I enjoy interacting with people, and I love a good debate.
As a public servant, as well as in my personal life, you can expect honesty, transparency, and a spirit of collaboration in my approach to board work and problem solving. I appreciate those who bring the same values to the table, because life is not a game of win or lose, your team or mine, but rather a quest to find the best solutions to advance our primary shared goal – providing excellence in our public schools so that every child can succeed.
What sometimes distracts from collaborative work are the more politically framed questions that have trickled into my inbox recently. Reflecting subjects embraced by partisan organizations, these questions do not reflect issues of concern currently being experienced in our local schools or community. In the interest of collaboration, I have taken the time to respond to some of those questions submitted and have shared them below.
Before we jump to the questions, however, I want to note my concern about mixing politics with public schools. There is no place for it. The important work of guiding our public schools requires a huge investment of resources, not the least of which is the resource of our valuable time. This is why I remain committed to the nonpartisan nature of the school board and have accepted no donations of any kind from political groups.
I use these reminders to guide my goal of collaborative communication, and you may find them helpful as well:
Be honest. Try to avoid questions or comments that hijack a legitimate conversation of substance and purpose into an opportunity to elevate your personal or political opinions. We are all predisposed to certain beliefs and biases – the trick is knowing yours and separating them from your responsibility to see all sides of an issue.
Our opinions are just that – our own. In a public school system we have many rights, including the right to hold our own opinions. But when one advocates for decisions dictated by a religious or political ideology as the only way, we are on a path to severely restricting the rights of others. If we expect our rights to be respected, remember that those who believe differently feel the same way.
Consider multiple points of view before deciding. Maybe even ask someone whose beliefs differ to explain why they disagree – and then listen with an open mind, an open heart, and a willingness to learn.
Real Questions and Real Responses
What are your thoughts on the issue of transgender athletes, and specifically I am speaking about biological males competing on women's teams? Would you be prepared to use your authority as a board member to implement and support a policy to prevent this?
I would not commit to supporting any policy sight unseen.
I have spoken with some of our athletic leaders in the district, have read the WIAA Transgender Participation Policy, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Framework on Fairness, Inclusion and Non-Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity and Sex Variations, and the NCAA Transgender Student-Athlete Participation Policy, which aligns with the IOC's work. Even at the elite athletics level, amateur and student-based athletic programs grapple with new rules, and this topic will remain under discussion for a long time.
Whether or not you and I agree (and maybe we do) about the rights of transgender students, I think we can agree that no two situations are likely to be the same. This is why, I believe, the governing organizations have drafted their most recent rules with careful consideration that each sport may be different, and the athletic governing body of each sport ought to weigh in on the appropriate rules and policies to maintain standards that the IOC articulates this way: "Every person has the right to practise sport without discrimination and in a way that respects their health, safety, and dignity. At the same time, the credibility of competitive sport - and particularly high-level organised sporting competitions - relies on a level playing field, where no athlete has an unfair and disproportionate advantage over the rest."
My key takeaways from this analysis are:
There are athletic leaders and administrators far more knowledgeable than I who are doing the heavy lifting and crafting policies that maintain their core standards in a changing world.
Not all cases are the same, so there has been a reluctance to promote one-size-fits-all policies.
In the case of K-12 students, education is our mission, and as such our athletic leaders have assured me that if any situation arises where decisions need to be made about a transgender student competing in athletics, it is made based on the circumstances and facts about that student, in collaboration with our athletics coaches and leaders, the student, and their family. There is also a clearly identified appeal process written into the WIAA rules.
I am told this is a rare to nonexistent issue in our district, but does get discussed at WIAA and conference coaching and AD meetings.
Bottom line answer to your question: Any policy I would be asked to support would have to go through a process, be presented with appropriate data, and then weighed. If you are asking if I would "use my authority" to have the board unilaterally create policy outside of the processes that are in place, probably not. What I would not do is create a policy just to appease people who want us to address a national agenda issue that is not germane to Elmbrook.
MW
Do you support, without exception, the right of a parent or guardian to maintain the appropriate names of pronouns of minor children to be determined by them - the parents? Would you be willing to commit to this in the form of policy?
When you ask about "support without exception" I realize that you and I see the world in different ways. The scenario you describe presupposes that there is conflict between parent and child, and between parent and school. I would sincerely hope we would work collaboratively with the parents to find ways to support the child in question.
Since a situation like this (hypothetical as presented here) is likely to be addressed at the school level, I see no reason to commit to an inflexible board policy. Every child is different, every family deserves our support, and I think it is overreach for the board to throw down a blanket policy when the need is not substantiated. Should a situation be elevated to the board for guidance or action, then there would be facts to review and a family to consider.
MW
Do you support any ostensible action on DEI in terms of our curriculum or educational offerings? For clarity's sake, I am not asking your thoughts about it as a societal approach or philosophy. Rather, do you support any changes or additions to Elmbrook's curriculum and course profile?
I think diversity, equity, and inclusion have become politically charged words, and you've asked two very different questions.
Would I support any ostensible action on DEI? If you are using the term in the literal sense, then no - I would not support ostensible actions on anything. In other words, I don't believe it wise to take any actions "just for show." If you are using ostensible in the legal sense, it is a murky area, assuming that the board would be justified in skipping over a process and reaching beyond apparent authority. So no, I would not do that.
Any support I might lend to future changes in curriculum would come after review of that curriculum, which would come from a scheduled review and/or be based on data to recommend change. Without a review of the information, I could not tell you what I would or would not support. Any blanket promise would be irresponsible on my part and not based on data.
MW
What are your beliefs on types of books not appropriate in school libraries?
I am not sure how your question means to categorize types of books.
I can tell you that I have a good understanding of how much work goes into building the collections in our school libraries - a process that is guided by educators who have studied literature for children and young adults as well as research skills and how to teach them. They stay tuned in to ways to engage readers, provide supplemental materials for our curriculum, and provide knowledgeable insights for those who don't have their background and education (which typically consists of a master’s in library information services). Our readers are a diverse population, and our school libraries provide a wealth of age-appropriate materials to achieve those goals.
Not knowing why this rises to a concern for you, I want to also tell you that I have done my due diligence in learning how well-developed district policies are regarding parental access to student library check-outs, as well as a process should there be a challenge to a particular book. I have worked in libraries, and as previously mentioned, was the librarian for a K-12 Catholic school for three years. Our school libraries serve as the building hub for literacy education. They are doing a great job.
MW
What are your beliefs on school staff secretly supporting transgender of a student without parental knowledge?
Your question puzzles me. If you refer to a specific situation in our Elmbrook schools, I will need to research and validate your concerns, as well as understand if this is a problem you are personally experiencing and are seeking escalation. If you are asking my beliefs on a hypothetical scenario, it sounds to me like the start of a conversation that has no implications in our community, and therefore is a distraction from issues that really do matter.
MW
For more on my beliefs, opinions, and background, check Candidates on the Record.