oconomowoc school board

A- Accountability- Do what you say you are going to do. I led program development initiatives expanding outreach, involvement, and resources for both students and . 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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. The appointmentrequires re-election. Our family owns a small business in downtown Oconomowoc, I am a 1988 graduate of OHS and have three children who also have experienced OASD as students. Thiel:I have always been involved with the schools as a stay-at-home dad for my three children who all attended the district. Oconomowoc's school board voted virtually Tuesday night to hold face-to-face classes in the fall with a couple alternatives. SHARE. Schmitz:I like to call my priority number one Student Mental Fitness instead of student mental health. Are we using it? This is where all of the OASD Board of Education videos will be posted. We no longer employ consultants to work with the board on how to be board members. Dan Raasch, one of the Oconomowoc board members who resigned, said the group made their decision to quit the board entirely because they didnt feel like they had any options left and they wanted to shock the community into paying attention to the ways he said their school board wasnt working in the communitys best interest. Aug 2006 - Jun 20158 years 11 months. This is my first attempt at elective politics. I was part of that majority. 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 also mentored students at the high school in resume writing and interviewing skills and mentored students through Junior Achievement. We need to bring this same level of excellence to the areas that still need improvement to get us there. 2.) Oconomowoc Public Education Foundation (OPEF). "I have gotten to know many people in our beautiful Oconomowoc area, and I would not trade this experience for anything. School Board Meetings and Agendas Meeting Schedules. Kim Kaukl, of the Wisconsin Rural Schools Alliance, said he got frustrated watching school board meetings where adults talked about what they thought was best for students, but didnt always listen to the students themselves. Schick:When I campaigned in 2002, I had the following beliefs. Fortunately, I pray all of that is behind us. Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter. Cities | "That began a tremendous attack on the board at that point about not having the kids full five days a week face-to-face, back in the schools.". Empowering a Community of Learners and Leaders. Oconomowoc Area School District: School Year Calendar. Anderson:We all hope to get back to life as it was before masks. ", RELATED:Two incumbents who favored virtual school lose their seats on the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District Board. The chart below compares coronavirus-related recalls to recalls for all other reasons in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Schraufnagel:Since the appointment of myself and the threeother new board members, our meetings are focused on improving the school district. The board voted 4-3 to choose him over Grothaus, who had served in the role for the year prior. And if not, well, then this is the board the community wants.". Schools should be a haven for students, a springboard for each one of them to become the best version of themselves in service to others. Bill Thiel was appointed in Januaryto Roehl's former seat to finish out the term and will run for the seat this spring. "They can make no one happy.". Parents filled the Oconomowoc School Board meeting. The Oconomowoc Area School District is located in Waukesha County in southeastern Wisconsin. Believe it or not, that small step over time will also help us become a better district. Counties, Kam Jones scores 23 as No. OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - Divisive, bullying, partisan tactics are among the reasons why three Oconomowoc Area School Board members said they resigned Sunday night, Aug. 15. 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. On May 13, attorneys for the Oconomowoc Area School District School Board issued the letter to Alexandra . Subscribe to calendar notifications by clicking on the Notify Me button, and you will automatically be alerted about the latest events in our community. 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. A statement from Interim Superintendent Kristen Taylor also focused on the future. Then, according to the resigning members, another board member told parents they could claim a religious exemption to allow their kids to go mask-free. | I will continue this trend of performance if electedto the board in April. 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 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. "For those who did not vote for me I want to thank you for coming out and participating in the process. supports HTML5 video. The board vice president said the news caught him by surprise as he turns his focus to the future. 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. Our actions have an impact. Board members say the data has changed since they moved to a mask-optional policy as of last month. The board has turned a corner and is really moving forward. 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). Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal. The meeting schedule for the Finance, Operations, and Advancement (FOA) committee and Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (CIA) committee are available by clicking the link below. Incumbents Jessica Karnowski and James Wood received the most votes and will retain their seats. "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?" "The main qualification of a school board member and I say this as a local elected official is you got one more vote than the other person. My focus is clear: As a board member, I am there to represent the families in my district. OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - Divisive, bullying, partisan tactics are among the reasons why three Oconomowoc Area School Board members said they resigned Sunday night, Aug. 15. It will take years of rebuilding and recovery as people continue to live in fear. Ballotpedia covered 34 coronavirus-related recall efforts against 93 officials in 2022, accounting for 13% of recalls that year. Delavan - Darien School District's DD Tech Administrator and CTE Coordinator, Michael Rick, discusses educational opportunities. This is a decrease from both 2020 and 2021. My heart sunk. Schweitzer, who was a newcomer to running for school board, said she loved the process of campaigning. There is a place for some virtual learning, but I will always work with our district to provide in-person learning whenever possible. Schick:I wanted to provide experience and leadership in the hiring of the new superintendent, selling of the old Meadow View School site, and general district operations. Jessica Karnowski for Oconomowoc School Board, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. This enrollment out is currently larger than our enrollment in and every time that happens, we have fewer resources to work with. From my perspective as a board member, to ensure that we are not putting our students at risk, a soft launch to the school year will provide greater clarity as to the effects of the virus when our students are back in session. The effort failed after the group did not get enough signatures. I've pledged not to accept donations from politically aligned special interest groups with pre-determined agendas. The county seat is Waukesha. My own kids have spent time in robotics, drama and athletics and I want to help promote the passion of students to the greatest extent possible. I am a good fit for this role as I can work well with a variety of people, and I can agree and disagree with them without allowing it to become personal. Learn more about the Oconomowoc Area School District at www.oasd.org. Instead, we firmly believe that the vast majority of people living in our community value respect, decency, thoughtful collaboration, common courtesy, consideration for others, and caring for the common good. Providing support for the educators of our school district, who continue to do incredible work with our students. 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. "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.". "I would just like to thank them for their service to the Oconomowoc Area School District," said board member Scott Roehl. View All Calendars is the default. 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. More: Candidates for Oconomowoc mayor share views on growing inflation, infrastructure and public safety. 37214 Delafield Rd , Oconomowoc, WI 53066-9101 is a single-family home listed for rent at /mo. Thiel:I have 4 priorities for the district. We are in a good place right now and I want to make sure that we continue being financially strong. Leadership by the board, in the district, in classroom, by the teachers, and by the students. R- Realistic Spending- Dont spend what you dont have. Having said that, we are still losing some of our students to other districts and other schools. The boards job is to focus on getting our students the best education possible and work (as our vision states) to become Unrivaled.. I have been an educator for 21 years, the last 16 of them as an administrator, I felt this background would be a benefit to the board and school district. "The kids recognized that this was an important part of them staying healthy, because they didnt want to miss their sports and their other activities and school, they didnt want to miss the end of the year activities.". I dont think we need some new program or initiative to get us there. Application Contact Phone. Choose Select a Calendar to view a specific calendar. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. Address: N56 W35146 Pondview Lane, Oconomowoc Past political experience: Current board member Community involvement: Current school board member, former Oconomowoc rec league coach.. OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Dozens of Oconomowoc area school district parents are getting heated on the issue of face masks. Anderson:As a parent of four, the wake of our school board making national news for toxic dysfunction hit hard. Covid mitigation methods are what now-former board members expressed concern about in submitting resignation letters this week. Vacating their seats are Rick Grothaus, Kim Herro and Dan Raasch. 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. ContactAlec Johnson at(262) 875-9469 oralec.johnson@jrn.com. We have developed a thick skin when we hear about another school shooting or a student being bullied, or a student committing suicide. ft. home is a 4 bed, 3.0 bath property. All rights reserved. Student Mental Fitness should be the top priority in the district. The Pewaukee School Board faces a similar situation, where six candidates will vie. In January, the Oconomowoc School Board agreed to put a two-question facilities referendum on the ballot totaling $75.45 million. Counties | I will fight for this as it will bring a transformative, long-lasting solution in times of crisis. It is intrinsic to its mission: Unless students are mentally fit and emotionally stable, they cant learn and therefore, they will not be able to lead. As I stated on the previous question our priorities are financial stability, increasing open enrollment into the district, focusing on the strategic plans, supporting administration and teachers, and selling the old Meadow View. [5], Steitzer's term on the board expired in April 2021, and Herro's and Roehl's terms expired in April 2022.