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Oconomowoc Area School District: School Year Calendar. Only ONE is too many, but the actual numbers are alarming! Did you know we were one of the few districts in the state that increased student performance last year during COVID? If elected, what are your priorities for the district? As noted before, in-person learning is critical to student success. "I think a lot of members of the public dont understand that.". [7] The district was the 30th-largest school district in the state in the 2013-2014 school year and served 5,224 students. Now, nearly half the board is . What a concept! School board members resign in protest of COVID-19 handling - WISN They would be able to go to work that day. 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. We cannot engage in petty fights that dishonor the office. The Oconomowoc School Board saw lots of turnover in 2021, as four of its members resigned or left. Three-layer cotton masks, 26.5 percent efficient," another parent said. 3.) 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. PRINT+DIGITAL: AS LOW AS $6.50 PER MONTH. The community has referenced that a large majority of families elected to start school in a full face-to-face model. Look at our band andtheater programs, our internship and apprentice programs, all top in the state. Delavan - Darien School District's DD Tech Administrator and CTE Coordinator, Michael Rick, discusses educational opportunities. Ballotpedia tracked 29 school board recall efforts against 64 board members in 2020. Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. My heart sunk. 100% remote. Fortunately, I pray all of that is behind us. Six candidates are running for four seats on Oconomowoc School Board 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. . powered by finalsite About Us Federal courts | The effort failed after the group did not get enough signatures. The chart below details the status of 2020 recall efforts by individual school board member. After 19 years on the Board, my experience can help with boardsmanship, general knowledge, history and more. Culture war battles in local school boards aren't slowing down In the past the board was labeled as "toxic"; however, that is no longer the case with the current board. 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. Now, nearly half the board is vacant, with some major decisions ahead. Oconomowoc schools to hold 4 more meetings on referendum The district should focus on advancing these programs to meet the needs of the current times or we will be missing the boat. A statement from Interim Superintendent Kristen Taylor also focused on the future. 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. Ford said theres also been a blurring between the district administrations role and the role of school board members. "He's not vaccinated and your decision not to require masks is going to mean that he's not going to be able to attend in-person school this fall," said parent Scott Drummond. 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. View more property details, sales history and Zestimate data on Zillow. In 2020, there were 87 COVID-related recalls against 89 officials, and in 2021, there were 131 against 214 officials. I wanted to make sure someone stood up to take accountability and I was most nervous about our district losing talented teachers. First off, sell MeadowviewSchool. Recall supporters said they did not agree with the decision and wanted students to have in-person learning five days a week. 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. Incumbent Juliet Steitzer was unseated in the election by. After the board meeting, the district immediately began receiving dozens of requests for religious exemptions, which Grothaus said completely undermined the teachers authority. Stay informed with WPR's email newsletter. The fact that the restrictions have been now lifted doesnt mean that the havoc caused by the lockdowns will disappear overnight. To get the recall on the ballot, recall supporters had to collect signatures from voting-age citizens who lived within the school district in 60 days. The board vice president said the news caught him by surprise as he turns his focus to the future. Oconomowoc Area School District: School Board On May 13, attorneys for the Oconomowoc Area School District School Board issued the letter to Alexandra . 3 Oconomowoc Area School Board members quit, citing toxic behavior and hyper-partisan environment. Recall supporters had 60 days to collect signatures from citizens in the school district. Roehl said the climate surrounding school board meetings has become polarizing amid the pandemic and debates over safety. August 16, 2021, 4:06 PM. Interns wanted: Get paid to help ensure that every voter has unbiased election information. ContactAlec Johnson at(262) 875-9469 oralec.johnson@jrn.com. If the pandemic showed us anything, it is that kids learn the best in the classroom with a teacher. Oconomowoc School Board election results: Virtual learning top issue 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. School Board Meetings and Agendas - oconomowoc.finalsite.com 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. "For those who did not vote for me I want to thank you for coming out and participating in the process. Voters in the Oconomowoc, Shorewood and North Lake school districts 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. Read to your children. Anderson:Im proud and humbled to be endorsed by the teachers of the district through the Oconomowoc Education Association. Many Wisconsin School Boards, Overwhelmed By 18 Months Of Community Footnotes. Follow him on Twitter at @Evanfrank_LCP. [1] The board voted to return all grades to in-person learning starting on September 28, 2020. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");if(t)(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}(); if(document.getElementsByClassName("reference").length==0) if(document.getElementById('Footnotes')!==null) document.getElementById('Footnotes').parentNode.style.display = 'none'; June 2: El Rancho Unified School District, California, What's on my ballot? Two incumbents and a political newcomer won the three seats up for election on the Oconomowoc Area School Board on April 6. COVID-19, though, lit a match under the existing tensions and "consumed everything," said Grothaus. I am currently a human resources director for a company in Merton. Ford said conflict in school boards isnt a bad thing, but it becomes a problem when people are so dug in on their beliefs that they cant find compromise, or even have productive discussions. Boards are set up to handle policy issues like setting the annual budget while school officials are typically tasked with day-to-day operations, making decisions based on what theyre seeing in classrooms and running them by the board for approval as needed. Stay up-to-date on all the latest Oconomowoc-area news with a subscription: Click here. 