As most of you are aware, there are 2 seats on the MTSD School Board up for election this Spring. Two of the incumbents, Akram Khan and Chris Schultz, have decided not to run for re-election. We are thankful for their service and the hard work they’ve put in during their challenging terms.
5 candidates have filed for the 2 open spots, which means there will be a primary on February 15th to decide who moves on to the Spring Election on April 5th. Early voting for the primary starts on February 1. The 4 candidates who get the most votes will move on to the general election.
The 5 candidates have very different visions for the future of the schools. Two of them were very active in the recall effort that caused so much division in our community.
In early January, we compiled and sent a brief questionnaire to all 5 candidates. We wanted to understand the candidates and how they matched up with our criteria:
- A commitment to non-partisanship
- A belief that recalls should be reserved for malfeasance
- A desire to bring our community together through mutual respect and an ability to listen and compromise
- An understanding that every student deserves a school district where they are respected and given the individualized tools that they need to succeed
- An awareness that a School Board utilizing a governance model to create fiscally and academically sound policies is a best practice
All 5 responded to the request, but only 3 answered the questions. The other two candidates chose to send us their press releases instead. While we appreciate that they responded, we are disappointed that they didn’t think the questions were worthwhile for them to answer. Below are their unedited answers.
Candidate Questions & Answers
- Motivation And Qualifications: What motivated you to run for election and why will you be a good addition to the board?
- Vision For MTSD: What is your vision for education in the MTSD? Be specific – what’s working and what would you like to see improved?
- Equity: What does the word equity mean to you? What place, if any, does equity have in our school district?
- School Board/District Function: Do you favor the current governance model or do you feel that the board should shift to an operational model, and why?
- Pandemic: Do you believe our district should incorporate COVID mitigation strategies? Are there certain strategies that you are opposed to or feel should be mandatory, and why?
- Communication: What kind of communication should the school board have with parents/families? With teachers?
- Conflicts: Is membership on the board of education compatible with your present volunteer and/or employed position(s)? Any conflicts of interest?
- Affiliations: Have you or are you open to accepting any support (data, volunteers, and/or financial) from a partisan political group or organization?
- Unity: Our community just went through a difficult recall process — what suggestions do you have to help us move forward, together
1 . Motivation And Qualifications: What motivated you to run for election and why will you be a good addition to the board?
Paul Buzzell: I am motivated to serve on the BOE for three simple reasons: Service. Love. Experience. (1) I have a natural predisposition to be a community servant and have served the Mequon-Thiensville School District (MTSD) through Junior Achievement, Homestead Sports Boosters and the Board of Education. (2) I love the Mequon-Thiensville community and our schools. This is where I grew up and chose to raise a family. I want it to be the best it can be on all fronts; I still have one daughter in school here. (3) My education, work history, direct experience with each of our six schools at some point in my life, and volunteerism in MTSD will complement, and be a value-add to, the current Board of Education. I would be a great replacement for Akram Kahn, our small business owner Board Member who is coming off the Board. I have a strong financial and business background, direct experience on the School Board, serving as Treasurer for three years, and have the right soft skills to be successful. Over the years, I have established TRUST with current Board members, District administration, teachers and people in the community whom I know well. TRUST is a requirement for speed and efficiency: I have the right background, no hidden agenda, a history of successful work and I do what I say. All of these are critical to "hit the ground running". But to be truly impactful, it is important to be a good listener to fellow board members and the community, ask relevant questions that advance understanding and have strong critical thinking skills to develop a well thought out answer. Serving in the role of Office of the President and CFO for a $50 million company, I have demonstrated all these skills. I encourage you to find somebody who knows me and ask them about me, or if you want to talk, let’s arrange it.
Jason Levash: I was motivated to run for a position on the Mequon-Thiensville School District Board of Education because I care about our children, their future and our community. I want our schools to reflect the community and what we value and I want the greatest opportunities possible for our children. Being united as a community is critically important and I want our board to engage the community so every child can succeed. I was not motivated by a single issue or have a predetermined agenda, instead I am truly looking to serve our community. I am uniquely qualified for the position as I have professional experience in both education and business which will allow me to be a champion for the students, a representative of the parents, a steward for the community and an advocate for the staff. As a former teacher and administrator in public school districts and now as a chief operations officer of an educational service agency, I understand the teaching and learning process, the programs needed to support children in and out of the classroom and the necessary business and operational systems in place to run an effective and efficient district. As a board member, I will support the governance model, be an active listener and build consensus through collaboration, ensure transparency in the decision making process in order to build trust. Through board service, I would always lead and make decisions with a strong moral and ethical compass.
