Meet the Candidates 2018: Marshfield school board race
By Kris Leonhardt
MARSHFIELD – On the April 3 general election ballot, Marshfield area residents will see five candidates running for three spots on the Marshfield Board of Education, as incumbents Frances Bohon and Mary Carney, face challengers, Jody Meyer, Karen Shulman, and S.A.M. Steiner.
In the following interview excerpts, the candidates layout their plans for the upcoming term, if elected. Links to full interviews follow each candidate’s answer.
Frances Bohon
“I have a number of things that I think are important: obviously, maintaining a quality and actually, an excellent education for our kids is right at the top. Next to that is curbing property taxes and being responsible to our taxpayers is a good fiscal conservative.
Beyond that, I feel it’s important as a board member to actively listen, to research, to look into whatever the topic at hand is, and to maintain a certain amount of looking at all sides of it before rushing to conclusions, so I know what I’m talking about and form a good solid opinion based on information.
As you can kind of tell from my past experience, I am a lifelong learner, so that is right up my alley.
I think that I am willing to make tough decisions and have a history of that willingness, but at the same time it’s all so very important for me to be honest and straight-forward with everyone I work with, whether it’s staff or fellow school board members or the public or parents, teachers, whoever.
That, to me, is at the top of my list also, as far as making sure that people get straight answers about things and know why we’re doing things, and have input into why we are doing things.”
For full interview with Bohon, click here.
Mary Carney
“I know that teacher morale is extremely low right now, and I’d like to use my position as a school board member to improve their morale, be more of a mediary between the administration and the teaching staff. I think that I would be in a good position to do that.”
For full interview with Carney, click here.
Jodi Meyer
“I’d like to preserve the education that we have already in the school district… We are one of the top schools in the state of Wisconsin. So, preserve the education and expand on it. Any way we can make it better, I am all for it.”
For full interview with Meyer, click here.
Karen Shulman
“I’d like to be part of a team that helps coordinate the teachers, the community, and the school board itself, to come together to optimize how we can best serve the students, and through that the community.
I think communication is a big key. I like being involved with discussions, hearing all sides of an issue, trying to pull together what all of the points and the opinions are, and then trying to come to a responsible, best answer about things.
I know that I’d like to be there as a source of support for the professional staff. I think we’re having some concerns about either people wanting to be in education or recruiting and retaining the teachers in the area. I’d like to be open to listening to what their concerns are, try to figure out how we can all make best decisions for the good of the kids; treat them with the respect that they deserve in their responsible role as educators.
Also, the community needs to have a say as well. I’m not exactly sure how all of these things align, not having been involved in any of it yet, so my role right now is just to sit, listen, and learn where everybody belongs and how best we can open up lines of communication.”
For full interview with Shulman, click here.
S.A.M. Steiner
“I feel that there are three points that I care the most about, and a lot of those come from what I’ve observed as a parent and as a community member, and as a volunteer in the schools.
I think communication is extremely critical, in order for our Marshfield school district to function well – communication amongst the community members within the district, but also communication with the city, with industry, with our businesses – to really collaborate so that we can make the schools as good as they can be.
Secondly, I really care a whole lot about what we propose to our children, in terms of lifestyle management regarding the burgeoning technology influence that is on our kids every day, and I feel very strongly about making sure that we are making data-driven decisions as we choose our methods of teaching and the exposure that we give to our kids within those eight hours that they are at school.
And then, lastly – it’s a broken record – the public schools are such a gem here, and I just really want to preserve those. Those are my main motivators.”
For full interview with Steiner, click here.
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