Whilethere is a place for students who want to do online learning, it is not for all students. 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. SHARE. The difference is in the approach. 6 Marquette edges St. John's, Illinois judge strikes down state's ban on high-powered guns, Tom Sizemore, 'Saving Private Ryan' actor, dies at 61, Stocks rally Friday, close out their first winning week in last 4, Five Points Pub closes for renovations, hotel still open, Oconomowoc schools to hold 4 more meetings on referendum, Ocon Four bring it on, off mat in Madison. I started to become interested in the school board position last year during the recall. Schick:I applied for the school board vacancy when the three board members resigned. [1], Herro said it was the community's right to issue a recall. You can help too. Sign up now! The starting point in creating the best school district in the state is through talented teachers, and Im proud to accept the endorsement of the teachers in the district through the Oconomowoc Education Association. "We will use mandated masking as a layered mitigation strategy when our data proves it necessary," said Dr. Kristen Taylor, interim superintendent. "You want conflict on a governing board, it brings more voices to the table and it can lead to a solution that can be supported by even a divided group," he said. Steitzer, Herro, and Roehl were joined in approving the proposal by members Dan Raasch and Rick Grothaus. "When Juliet lost her seat, then we lost the majority, and once we lost the majority, the culture became caustic.". Our district is equipped for this and should respect and adjust to every students learning style and personal circumstances. 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. 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 . If we fail to support the best teachers, then we will miss them when they are gone. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that Contact info: 920-474-7796;thielw@oasd.org. Ninmann:I am currently serving as an appointed member of the board since September 2021. ContactInformation: 920-948-7183 (cell), Address:N76 W36096 Saddlebrook Lane, Oconomowoc. 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. Elections in 2023 | Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. For more spring 2022 election coverage,click here. My heart sunk. If you say, 'I don't want to play for a team, I want what is best for the students,' it won't make a difference because your name is going to be slandered if you're not on the right team. "If people step forward and Im very hopeful that theres enough good people out there that will do that then the good quality work for kids can continue. We no longer employ consultants to work with the board on how to be board members. Providing support for the educators of our school district, who continue to do incredible work with our students. Fortunately, I pray all of that is behind us. Look at our band andtheater programs, our internship and apprentice programs, all top in the state. If the pandemic showed us anything, it is that kids learn the best in the classroom with a teacher. Phone. 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. Schraufnagel:Since the appointment of myself and the threeother new board members, our meetings are focused on improving the school district. Follow him on Twitter at @Evanfrank_LCP. The district should focus on advancing these programs to meet the needs of the current times or we will be missing the boat. 2021-22 OCONOMOWOC AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT CALENDAR (PDF LINK) 2022-2023 oconomowoc area school district website And if not, well, then this is the board the community wants.". "Well, my initial reaction was definitely surprise," said Scott Roehl, board VP. Were losing some really good people because of the contentiousness, and Im concerned that we may lose some more teachers in the process, or more administrators, that we already know we have a shortage of. Community involvement: Current school board member, former Oconomowoc rec league coach. Steitzer became a board member in 2018 and said this year's election became overwhelmingly partisan. "[1], In reaction to the recall effort, Roehl said he preferred a face-to-face model as well. 8, North Dakota, El Rancho Unified School District, California, Pocatello-Chubbuck School District No. It will take years of rebuilding and recovery as people continue to live in fear. However, virtual learning for most students is not as effective as in-person learning. We can have a vigorous discussion, take our voteand all feel good about what we have accomplished. "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. The Pewaukee School Board faces a similar situation, where six candidates will vie. Throughout my life, I have been an active participant in my community. Its not a question of which is better;its about innovation to give parents, studentsand teachers a choice. 556 likes. All content Copyright 2023 WDJT. The current board follows a policy and governance model that has helped our district move forward. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. Around the same time, a group of parents chased the school board around the hallways of Burlington High School after the unruly crowd forced the suspension of a meeting. Thiel:I have always been involved with the schools as a stay-at-home dad for my three children who all attended the district. Neither Raasch nor Grothaus could be included in the recall as they had not yet served on the board for a full year. The community has referenced that a large majority of families elected to start school in a full face-to-face model. "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?" If you make a promise keep it. A statement says the board members felt their constituents weren't being heard on matters like health and safety, and that the board is influenced by a hyper-political group. The district has a focus on developing learners and leaders and the board has a responsibility to support that focus with policy and financial stewardship. Of those priorities, what should the district focus on and why? powered by finalsite About Us Meanwhile, the board will begin taking applications and discuss its plan to fill the vacant seats at its next meeting Wednesday, Aug. 18. Schraufnagel:I was appointed to the OASD Board of Education in September of 2021 after three board members decided to quit in August of 2021. "They can make no one happy.". To do this we need focus on excellence, celebrate our successes, and create an overall district that people see as the best overall option for their students. 