[1]. [3][4], The recall effort started after the school board voted 5-2 in August 2020 to approve a blend of virtual and in-person learning for students returning to school for the 2020-2021 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Congress | After considering 29 candidates, interviewing six and then selecting three of those six as finalists, the Oconomowoc School Board has selected the Oconomowoc Area School District's next. TWEET. "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. I wanted to make sure someone stood up to take accountability and I was most nervous about our district losing talented teachers. more, Rick Grothaus, Kim Herro and Dan Raasch resigned from the board, filled the three vacant seats in September, Candidates for Oconomowoc mayor share views on growing inflation, infrastructure and public safety, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "We are going to still going to continue to maintain, continue to work and continue to do what we can to make the Oconomowoc Area School District an unrivaled place and an unrivaled educational environment," said Roehl. Contact info: 920-474-7796;thielw@oasd.org. I believe strongly that serving as a representative of the community is a primary focus for a school board member and is the reason I am a good fit for the position. Keep updated on the latest news and information. 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. I am running to continue to move our school district in the positive direction. [1], Herro said it was the community's right to issue a recall. Since there is no ability to engage in meaningful dialogue, even on the issue of the health and safety of our students and staff, we cannot be part of an organization that is so non-responsive to every constituents concerns, not just a minority segment, and is so cavalier about our students, staffs and communitys health and safety, the letter states. For more spring 2022 election coverage,click here. Thiel:We are very fortunate to have an excellent district to start with. We hope the time will soon come again when it is possible to work together collaboratively for the good of our community and its children and stop letting the distractions and personal political agendas take us off that course.. Kaukl worries that in addition to the health impacts to kids and staff, the vicious disagreements and overriding of best practices around health will drive out the people who keep schools up and running. 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. How to vote | The district needs to ensure that all students are given the opportunity to learn. A majority voted to keep requiring masks indoors through the end of the year, though kids could ditch them when they were outside. Past board members began to work on personal agendas and that led to a great deal of dysfunction. Schick:Our resilient district has improved our ability to provide virtual learning during the challenges of the COVID pandemic. The Oconomowoc School Board saw lots of turnover in 2021, as four of its members resigned or left. She said she wished the district had utilized its outdoor space in order to allow all students to return to in-person learning full-time. 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. The effort against members Juliet Steitzer, Kim Herro, and Scott Roehl began on September 17, 2020. The community has referenced that a large majority of families elected to start school in a full face-to-face model. 4.) Ninmann:100% remain optional for in-person learning. 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 "Its not a specific group thats necessarily capturing the board, but its the ideological conflict itself thats capturing the board," he said. "[1], Jason Baumann, a member of the group, said, "We're all concerned parents in the district that are not happy with the way things are going in general with our district, with our school board. From left to right: Mike Sereno, Joe Koch and Jeridon Clark. Then in November, board member Scott Roehl left after moving out of the district and saying in a Facebook post that he and his family did not feel safe in their home. "They were shooting for her, there was a bullseye on her back," said Herro. Voters may cast a ballot for up to four of the six candidates. Click here for the 2021-22 Regular School Board Meeting Schedule, Click here to reach eBoard and all Special Meetings & Committee Agend, Oconomowoc Public Education Foundation (OPEF). Apply today! The fact that the restrictions have been now lifted doesnt mean that the havoc caused by the lockdowns will disappear overnight. As they say, Keep School REAL. 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. Follow him on Twitter at @AlecJohnson12. My main reason for applying was to bring stability and history to the table. Schmitz:As an educator and wellness researcher, I believe there are negative effects to breathing inside a mask. Address: N56 W35146 Pondview Lane, Oconomowoc Past political experience: Current board member Community involvement: Current school board member, former Oconomowoc rec league coach.. 