All options need to be discussed. For example, we need to look at shared service arrangements with Nicolet or other feeder districts as one way of reducing costs. We should explore options for some of the district’s underutilized / under-performing assets. And we need to look closely at other school districts in Wisconsin that are performing better and spending less, and see what we can learn.

See above.

Act 10 returns management of the district to where it properly belongs, with the school board and district administrator. We need to maintain stability and continuity in the schools and let staff know that we respect and value them. And their voice is needed.
The decisions needed to control the budget and improve educational quality are relatively minor. Act 10 allows the district to make those decisions with the interests of the students and taxpayers foremost.

There is no “right” answer. You will likely get a different response depending on who you ask. I've read what representatives from all constituencies affected have said, in all the eight North Shore school districts. At the end of the day, I think one thing is clear. Like it or not, for good or bad, Act 10 has changed the landscape for Wisconsin schools. It has forced everyone to look closely at how we can deliver quality education in the most efficient and effective way. It’s a new era. We have to look forward and make the best of it.

I think it may be a little premature to say for sure whether Act 10 was good or bad. The governor's balanced budget is certainly an accomplishment but I don't think that we will know the entirety of its effects on the district and more specifically on our students until a future point in time.