I want to be their voice on the board and fill the void that exists today by addressing issues that are pressing after a horrific pandemic. Covid mitigation methods are what now-former board members expressed concern about in submitting resignation letters this week. Bottom line, we need to increase our market share. Three Oconomowoc School Board members have resigned in protest over how the district is handling COVID-19 protocols before the start of the upcoming school year. ft. home is a 4 bed, 3.0 bath property. We need to be smart with our tax dollars and do more with less. powered by finalsite About Us Anderson:Im proud and humbled to be endorsed by the teachers of the district through the Oconomowoc Education Association. W359N6812 Brown Street. Some want masks to be optional in schools, while others don't. 3.) I wanted to make sure someone stood up to take accountability and I was most nervous about our district losing talented teachers. Footnotes. You have permission to edit this article. I want to see Student Personal Development days on the same days that their teachers have their PD days. OCONOMOWOC - Oconomowoc Area School Board member Scott Roehl announced via his candidacy Facebook page that he would be resigning from his seat on the board due to his family moving out of . There are examples of other districts offering course credit for extra-curriculars and this innovative strategy helps to reduce expenses while also increasing scope and depth of viable opportunities for students. The Pewaukee School Board faces a similar situation, where six candidates will vie. My goal is to continue positively contributing to the Oconomowoc Area School District for the benefit of my family, my neighbors and the greater Oconomowoc community. . He said what boards are seeing with COVID-19 disputes is similar, but with a key difference. We need to give our students coping tools to not live afraid. Their answers were limited to 100 words. This year, though, board meetings have gotten tense, and a combination of public pressure and district politics mean many wont put those precautions in place. "Who in the world would want to be superintendent of a community and work with a school board that is unwilling to listen to all points of view?" This can be accomplished by using the Strategic Plan. "He's not vaccinated and your decision not to require masks is going to mean that he's not going to be able to attend in-person school this fall," said parent Scott Drummond. Incumbents Dave Guckenberger and Steve Zimmer faced challengers Kim Verhein Herro, Jason Kelly and James Wood in a primary election on February 16, 2016. Boiling tensions are exacerbated by the structure of school boards themselves, said Dan Rossmiller, director of government relations at the Wisconsin Association of School Boards. The board is much more stable now than it was back then. The candidates are (top row, left to right):Andrew Anderson,Neal Ninmann (i),Sandy Schick (i); (bottom row, left to right)Paula Schmitz,Chad E. Schraufnagel (i) andBill Thiel (i). I am running to be elected by the community to continueserving on the board as a trustee of the district. Youre not an expert on everything, youre not there to manage the day-to-day operations of the district.". In May, after Gov. I am excited to continue the momentum that the board has established. Schweitzer said she ran agrassroots, parent- and taxpayer-focused campaign. And my third priority is Student Global Impact. If we are forming students at OHS to be grounded, responsible and accountable, that should focus primarily on how their actions are impacting others around them at home, at school, in the community and around the world. We can always do more and better in supporting studentswellness. Contact info: 920-474-7796;thielw@oasd.org. OCONOMOWOC - Three Oconomowoc Area School Board members have announced they will be resigning from the board due to the other board members' and the interim superintendents. One of the main issues for the school board in the near future will be deciding on the district's next superintendent. Voters may cast a ballot for up to four of the six candidates. This topic has become far too political, and Ill never predetermine a decision based on politics. I've pledged not to accept donations from politically aligned special interest groups with pre-determined agendas. "We have gone as far as we could to try to have a board working together, and a board that would work with the administration as a team effort," he said. 2.) Three candidates remain in the search for a new Oconomowoc School Board Superintendent. 25, Idaho, Braintree School Department, Massachusetts, Creighton Elementary School District, Arizona, Del Norte County Unified School District, California, East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Louisiana, Elbert County School District C-2, Colorado, Fresno Unified School District, California, Lake Havasu Unified School District, Arizona, Lake Mills Area School District, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Tennessee, Middleton-Cross Plains School District, Wisconsin, Mount Horeb Area School District, Wisconsin, Oakland Unified School District, California, Paradise Valley Unified School District, Arizona, Traverse City Area Public Schools, Michigan, Visalia Unified School District, California, Westford School Department, Massachusetts, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Oconomowoc_Area_School_District_recall,_Wisconsin_(2020)&oldid=8841316, Pages using DynamicPageList dplreplace parser function, Unsuccessful or mixed outcome recall efforts, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. Therefore, the district must follow the Strategic Plan and will be monitored by the documented metrics. One of our top priorities will be to review and respond to enrollment fluctuations by continuously focusing on investing in our teachers, buildings and curriculum both financially and through policy updates that give autonomy to district leadership. [1], The decision included an in-person learning model for elementary school students and a split-attendance model for middle school and high school students. We no longer employ consultants to work with the board on how to be board members. COVID-related recalls accounted for 37% of all recall efforts in both 2020 and 2021. The impact of an amazing teacher is immeasurable, and weve all had teachers in our past that were less than exceptional. Supporting teachers is the first step towardbringing stability. A good number pleading with the board to require masks, few for mask-choice. In January, the Oconomowoc School Board agreed to put a two-question facilities referendum on the ballot totaling $75.45 million. Duration: 01:58 8/16/2021. If you make a promise keep it. [5], Steitzer's term on the board expired in April 2021, and Herro's and Roehl's terms expired in April 2022.[1]. The board did take a vote on replacing the three board members who left. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that Lastly, our board can help to elevate the district by prioritizing the focus of the board itself as the existing strategic plan that has not seen improvements or modifications in almost 4 years. 