Maria Douglas: Last year's emotionally and politically charged recall attempt of four MTSD board members revealed to me two things: first, our community will not stand for community members who tried to hijack our school board for their own political agenda, and secondly, it revealed what an amazing and highly qualified school board and administration we are so fortunate to have and our voters' faith in them. I actively fought the recall with all I had in me, and I want to continue to use that energy to be a part of this great organization I've come to admire even more. I have the expertise to contribute to this noble endeavor. I am a school psychologist by profession, and have a history of working in both high-achieving and under-resourced districts throughout my career. As such, I have perfected the skills of collaboration in classroom settings with educators, administrators, and families alike, bringing creative solutions to complicated and challenging issues.
Jill Chromy: Declined to answer
Scarlett Johnson: Declined to answer
2. Vision For MTSD: What is your vision for education in the MTSD? Be specific – what’s working and what would you like to see improved?
Paul Buzzell: Over the next three years, there are three critical areas which MTSD must address within the strategic planning framework: (1) Pandemic management, primarily responses to disruptions in learning and staffing (we are here now). When students are not in school there are obviously disruptions in learning, but equally problematic are staffing issues. When a teacher is sick, instruction is managed through a pool of about 10 FTE building substitutes, with additional gaps filled internally, by specialists and other admin. While economically prudent, when a math specialist (for example) is teaching, the specialist is not supporting students with other needs. Further, when teachers are out, they lose the ability to plan and collaborate with their teams. MTSD operates best when teaching, coaching and collaboration are synchronized – anything else is also disruptive to learning. (2) Staff availability & recruitment (an increasing national problem). Fewer people are becoming teachers. Enrollment in Education in the UW system is near a low. Fortunately, we are destination employer and right now, do not have trouble recruiting best and brightest, but this will not always be the case. When the education job market tightens, we need to be positioned as a Great Place to Work, which is more than just total comp. GP2W for MTSD should include excellent relationships with Admin, parents and the community. (3) Significantly increased costs coming in the 2023-2024 school year, without the ability to increase revenue (a structural deficit not seen since before Act 10). Per Act 10, wages increases cannot by negotiated by unions beyond CPI. Historically, CPI has been closer to 0.5%, MTSD is showing 4% and my research shows it could be higher. The entire Board will need to be fully engaged and equipped to take on these challenges to position MTSD for academic excellence beyond those of our peers. Beyond these existential challenges, I have no specific agenda for MTSD. I am a firm believer school board candidates who seek office to drive a targeted action will be disappointed, along with those who elected them, because one-off tactical changes are not how the Board of Education functions. More on this later. At the annual Board retreat in spring, the Board can choose topics to research in the year as "work of the Board". Typically, the Board has the capacity for 1-3 topics in a year (they cannot do 10). The topic I would present at the retreat is community communication. This topic may go beyond the topics currently under review since the last Board self-evaluation (which can be a great source for projects). Instead, my proposal focuses on how the Board (not MTSD) interacts with the public. The community has the impression the Board is "robotic" and does not listen. Speaking as a former Board member, I get it. Unfortunately, while regimes have changed, Board behavior has not. The Board should consider more public real-talks. They should explain in detail their decision-making process for key votes. They should be more intentionally accessible to the public. Some of the rules about public comment and engagement should be reviewed. Branching from here, MTSD procedures should be available in BoardDocs along with Policy. The availability of public records should be more easily accessible without the need for a FOIA request. All of these actions will help build TRUST and save Administrative time, allowing for higher level District function. Beyond Board work, as stated earlier, the three most pressing issues facing MTSD are: pandemic management, staffing & recruitment and balancing budgets while maintaining quality.