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. We are doing it in many areas already. In conversations with parents, teachers, and members of the community there is consensus that the school board can do better. Oconomowoc, WI 53066. "Thank you for those who supported my campaign. Application Contact Address. "I was the board president during Act 10, so I understand a contentious audience, but this took it to a whole other level," said Terri Phillips, executive director of the Southeastern Wisconsin Schools Alliance and a former school board member. He said what boards are seeing with COVID-19 disputes is similar, but with a key difference. 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. Oconomowoc Area School District Board of - Livestream "Its not a specific group thats necessarily capturing the board, but its the ideological conflict itself thats capturing the board," he said. 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. "They can make no one happy.". "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. Application Contact Agency. Six candidates square off for four seats on the Oconomowoc School Board The boards job is to focus on getting our students the best education possible and work (as our vision states) to become Unrivaled.. "For those who voted for my message I say thank you," Schweitzer said. 2023 www.jsonline.com. Six compete for four seats on Oconomowoc School Board A student Brookfield East High School wears a mask during class Monday, March 15, 2021, in Brookfield, Wis. Angela Major/WPR. School board members resign in COVID-19 protest - Yahoo! News For more spring 2022 election coverage,click here. Thiel:I attended meetings before the resignations and after the resignations. 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. We need to put our students holistic well-being as our top priority, build consensusand move schools forward. Ninmann:100% remain optional for in-person learning. 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. 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. Chad E. Schraufnagel (i) andBill Thiel (i). By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 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. 2986-Oconomowoc Town Police Dept-Police Officer | WILENET The board is much more stable now than it was back then. The work to avoid faction-based political infighting starts now. We need to be smart with our tax dollars and do more with less. When three school board members in Oconomowoc resigned together on Monday, it wasnt solely because of board disputes over COVID-19. Ballotpedia features 395,577 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Covid mitigation methods are what now-former board members expressed concern about in submitting resignation letters this week. All Rights Reserved. Thiel:You might not know this, but Oconomowoc has a separate special curriculum for those that want to be completely virtual, and I think that is a great program for those who have selected it. She thanked the three resigning members for the service and the wrote, in part, "Public service is a difficult endeavor that has been exacerbated by the current division in society as a whole" and, "While the timing and orchestrating of these resignations have taken away from our work, I am confident in the remaining school board members and their commitment to our students and families.". Decisions should be based on collaboration and transparency. Job Openings at Weigel Broadcasting Milwaukee. I sought a September appointment and received the appointment. There are six candidates for four seats on the Oconomowoc School Board. Schools | City of Oconomowoc, WI - Official Website We have developed a thick skin when we hear about another school shooting or a student being bullied, or a student committing suicide. 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. 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). 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. There is a place for some virtual learning, but I will always work with our district to provide in-person learning whenever possible. Four recall elections were held in 2020. From January. OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - Divisive, bullying, partisan tactics are among the reasons why three Oconomowoc Area School Board members said they resigned Sunday night, Aug. 15. "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?" Incumbent Jessica Karnowski and newcomers Juliet Steitzer and James Wood defeated incumbents John Suttner and Donald Wiemer. Hopefully our community will rise up and demand to hire a quality superintendent who can provide enough positive leadership to overcome the current state of leadership for the district, the letter states. How to run for office | A majority voted to keep requiring masks indoors through the end of the year, though kids could ditch them when they were outside. supports HTML5 video. Oconomowoc Area School District recall, Wisconsin (2020) In May, after Gov. "When Juliet lost her seat, then we lost the majority, and once we lost the majority, the culture became caustic.". 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. The board did take a vote on replacing the three board members who left. Bill Thiel received the most votes with 5,311 (22%), Neal Ninmann was second with 4,989 votes (20%),. Ninmann:The most important initiative for me as a board member is to remain a functional and cohesive board that acts collectively in the best interest of students, the community, teachers and administration. "[1], In reaction to the recall effort, Roehl said he preferred a face-to-face model as well. 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.. Roehl'sseat is also up for election April 5. 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. Learn more about the Oconomowoc Area School District at www.oasd.org. Voters may cast a ballot for up to four of the six candidates. "Polyester masks, they're 37.8 percent efficient. 