Frequently Asked Questions
Occupation and education:
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Associate Wealth Management Advisor — Northwestern Mutual
Certified Public Accountant (CPA®) & Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) -
Bachelor of Business Administration – UW Madison
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Graduate of West De Pere 1997
Why are you running for school board
I’m concerned with the general direction that the public education system is taking in our country. For
me, it took the COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s response to it to get my attention. The rapid
deterioration of our personal freedoms including lockdowns, mandatory masking and the hard push for vaccinating were shocking.
The next thing I noticed was the increased emphasis on the sexualization of children at younger ages. Books with mature, some even pornographic content, unimaginable just a generation ago, are now available in schools across the country. Gender identity issues have come to the forefront, with schools now having their staff trained on how to accommodate the desires (sometimes demands) of this small subset of our students with little to no regard for how it may affect the rest of the students. This is particularly concerning for our female students and their parents who may not feel comfortable with a biological male using female restrooms and locker rooms or unfairly participating in female sports.
Finally, I believe we live in the greatest country the history of the world has ever known, thanks be to
God, the giver of our inalienable rights and our Founding Fathers for the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Although there are elements of our past that are regrettable, we have made tremendous progress and
remain the country more people want to come to than any other. We should not allow our students to
be taught to overemphasis the dark parts of our past to the detriment of learning what has and; continues
to make the USA great.
What makes you the best candidate?
I’m not afraid to stand up for what's best for the children. Both incumbents voted to require masking when it was known to be ineffective and detrimental for learning. Harmful ideologies related to race, sex education and gender are infiltrating schools across the nation. It will take courageous leadership to protect our children from the distorted ways these topics are being presented to our kids.
What do you believe are the top two issues that need to be addressed, and how would you address them, if elected?
Parental rights and books/materials transparency.
(Parental Rights): I believe that parents play the primary role as decision-makers in the student’s K-12 educational experience. If elected, I would aim to advance policies that strengthen parental involvement and defend against government overreach.
Recently, the Waukesha school board passed three key proposals that I would like to see implemented
at West De Pere, too:
Under the proposal, "District staff will not be permitted to call a minor student by names, nicknames or
pronouns other than commonly shortened or abbreviated full names (for example, William to ‘Bill’ or
Jennifer to ‘Jen’) or pronouns consistent with the student’s biological sex, without written permission from the parent."
On bathrooms, the proposal says: "Students will use shared bathroom and locker room facilities
according to their biological sex. Students who request exceptions for shared facility use, shall have a
plan on file with the school district that is determined by the Superintendent not to introduce an excess of safety or privacy risks for other District students, and that is approved by the parent."
And on sports, the proposal states: "Students will participate in athletics programs consistent with their
biological sex and the rules of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association (WIAA). Any
consideration of alternate placement due to a student’s gender identity, must comply with WIAA policy
and be approved by the Board."
(Books/Materials): It is important to provide a broad spectrum of reading material, but it should be age-
appropriate, closely monitored by district staff and if the quantity of inappropriate content becomes a
problem, new vendors considered.
I assume the curriculum department has a vetting process for what is allowed into the schools, but there
are many instances of books that have either been missed or not considered problematic by the school but certainly are to some parents. The current process/procedure, the way I understand it, deals only
with the parent who flagged the material leaving all other possibly concerned parents ignorant to what
they, too, might not want their children exposed to.
When potentially problematic material is identified, there should be an easy way for parents who may also be concerned to see what was flagged, why it was flagged and what the schools plan of action regarding that title is.
Another area of concern I have is with social-emotional learning (SEL), which is being taught in the
schools in my district right now. The school counselors are coming into classrooms teaching the Second
Step curriculum which focuses on five, seemingly harmless or even desirable, competencies: self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision making, relationship skills and social awareness. While self-awareness and self-management are essential for children as they grow and mature, the goal, as it defines these competencies, is to transform children’s perception of identity onto frameworks such as intersectionality, which focuses on discrimination and privilege.
Once children understand what role their identities play in systemic injustice, SEL begins to shape children’s decision-making skills around their identities with a competency labeled “Responsible Decision-Making.” But this competency, as translated through the SEL framework, is not about personal character and judgment. It is fundamentally political, aimed at deconstructing the foundations of law and citizenship.
I could go on but suffice it to say that this is indoctrination of an ideology that many parents, myself
included, do not want thrust upon their children.
What is your understanding of the Board of Education’s role in decision making in the district?
It is my understanding that the school board has the final authority to determine what needs to happen, and the district administrator and staff are given a degree of leeway to determine how to make it happen.
If you could change one thing about your district it would be _____. Explain.
The West De Pere school district has much to be proud of, but because I'm running for a school board seat, I'd have to say improving and/or updating our policies to be consistent with the values of most people in our district.
Do you have areas of concern about student achievement in your district? What are your specific suggestions for improvement?
Looking at our district’s latest scorecard, one issue that stands out to me is the underperformance of our economically disadvantaged students. More than 70% score "basic" or "below basic" in English language arts and Math. I'd like to know what we're currently doing to help ensure they have the technology & tools needed to succeed and, where necessary, helping to provide motivation to these students in hopes of improving their situation in the future.
What are your thoughts about the state of public school funding in Wisconsin?
I'm concerned that the voices that focus on public school funding and the financial issues of the district are drowning out the voices of the parents & taxpayers in the district. Though I may be convinced otherwise, I don't think a lack of dollars coming in is the issue as much as how the dollars are being used. One of my objectives is to get a better understanding of what my district is doing with the funds it receives and making sure that the funds are being used wisely & fairly.
What are your thoughts on how the topic of racism and its history in the United States should be taught in public schools?
I’m comfortable with race & racism being covered in school as long as it is historically accurate in its representation and not overstated, over-emphasized or used to place guilt or victimhood on anybody in the present. Although there are elements of our past that are regrettable, we have made tremendous progress and remain the country more people want to come to than any other. For that reason, more emphasis should be given to what has made America the most prosperous nation in human history.