Jason Levash: My vision for education in the Mequon-Thiensville School District is that every child is provided what they need to succeed. The children of the district have the right to learn in a safe and supportive school environment that provides for the whole child. The instructional program for the district needs to focus on academic excellence which is built on rigor and relevance that will prepare students for college, careers and life. Rigor ensures students are challenged to develop advanced skills and knowledge. Relevance helps students see the value of what they are learning. The program needs to ensure educational opportunities and that there are supports in place for ALL students including those with disabilities and gifts. In order to unlock academic excellence the social-emotional learning needs of students need to be incorporated into the learning community. I would like to see improvement in the district's student growth and target group outcomes on our state report card while also increasing overall student achievement. We need to unlock the possibilities for every student to achieve their goals and dreams. The educational community is currently facing a shortage of individuals entering the profession. The district will need to keenly focus on maintaining a competitive advantage with its human capital system by creating exceptional experiences for employees across their employment life cycle in order to have the most qualified and engaged teachers, leaders and support staff for our students. The district will also need to manage its operations in a fiscally prudent manner in order to meet the expectations of the community while also ensuring the greatest return on the investment the community is making. The district should be the pride of our community and provide the finest opportunity in the state for our children to learn, grow and succeed. There is also one critical area which the BOE must address together.
Maria Douglas: My vision for MTSD is the same as that of our school district: "Each student, every time, empowered to succeed." As a parent of three children currently in the district, I want nothing but the best that education has to offer my children in order for them to succeed in life—now and in the future, taking into account their individual needs. All of us want educational success for the children of our community, whether folks have children or not. Our great schools are the community's main attraction for residents and businesses alike, because a community's robust health and success rests on the foundation of a well-educated people. I believe that the excellent reputation of our school district shows what's working: highly skilled administrators and educators, state-of-the-art curriculum & instruction, technology and school facilities, and engaged families. Communication between the schools and families can always be improved upon, as well as the achievement goals for our students and staff. The job of the school board is to maintain the delicate balance of policy making through a transparent exchange of information and collaboration among the board, administration, and families. My expertise in research, education, and collaborative problem solving makes me a most qualified school board candidate.
Jill Chromy: Declined to answer
Scarlett Johnson: Declined to answer
3. Equity: What does the word equity mean to you? What place, if any, does equity have in our school district?
Paul Buzzell: First, a word on Critical Race Theory (CRT). CRT has no place in MTSD and does not exist at MTSD. I have personally researched and written three articles related to CRT and MTSD demonstrating this: https://www.informmt.org/recall. That said, I've seen people equate CRT with the idea of "equity". While this is somewhat understood, there is a notion that “equity” is CRT, so let’s unpack it.
Equity has a place in MTSD. I was on the school board when Superintendent Means introduced the concept of educational equity (back then, it was just "equity"). I researched claims that equity at MTSD "dumbs down" education, hurts high achieving students and has eliminated TAG. What I found is the opposite. MTSD strives to give each student what they need to be successful and has actually increased rigor for students. Let me give you some very specific examples of how “educational equity” translates into action at MTSD.
(1) To build upon Milestone 5, Algebra 2 success, MTSD underwent a 7-year change to bring Algebra to every middle school student, allowing them to take Geometry as a Freshman, and thus giving them higher-level math Junior and Senior year.
(2) AP courses like AP Human Geography are an option for Freshman who normally would not focus on AP courses until later. In fact, the HHS student selected in 2021 to be a delegate to the US Senate Youth Program references this class, plus AP U.S. History and AP U.S. Government as examples of classes preparing her for the opportunity.
(3) AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is an elective in middle school and high school. AVID is a system to prepare a student for college, but also supports them taking AP courses where they otherwise may not.
(4) MTSD has several literacy and math specialists for intervention when a student is struggling. They support students and teachers to achieve District milestones.
(5) TAG (Talented, Advanced & Gifted Program) Coordinators, who ensure all students are challenged, identified and implemented “Beast Academy” for high achievers in math.
(6) In the area of special needs students, with the support of consultants, these students are generally included in class lectures with their peers and then get additional support other times during the day (e.g., study hall). Due to the huge range of IEP (Individual Education Plan) needs, educational equity for special needs students has a big range too.