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. NOW: Oconomowoc School Board meets following abrupt resignation of 3 members NEXT: OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Oconomowoc Area School District Board met Wednesday night, Aug. 18,. Jessica Karnowski - Ballotpedia We must govern via smart policy and not by current events or pressure from outside influences. In addition, their negligence to ensure that the district provides the best educational opportunities to maximize the achievement of our students will have significant and lasting effects on our community. The recall effort was started by the group Oconomowoc Citizens Represented, who said Steitzer, Herro, and Roehl "willfully neglected to act on behalf of the citizens of the district. Providing support for the educators of our school district, who continue to do incredible work with our students. OCONOMOWOC, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Dozens of Oconomowoc area school district parents are getting heated on the issue of face masks. We dont believe that people want our community to be characterized by the divisive, bullying, selfish, partisan tactics that seem to be so prevalent today. Three candidates remain in the search for a new Oconomowoc School Board Superintendent. The results are not official until they are canvassed. Contact info: 920-474-7796;thielw@oasd.org. Student Mental Fitness should be the top priority in the 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. One of the main issues for the school board in the near future will be deciding on the district's next superintendent. Lastly, our board can help to elevate the district by prioritizing the focus of the board itself as the existing strategic plan that has not seen improvements or modifications in almost 4 years. The board must focus on strategic alignment driving results and opportunity for students, teachers and parents. Board members say the data has changed since they moved to a mask-optional policy as of last month. "School boards are not, under the laws and procedures theyre set up to follow, very well-equipped to deal with hot-button, controversial issues," said Rossmiller. A good number pleading with the board to require masks, few for mask-choice. 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. COVID-related recalls accounted for 37% of all recall efforts in both 2020 and 2021. "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.". The county seat is Waukesha. Watch Oconomowoc Area School District's Oconomowoc Area School District Board of Education Meetings on Livestream.com. Thiel:I have 4 priorities for the district. 5.) Bill Thiel was appointed in Januaryto Roehl's former seat to finish out the term and will run for the seat this spring. Jennifer Eldredge - MC-EA Bilingual Educator - School District of In August 2021, Rick Grothaus, Kim Herro and Dan Raasch resigned from the board due to what they said was the board's "unwillingness to collaborate in good faith.". After the fourth member left, I decided to run for election in April. I have also served on both local and national boards of directors. This can be accomplished by using the Strategic Plan. The four remaining school board members were in attendance, but no action was taken on one of the items that divided the board -- masks. Six compete for four seats on Oconomowoc School Board, Submit an Obituary Wash. & Oz. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Herro was in the last year of her term, which expired April 2022. 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 deadline to apply is Sept. 3. "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.". So it's important to look at vaccination rates and where new cases are popping up. She said the reason was to cheer up one of them who had lost a 13-year-old niece to suicide. 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. PDF NOTICE OF SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION - Oconomowoc Schools Schmitz:I like to call my priority number one Student Mental Fitness instead of student mental health. Tony Evers statewide mask mandate was overturned, the Oconomowoc school board took up the issue. We build futures through partnerships, accountability and transparency. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. 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. Sign up now! Members James Wood and Jessica Kornowski voted against the proposal. "[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. Address: N56 W35146 Pondview Lane, Oconomowoc Past political experience: Current board member Community involvement: Current school board member, former Oconomowoc rec league coach.. There is a list of health precautions including daily sanitizing of . 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. This enrollment out is currently larger than our enrollment in and every time that happens, we have fewer resources to work with. Wood said the current HVAC system at Oconomowoc High School is from the 1960s and not up to today's . 2.) School board members resign in COVID-19 protest. Community members launched a recall effort against three of the board members who voted for hybrid learning, including Herro. Supporting teachers is the first step towardbringing stability. One of them was Juliet Steitzer, whose loss in Oconomowoc tipped the balance of power, setting the stage for the later resignations. Local school board races have been injected with partisan money and party . Tony Evers' statewide mask mandate was overturned, the Oconomowoc school board took up the issue. State and local courts | I look forward to continuing my involvement as a parent and community member in selecting a new superintendent, addressing transportation safety concernsand long-range planning for our educational spaces.". Believe it or not, that small step over time will also help us become a better district. Counties | I believe that as representatives of the community the board should always have time to hear people out and I appreciate the board making that change now that I am there. Waukesha County was home to 395,118 residents in 2014, according to the United States Census Bureau. EMAIL. He said the remaining board would move forward constructively. Sell the old Meadow View to fulfill the promise of the past board. With a background as a VP of a college and with my current role in senior management at an HNW investment firm I wanted to leverage my professional experience to help our board operate as a high functioning group. W359N6812 Brown Street. Most students, however, prefer in-person learning and select that as their choice for a more traditional experience.