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). The OASD School Board holds a regular monthly meeting on the third Wednesday of each month at the Oconomowoc High Schoo East Campus, starting at 6:30 p.m. >>Click here for the 2021-22 Regular School Board Meeting Schedule. Contact info: pschmitz06@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/PaulaSchmitzCampaign; 262-490-7048, Address:N56 W35146 Pondview Lane,Oconomowoc, Past political experience:Current board member. A majority voted to keep requiring masks indoors through the end of the year, though kids could ditch them when they were outside. Recall supporters had 60 days to collect signatures from citizens in the school district. Two incumbents who favored virtual school lose their seats on the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District Board, Two incumbents ousted in a Waukesha School Board race partly defined by unrest over virtual learning, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. I have served this district in many capacities over the last 6 years, both in leadership roles and on subcommittees.. EMAIL. My focus is clear: As a board member, I am there to represent the families in my district. The boards job is to focus on getting our students the best education possible and work (as our vision states) to become Unrivaled.. The chart below compares coronavirus-related recalls to recalls for all other reasons in 2020, 2021, and 2022. In-person learning includes more than book learning, like social interaction, dedicated learning spaces (not dining room tables)and much more. I dont have a medical background, but I do have a background in leveraging subject matter expertise to make tough decisions. Schick:It is the vision of the Oconomowoc Area School District to become an unrivaled learning community, seeking wisdom, honoring the past, and shaping the future. This is the districts vision and should be our guiding light. August 16, 2021, 4:06 PM. The number of signatures needed was equal to 25% of the votes cast within the school district in the 2018 gubernatorial election.[1]. 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. "I would just like to thank them for their service to the Oconomowoc Area School District," said board member Scott Roehl. 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. The candidates are (top row, left to right): Andrew Anderson, Neal Ninmann (i), Sandy . To read about other recall efforts related to the coronavirus and government responses to the pandemic, click here. 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. I also attended many school board meetings regarding masking and in-person classes. View All Calendars is the default. SHARE. ", RELATED:Two incumbents who favored virtual school lose their seats on the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District Board. Waukesha County was home to 395,118 residents in 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau. 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. We need to be smart with our tax dollars and do more with less. By following the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidelines around wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing, he said most were able to remain open all school year. Application Contact Phone. "Its not a specific group thats necessarily capturing the board, but its the ideological conflict itself thats capturing the board," he said. Schraufnagel:Masks should remain optional. Schlesingers Saturday Spotlight (3/4)String Art, 80s Prom Shower chances on/off this weekend with winter weather late in Milwaukee native Ernie Johnson, Jr. honored with Award of Excellence Drop your guns, pick up our gloves: Boxing club uses movie Route 20 holds benefit concert for human trafficking victims. Tony Evers' statewide mask mandate was overturned, the Oconomowoc school board took up the issue. With the requirements to give ample notice before bringing up issues, only being able to vote on items listed in their agenda, and meetings that typically occur only once a month, theyre hamstrung from acting quickly which could get frustrating when the understanding of COVID-19, and the disease itself, was rapidly evolving. I support all programs and initiatives with no favorites. "We have in the past seen national issues bleed into local government issues, but now were seeing a more sustained effort, and a more explicitly ideologically motivated effort, thats all-encompassing.". As they say, Keep School REAL. Counties, Kam Jones scores 23 as No. Continue to implement our district strategic plan and our athletic strategic plan. Community involvement: Volunteered at the local parish church, lobbied for street resurfacing and got it done in our neighborhood of Oconomowoc Heights, which was prone to flooding. Oconomowoc Public Education Foundation (OPEF). 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. "I do think theres been this public expectation around COVID that we want these school board officials to manage the day-to-day," he said. Second, is the unique opportunity to help students pursue their individual passion to a greater extent. Collected signatures for speedier repairs of the pavement in the parking lot across the street from the Post Office, which was in the core area of downtown Oconomowoc, full of potholes. Federal courts | I am running to continue to move our school district in the positive direction. 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. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. Schmitz:I believe in democracy and diversity. Address: N56 W35146 Pondview Lane, Oconomowoc Past political experience: Current board member Community involvement: Current school board member, former Oconomowoc rec league coach.. The three members have stepped down, citing how the Oconomowoc Area School District has been pulled into partisan culture wars., Because of the dysfunctional and disrespectful behavior of the remaining Board members and interim superintendent, Board work has become toxic and impossible to do, the letter states. All three are up for election April 5. Choose Select a Calendar to view a specific calendar. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. Now, nearly half the board is vacant, with some major decisions ahead. She said: Absolutely! One of them was Juliet Steitzer, whose loss in Oconomowoc tipped the balance of power, setting the stage for the later resignations. 2.) [7] The district was the 30th-largest school district in the state in the 2013-2014 school year and served 5,224 students. ContactEvan Frank at (262) 361-9138or evan.frank@jrn.com. I want Oconomowoc to be a destination school district for families outside of our boundaries. Schick:Our resilient district has improved our ability to provide virtual learning during the challenges of the COVID pandemic. General mask wearing should be a family choice based on their understanding of masks and should not be monitored by staff unless under protocol since this takes time from their main task of educating.