Ironically, if we wanted to eliminate the concept of “educational equity” and replace it with “educational equality,” then every student (or no student) would take AP courses or have an IEP. So, while “equality” was more or less implicit in the way I was taught in the 1970’s, it is not the way education looks today.
Jason Levash: Speaking in terms of education, I believe equity means ensuring ALL students have access to 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. I believe equity does have a place in schools because it allows schools to focus on the individual needs of children in order to provide them fair and adaptable support. The concept of equity in schools is not new, it has been around for over a half a century dating back to the Supreme court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), Title IX (1972), the All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) of 1975 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990. While I support equitable practices, I do not support practices of isolating children or taking away resources or opportunities from one to provide to another. We need to advocate and be empathic for all children; they are part of our community and our future!
Maria Douglas: It is unfortunate and concerning to me that "EQUITY" is often misunderstood by the general population. I believe that the root word "equi-" has led many people to believe that "equity" and "equality" are either interchangeable, similar, or even oppositional. "Equality" means being the same in quantity, size, degree, or value. It is measurable. "Equity" is fairness. It cannot be measured; it is sensed by all human beings from a very early age and since the beginning of civilization. We all know what it feels like when we sense something is unfair to ourselves or to others. It is part of our social construct for survival and evolution. Yes, "Equity" must have the highest place in our school district. Fairness, or equity, is one of the most intrinsic values we hold dear as human beings. All students have both strengths and deficits in their learning abilities, and it is up to educators to help each student capitalize on individual strengths and remediate deficits in order for each and every student to have a FAIR shake at success: Equitable education.
Jill Chromy: Declined to answer
Scarlett Johnson: Declined to answer
4. School Board/District Function: Do you favor the current governance model or do you feel that the board should shift to an operational model, and why?
Paul Buzzell: Governance model works best. Simply, the Board's role is strategic ("above the line") and Administration's role is tactical ("below the line"). It is appropriate for the Board to ask about tactics and present challenges, but inappropriate to do this work. What I've described is a "governance" model, which MTSD has been working under since the K-8 and high school districts merged in 1972. More specifically, the “above the line” roles of the Board are to establish strategy, create policy, approve the budget, and appoint/evaluate the Superintendent. In contrast, the Superintendent and Administration execute the will of the Board. Specifically, they enforce State Statute, the State Board of Education rules and Board policy. Wisconsin statute 120.13 details a school board’s power to promote the “cause of education” and MTSD bylaw 0134 states, “The Board is accountable to the public for the education of its children and the stewardship of the School District’s resources.” Together, the BOE and Superintendent operate as a “Team of 8”, which internally the Board refers to.
Curriculum planning and parent input. Based on the understanding of Governance, the Board does not develop curriculum, but of course has the ability to ask questions and weigh-in when it is reviewed. Oversight comes in the form of regular reports to the BOE on achievement of milestones and mitigation plans. Of course, board members have the purview to talk about performance any time. Similarly, curriculum is not created by parents, however, they likely have more involvement in what happens than they think. For example, the District annually surveys parents about culture and climate, building principals meet with PTOs and parents and there are work-specific groups that hire administrators. But the old way of setting curriculum, specifically choosing curriculum materials (i.e., picking a book), is outdated. Today, curricular resources are pulled from a wide array of places and apply to specific needs. This is why you may not see a textbook, or have a textbook plus additional reading materials. At the end of the day, the District uses resources to follow a curriculum map designed to meet Standards.
In the community, most energy around curriculum center on Eureka Math and Reader’s Workshop. Eureka Math includes what people refer to ask “new math”, however this is just a tool to teach the Standard of placeholder value (i.e., get students conceptualize and feel the difference between say 10.0 and 0.10), and the “old math” is taught the following year. Unfortunately, since the nation teaches to a similar standard, there are no resources in existence that exclude “new math.” Further, there is a second math resource used for high achievers called Beast Academy. Similarly, there are other sources for reading materials besides Reader’s Workshop.