8, North Dakota, El Rancho Unified School District, California, Pocatello-Chubbuck School District No. Community involvement:I was a stay-at-home father while my kids were in school, and I was very involved at Meadowview, Nature Hilland Oconomowoc High School. some parents who are worried their kids will get sick, clear guidance from state and federal agencies, Children face cognitive delays during pandemic, Arts organizations see signs of recovery, A Milwaukee school is training students to help their peers who are dealing with suicidal thoughts, Why some schools are seeing more fights since returning in-person, Wisconsin districts face backlash over plans to teach gender identity to elementary students, 3 transgender women have been killed in Milwaukee in the last 9 months, Lawyer who oversaw Trump elector scheme in Wisconsin reappointed to judicial advisory panel, Court orders Green Bay to stop using audio devices while lawsuit plays out, UW System President Jay Rothman to seek in-state tuition increase, Capital budget would offload 4 state office buildings, Wisconsin natives aged gouda is 'best cheese' in America, contest says, Landowners sue Lac du Flambeau tribal leaders to reopen roads blocked for a month, Buyer steps up to save Camp Timber-lee in East Troy, Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. School districts | Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. Oconomowoc has been mostly optional since the start of this school year, and we intend to remain that way. What programs or initiatives are most important to you? Application Contact Phone. A majority voted to keep requiring masks indoors through the end of the year, though kids could ditch them when they were outside. ", RELATED:Two incumbents who favored virtual school lose their seats on the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District Board. Despite the mass resignation, the letter states the members believes there is enough insulation between the Board and the classroom that teachers can still do good work for kids. DPI, the State of WisconsinDepartment of Public Instruction, has a budget for student mental health that has increased to meet the students needs after the pandemic. The board voted 4-3 to choose him over Grothaus, who had served in the role for the year prior. Anderson:First, is to focus on how we attract and retain the most talented teachers possible. OCONOMOWOC The Oconomowoc Area School District School Board has four incumbents seeking reelection. The 2,656 sq. The district is great with wonderful teachers, curriculum and facilities. In previous decades, concerns about the teaching of sex education and evolution, as well as issues like school vouchers, have prompted angry public discourse and division among school board members. While Herro, who co-owns a manufacturing business, said shes used to discord and disrespect as a woman in a male-dominated workforce, the onslaught of anger directed at her and other members was staggering. Schick:I applied for the school board vacancy when the three board members resigned. Thankfully, masks are no longer mandatory. "Well, my initial reaction was definitely surprise," said Scott Roehl, board VP. The letter states that the three members are also concerned about how Interim Superintendent Kristen Taylor and remaining board members are responding to the pandemic. If we fail to support the best teachers, then we will miss them when they are gone. Federal courts | The board has turned a corner and is really moving forward. State executives | Community involvement: Current school board member, former Oconomowoc rec league coach. Stay up-to-date on all the latest Oconomowoc-area news with a subscription: Click here. Local school board races have been injected with partisan money and party . The current make of the board has moved past the previous issues and is focused on policyand governance and supporting the work of the administration and teachers. ContactAlec Johnson at(262) 875-9469 oralec.johnson@jrn.com. Read full article. We build futures through partnerships, accountability and transparency. The Oconomowoc School Board asked the district's administration to begin the RFP process for the property in October 2021 and approved listing the property for sale in December 2021. Steitzer, Herro, and Roehl were joined in approving the proposal by members Dan Raasch and Rick Grothaus. In the past the board was labeled as "toxic"; however, that is no longer the case with the current board. Oconomowoc's school board voted virtually Tuesday night to hold face-to-face classes in the fall with a couple alternatives. Two challengers have also entered the contest set for a vote April 5. Michael Ford, a professor of public administration at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a member of the Oshkosh City Council, said theres a concept called "school board capture" that refers to boards being overtaken by interest groups a union, for example, or particular business interests. I am a community supporter, passionate alumni and strong advocate for becoming an unrivaled school district that will be the choice for anyone in our regional communityof learners. "I have worked on behalf of good government, and am proud of the work I have spearheaded and accomplished in my time on the board," Steitzer stated. The OASD School Board voted to authorize both referendum questions at the Jan. 18 meeting. Application Contact Agency. Steitzer was one of three current school board members that the groupOconomowoc Citizens Represented attempted to recall in September. Decisions should be based on collaboration and transparency. "Its like, whos the adult here?". "Weve got some young people, students who have gotten up and spoken in front of the board on the importance of being in school face-to-face, and then you have adults who are bullying them and cheering them," he said. OCONOMOWOC . After results came in, Steitzer released a message on her school boardFacebook page. The recall effort was started by the group Oconomowoc Citizens Represented, who said Steitzer, Herro, and Roehl "willfully neglected to act on behalf of the citizens of the district. Kim Kaukl, president of the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance, said his member districts mostly opened fully in-person right away last school year largely because limited access to the internet meant virtual learning wasnt feasible. FOX6 News reached out to all three former members but none were available for an interview Monday. The Oconomowoc Area School District (OASD) issued a cease and desist letter to a parent threatening her with a defamation lawsuit for statements she made in public forums about the use and accessibility of age-inappropriate material. Now, as COVID-19 is again surging around the state and hitting kids harder, many boards arent putting any mask requirements or precautions into place, to the distress of some parents who are worried their kids will get sick and despite clear guidance from state and federal agencies that say universal masking is the best way to keep students safe and prevent schools from having to shut down.
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