2023 by Wisconsin Public Radio, a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The current board follows a policy and governance model that has helped our district move forward. Oconomowoc, WI 53066. In a statement, the trio wrote, "The OASD board has now been dragged into partisan culture wars by some members of the board" saying "Board work has become toxic and impossible to do.". Footnotes. The board must focus on strategic alignment driving results and opportunity for students, teachers and parents. This can be accomplished by using the Strategic Plan. When three school board members in Oconomowoc resigned together on Monday, it wasnt solely because of board disputes over COVID-19. Of those priorities, what should the district focus on and why? Steitzer was one of three current school board members that the groupOconomowoc Citizens Represented attempted to recall in September. Ballotpedia tracked 29 school board recall efforts against 64 board members in 2020. Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. There's also high interest in the Oconomowoc School Board, where six candidates are running for four seats. Place An Ad - Call 262-306-5000/email: Conleyclass@conleynet.com, Three Oconomowoc School Board members resign, cite toxic board behavior, Cite hyper political, partisan culture as reason for stepping down, Submit an Obituary Wash. & Oz. He said the remaining board would move forward constructively. "We will never know if we did too much, but we will most definitely know if we did too little," said one parent. Decisions should be based on collaboration and transparency. I am a strong believer in in-person classroom learning, and that has worked well for myself, my childrenand others for hundreds of years. In total, there are four seats up for election this year, and six candidates running. Finding ways to increase open enrollment into our school district. I would have run then, but I wanted to make sure that the candidates I supported were elected (they did) and I didnt want to dilute the votes we needed. Ballotpedia features 395,577 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. As of this week, the data and our district metrics are trending in the right direction, so barring any major changes to the data, I see a return to a full face-to-face approach on the horizon. Empowering a Community of Learners and Leaders, 262-560-2101WoodJ@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2024, 262-560-2101KarnowskiJ@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2024, 262-560-2101CarricoM@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2024, 262-560-2101SchickS@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2023, 262-560-2101NinmannN@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2025, 262-560-2101SchraufnagelC@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2023, 262-560-2101ThielW@oasd.orgTerm Expires: April 2025, Meeting Schedule / Notices / Agendas/ Meeting Summaries. There are six candidates for four seats on the Oconomowoc School Board. Mental fitness goes beyond being mentally sane; it includes developing a success mindset that can be applied to any discipline. There are six candidates for four seats on the Oconomowoc School Board. 2023 FOX Television Stations, Camp Timber-lee: Delavan businessman to buy, keep site open, Racine drunk driver killed pregnant friend: complaint, Mysterious lights in southeast Wisconsin sky; here's what they were, Alderman Bauman regrets his decision on downtown metered parking, Oak Creek car thefts; gas station customers targeted, police say, Delavan-Darien School Districts Pathways to Success. So it's important to look at vaccination rates and where new cases are popping up. An effort to recall three of the seven members of the Oconomowoc Area School District school board in Wisconsin did not go to a vote in 2020. Since September, our board meetings have been productive, we no longer employ consultants to help us get along, we have hired a new superintendent and we were one of the only schools to improve scores during the pandemic by keeping kids in the classroom as much as possible. "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. Phillips saw 10 of her members removed in Aprils school board elections, and she said many felt targeted because of their support for phased reopening, virtual options and disease-mitigation strategies. My viewpoints remain the same. Ballot measures, Who represents me? One of them was Juliet Steitzer, whose loss in Oconomowoc tipped the balance of power, setting the stage for the later resignations. Meeting Schedule / Notices / Agendas/ Meeting Summaries. Sell the old Meadow View to fulfill the promise of the past board. However, virtual learning for most students is not as effective as in-person learning. School districts | I have served this district in many capacities over the last 6 years, both in leadership roles and on subcommittees.. "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. 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. Students can grow and develop these mindful skills in a fun-filled environment that departs from the classroom and uses a common space like the cafeteria, the gym, and/or some outdoor space on campus or in the community. COVID-related recalls accounted for 37% of all recall efforts in both 2020 and 2021. "The kids and the teachers had been doing a marvelous job throughout the year dealing with the masks," said Grothaus. Our district is equipped for this and should respect and adjust to every students learning style and personal circumstances. Wood said the current HVAC system at Oconomowoc High School is from the 1960s and not up to today's . In May, after Gov. Contact info: pschmitz06@gmail.com; www.facebook.com/PaulaSchmitzCampaign; 262-490-7048, Address:N56 W35146 Pondview Lane,Oconomowoc, Past political experience:Current board member.

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