Jason Levash: I support the District’s current policy-based governance model and would not support a shift to an operational model.The role of the board is to establish policy related to administration, the instructional program, staff, students, finance, property, operations and relations. Policy is a board’s broad statement of direction that sets a course of action and provides guidance. The superintendent or designees are responsible for developing administrative rules which put policy into practice by defining how, by whom, where and when things are to be done. In the governance model, the board provides strategic district leadership by “staying above the line” while the administrative team is “below the line” implementing policy and deploying strategies in alignment with the board approved strategic plan. This practice is in alignment with the Baldrige Excellence Framework. The superintendent is accountable to the board for results and ensuring district practices are in alignment with the board’s policies. In terms of curriculum planning and oversight, the Wisconsin State statutes define many of the requirements of the board, for example: 1) Annually, include as an item on the agenda of the first school board meeting of the school year a notice that clearly identifies the pupil academic standards adopted by the school board under s. 118.30 (1g) (a) 1. that will be in effect for the school year and 2) The school board shall adopt all the textbooks necessary for use in the schools under its charge. The list of the adopted books shall be filed with the school district clerk, 118.03(1). Beyond the statutory requirements for curriculum development and oversight, the board should through policy ensure the curriculum development and review process. I believe the policy should allow administration as trained professionals to present recommendations before the board for approval to allow them to implement a coherent educational program that will meet the desired educational outcomes of the community. Stakeholder input is important when a board is making decisions because these groups are affected by the district’s actions and success. The reason why receiving their input is important is because it will form the basis of customer expectations which will assist in the design of programs and services to meet their needs. The board also needs to engage with the customer to ensure relationships are being built in order to determine customer satisfaction and engagement. Ultimately, the statutory requirements on the board, the policies of the board and the administrative rules will define the system to ensure a balance of input from stakeholders while also empowering the professional staff of the district to align action with the expectations of the community.
Maria Douglas: Vision Effective school boards establish a clear vision with high expectations for quality teaching and learning that supports strong student outcomes. They establish clear and specific goals to move districts forward. Accountability High academic standards, transparency, and accountability undergird a world-class education. True accountability depends on open decision making, community engagement and support, and receptivity to new ideas and constructive criticism. Policy Policy is how a board sustainably exercises power to serve students. Through policy, school boards establish a set of cohesive guidelines able to transform vision into reality. Community Leadership Through public advocacy and community engagement, school boards share their concerns and actions with the public. Community leadership that builds public support is vital to implement the board’s vision. Board/Superintendent Relationships Both the school board and the superintendent have essential leadership roles that are interconnected but different. Effective school boards lead as a united team with the superintendent, each in their respective roles with strong collaboration and mutual trust. https://tsba.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Key-Work-Cover-and-Text-20Jan15.pdf I absolutely favor the current model of governance for our school board. We make policies in order to guide our school superintendent and administration. We leave the daily operation to the experts—Administration, Curriculum and Instruction, Special Education, Information Technology, Public Health and Wellness, Building and Grounds, etc. The elected board members are not the experts in these fields, but they are entrusted by the voters to be the liaison between school and families. I correlate the relationship between school board and school administration to that of a municipal government, such as that between Mequon's Common Council and city administrator and department heads: the elected citizens of both board and council are liaisons between the citizens and the experts who are actually hired to run our city, village, and schools. It is the best model of governance to achieve the greatest success for both municipalities and school districts. By law, all parents, like all citizens, are always welcome to speak at meetings during public comment and voice their concerns to their elected officials.
Jill Chromy: Declined to answer
Scarlett Johnson: Declined to answer
5. Pandemic: Do you believe our district should incorporate COVID mitigation strategies? Are there certain strategies that you are opposed to or feel should be mandatory, and why?
Paul Buzzell: Short answer: Yes. However, my personal thoughts on the incorporation of COVID-19 mitigation strategies are not entirely relevant to serving on the Board since the development and execution of such procedures are tasks assigned to Administration by Board in Policy 8450, which was last reviewed in August 2021 and requires, "... alignment with the guidelines, and recommendations of local, state, and federal public health experts." (http://go.boarddocs.com/wi/mtsd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=C37L3N530A24).
I have discussed 8450 with members of the Board Policy Committee and am satisfied with it. That said, if Board member Paul wanted to throw away policy and direct the actions of the District related to mitigation, it would not be possible because the Board operates as a group, reaching consensus on guidance; no single board member could direct such an action. Theoretically, a Board majority direct detailed action (or specific inaction) to the District, but this would be very tactical (violating the concept of Board governance) and strain Board/Admin relations, which I would not favor. Advancing this idea further, it would be exceedingly difficult for a part-time Board to write an entire COVID mitigation plan and stay current with it.
Regarding my personal feelings on COVID-19 precautions, I start by saying I believe in "free markets and free people", which means I generally believe in "choice." However, this is also an extremely complicated topic, which is very nuanced, so I would not translate "choice" into letting everyone do what they want, wherever and whenever. We need to balance respect with the needs of others. There is a “greater good” component of this discussion which asks us to think less about ourselves and more about others. I’m a student of World War II history and I’m trying to imagine people who did not ration, buy war bonds or support war efforts because it was an inconvenience to them. Granted, masking is not a world war, but respect is neither a conservative nor liberal idea. When I traveled Budapest in 1998 and toured a very old synagogue, I was asked to wear a kippah (yarmulke) on my head. I initially refused and was reminded that wearing it is not about me, but about respect for the temple. I put it on and when I left, I took it off. Masking – non-masking – sometimes it is situational, but we should always respect each other, even if we do not agree.
Jason Levash: I believe that in person learning is best for the majority of our children and families for academic and social-emotional growth. The district must balance the need for in person learning with prudent mitigation practices. I believe the strategies laid out in the MTSD COVID-19 MITIGATION LEVELS document that was updated in January of 2022 are appropriate and it provides balance while supporting the health and safety of students and staff. The benefits of having our students in classrooms is clear and as a community we should make the commitment to taking personal responsibility so our children can be at school with their peers and teachers! While I support vaccination, I do not believe it should be mandatory for our students or staff. During this time we also need to provide grace, be empathic and provide support to our students, district staff and parents as it is a complex period of time we are living through and learning from.
Maria Douglas: I believe that our school superintendent and his staff should continue to rely on local and state experts. Our superintendent is not a health scientist, so he is in constant discussions with health officials in and outside of our community, weighing the latest science with health concerns, educational achievement, staff workload and health, and a myriad of other issues that factor into his final judgments and recommendations. Despite this emotionally and politically charged issue, I know our superintendent has made the best decisions and will continue to do what is best for students, staff, and the greater community. As a school board member, I believe the board as a body should work in unison with the superintendent and health experts to do what is best for students and teachers.
Jill Chromy: Declined to answer
Scarlett Johnson: Declined to answer
6. Communication: What kind of communication should the school board have with parents/families? With teachers?
Paul Buzzell: I am going to repeat a portion of a prior answer, and then expand a little more. [REPEAT] At the annual Board retreat in spring, the Board can choose topics to research in the year as "work of the Board". Typically, the Board has the capacity for 1-3 topics in a year (they cannot do 10). The topic I would present at the retreat is community communication. This topic may go beyond the topics currently under review since the last Board self-evaluation (which can be a great source for projects). Instead, my proposal focuses on how the Board (not MTSD) interacts with the public. The community has the impression the Board is "robotic" and does not listen. Speaking as a former Board member, I get it. Unfortunately, while regimes have changed, Board behavior has not. The Board should consider more public real-talks. They should explain in detail their decision-making process for key votes. They should be more intentionally accessible to the public. Some of the rules about public comment and engagement should be reviewed. Branching from here, MTSD procedures should be available in BoardDocs along with Policy. The availability of public records should be more easily accessible without the need for a FOIA request. All of these actions will help build TRUST and save Administrative time, allowing for higher level District function. Beyond Board work, as stated earlier, the three most pressing issues facing MTSD are: pandemic management, staffing & recruitment and balancing budgets while maintaining quality. [NEW] Responding to Questions. Board members need the flexibility to respond to the community as they see fit. The old way of doing things was only the President responds. While this old way ensures consistency, it gives the appearance Board members can hide and is a strain on the President. Generally, response methods should match the receipt (e.g., a phone call gets a phone call). Promoting Trust. I mention TRUST a lot and have broken down the four key element of it when talking about how I build it personally and professionally. The ideas listed in the paragraph above will go a long way toward trust-building, but I am positive the entire BOE could build a much more comprehensive and actionable list. The best ideas always come from an engaged group. Accessibility and Open Meetings. If a majority of BOE members are not together, this is not a concern. Instead, the concern would be a “walking quorum”. This could happen when say Board members A and B are together, and then in another meeting, Board members B and C are together, and so on. A series of small meetings can be construed as an illegal quorum. The Board guards against this by strictly not talking about Board issues amongst themselves outside of public view. Taken to a further extreme, there could be a community member having several meetings with Board members to generate a consensus. For this reason, the Board is supposed to communicate all community discussions with each other (e-mail is the best way to do it, plus it is stored for FOIA requests).
Jason Levash: The district has a responsibility to engage with parents and community members using various methods so everyone knows how the district and schools are performing and progressing strategically as well as operationally, how decisions are being made and how taxpayer resources are being spent. It is also the responsibility of the district and board to ensure the “voice of the customer” is included when making decisions; clear expectations on how input is going to be used also needs to be shared at the forefront. The board should be taking steps to promote trust between parents, teachers, administration, and the school board. I believe ensuring transparency and having a “source of truth” will assist in building trust and fostering positive relationships in support of the district. In addition, I believe soliciting input throughout decision making processes can build trust as it will allow all parties to engage in conversation around the topic and hear diverse thoughts on what an approach could be. Board members should be responsive to questions from individuals in the community and provide a response based upon factual information or redirection to district administration. Calls and emails should not go unanswered, at minimum an acknowledgement should be occurring. Communication is typically an opportunity for improvement in all organizations so the district must commit time and resources in an effective and efficient manner alongside the board to ensure all stakeholders have what they need to support student learning in the district.
Maria Douglas: Communication between the school board and families should remain as it is properly and professionally carried out now: Parents can contact their elected board members through their professional contact information located on the MTSD website. If a board member is unsure of how to answer an issue, he or she should forward the concern to the complete board to ask for input; a united effort is most important. Keeping communication professional, positive and reassuring is the best practice in developing trust, and practicing good listening skills within the community will promote that trust and avoid conflicting with open meeting laws. As for board members interacting with teachers, I feel this is very unprofessional and intimidating to educators. Board members must direct all communication to the superintendent.
Jill Chromy: Declined to answer
Scarlett Johnson: Declined to answer
7. Conflicts: Is membership on the board of education compatible with your present volunteer and/or employed position(s)? Any conflicts of interest?
Paul Buzzell: No conflicts. If elected, I will resign from Homestead Sports Booster Club. I have already functionally removed myself from Inform Mequon-Thiensville.
Jason Levash: I do not currently have any conflicts of interest. I am employed by CESA 6, an education service agency. The Mequon-Thiensville School District is a member of CESA 1. The Mequon-Thiensville School District has had contracts in the past with CESA 6 but does not have any at the current time. In the event the District administration recommends a contract with CESA 6 before the Board for approval I would abstain from the vote.
Maria Douglas: I have no conflicts of interest when I become an elected school board member. My volunteerism in the community, as well as my past and present professional roles, will be tremendous assets to my position as an elected MTSD board member.
Jill Chromy: Declined to answer
Scarlett Johnson: Declined to answer
8. Affiliations: Have you or are you open to accepting any support (data, volunteers, and/or financial) from a partisan political group or organization?
Paul Buzzell: I will not solicit or accept any support from partisan groups. Below is a statement I made to Inform about non-partisanship.
I do believe school boards should remain non-partisan. Experientially, I've found non-partisan elections are focused on the background and experiences of candidates, which is important to find a Board member who compliments the existing Board and is a good fit for the community. Further, I've found many Board votes don't translate to political affiliations, so focusing on politics would not give the community different outcomes. With this context, turning board elections political would be unnecessarily divisive and would hurt more than help. Personally, I have many supporters who are both conservative and liberal, and all of whom trust me and look up to me for leadership on school matters. It doesn't make sense to me how partisanship makes us better.
To back this up, I wrote a letter to both the RPOC and Oz Dems, asking them to please consider not getting involved in this election. I did this in the spirit of unity and what's best for the place we call home, and not out of fear.
I do understand the notion of non-partisan school boards is changing in some states. As of today, the Wisconsin Elections Commission sees school board races as non-partisan; no political affiliations are listed on the ballot. From my research, there are pros and cons of partisan boards, and more research is needed to understand whether political affiliations impact board decisions or not. I see this as an evolving topic and welcome a better understanding of it over time.
Jason Levash: My campaign does not have an affiliation with a partisan political group at the current time nor does it intend to accept one. I believe school board elections should stay nonpartisan, and allow for the election of individuals based on their own merits rather than as a member of a political party.
Maria Douglas: Accepting support from a group comes in various forms and not all of it with an intent to bias the outcome of how I will perform my duties. My campaign accepts support from this or any group so long as they share and promote our similar values. That is precisely how the Coalition warded off the attack from the Recall effort.
Jill Chromy: Declined to answer
Scarlett Johnson: Declined to answer
9. Unity: Our community just went through a difficult recall process — what suggestions do you have to help us move forward, together?
Paul Buzzell: I have already been taking action to stop the negativity, so we can begin to move forward together.
Stopping Negativity
- To Restore: Got them to accept a truce on the politics of personal destruction.
- To Every Board Candidate: Expressed my hope for respect and offered to talk anytime. I am communicating more frequently with Scarlett to promote focus and positivity.
- Promoted the concept of respect on social media.
Steps to Move Forward
- Promoted the idea of an ad hoc committee to develop communication recommendations for MTSD.
- Improve Board communication with stakeholders (see my discussion of a topic for the board as a whole).
Jason Levash: I believe community unity is critically important moving forward because strong communities build strong schools. Raising the next generation is a shared responsibility that we all have ownership in. When families, communities and schools work together, students are more successful and the entire community benefits. Moving forward, I want our board to engage with the community in new ways so every stakeholder can play a role in ensuring every child can succeed. Board members, access to easy to find and interpret information and the process deployed across the district need to be accessible to the whole community. No community member should have doubt about information, feel lost in the process of engagement and feel as if they have not been heard. As a board member, I would like to provide additional opportunities utilizing a variety of different methods to listen to stakeholders in addition to the public comment agenda item at board meetings. I also would like to invite stakeholders into as many advisory structures as possible so their voices are informing the administration and board on current topics of discussion. While at times we may not always agree on the approach, we need to be respectful of each other, speak the truth and engage in the process. I will always be there to listen, share the facts and encourage civil engagement. Being united as a community around our children is critically important if we want them to succeed now and in the future! We cannot forget the common goal of providing the best opportunities for our children and their futures. WE CAN DO THIS as a Community.
Maria Douglas: We must put a good amount of focus on that 42% of the community who voted to recall four of our duly elected board members, and ask ourselves the important questions of what went wrong, how it happened, and why. It is evident to me that the concerted effort by a small group of discontented people to spread misinformation led to the spread of more misinformation, fear and alarm within the community. The only way to combat this misinformation is to have a simple education campaign, thoughtfully laid out in layman's terms, to keep citizens apprised of the school district's goals, areas of work, and achievements. While I realize the website provides a lot of information. We should provide a similar informational notice.
Jill Chromy: Declined to answer
Scarlett Johnson: Declined to answer
Our Conclusion
Many people have reached out to us to get our perspective on the School Board candidates. We are humbled that you trust us to offer an honest, non-partisan view. We looked at a variety of factors, including their campaign materials, past statements, social media, and answers to our questions. As a result, 2 candidates stood out: Jason Levash and Paul Buzzell.
Both Jason and Paul fit the above criteria we are looking for in a school board member. They also have years of different types of educational experience that will make them both assets to the school board. Both strongly believe in a non-partisan, pragmatic approach to the position. Their willingness to give specific answers and delve into specific policy was helpful to our process.
Paul is a past member of the Board and is very active in the Homestead Booster Club. He also has practical business experience that dovetails well with his understanding of the financials of the School District. We have also witnessed firsthand Paul’s steadfast belief that he can work with anyone.
Advancing learning is Jason’s life work. He has served in both instruction and administrative roles. His thoughtfulness and background in educational leadership makes him an excellent fit for the Board seat.
We endorse Jason Levash and Paul Buzzell for the MTSD School Board.