ProDane Endorsement Questions for 2021 School Board Candidates
Thank you for having a conversation with Progressive Dane about your candidacy for the Madison School Board. We appreciate the opportunity to learn about your priorities and campaign. To prepare for the interview, we ask that you respond to the following questions in writing. Please email your responses to office@prodane.org by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, January 13, 2021.
These questions and your responses will serve as the basis of the interview with the Progressive Dane Elections Committee. Our Elections Committee will be scheduling interviews for Saturday, January 16, 2021 starting at 10 AM. The Committee will make endorsement and funding recommendations at our General Membership Meeting on January 27th. At that meeting our General Membership will make final decisions on endorsements. You are welcome to attend and provide literature and introduce yourself but there is very little time for comments by candidates.
Please email your responses to office@prodane.org:
Why are you running for elected office and what are your 3 biggest areas of concern with MMSD, and what would you like to see changed to address these concerns?
Please read the Progressive Dane Education Platform. What recommendations do you have for additions and what pieces of the platform would you prioritize? Is there any proposal that you do not support?
Evaluate the issue of transparency with the way the School Board currently operates, what problem areas do you believe need to be addressed and how will you work to address them? It seems that policies are not written and available to the public, what will you do to fix this?
What do you think of the recommendations of the Safety and Security Ad Hoc Committee? What policy and budget recommendations do you have as a result of their work and how can we ensure a safe learning environment especially for our most marginalized students?
How do we as a school district ensure a safe learning environment, especially for our most marginalized students? What are the most important elements of safe schools?
What strategies would you support to improve educational experiences of people of color, low-income students, students with disabilities, students experiencing housing instability, and undocumented/immigrant students?
Do you support zero-tolerance policies for staff and students?
Do you support budgeting annually for a Cost of Living Adjustment and the district fulfilling its known labor costs by funding steps and lanes adjustments for MMSD teachers and staff?
If MMSD administration comes to an impasse with labor unions during negotiations, would you allow the administration to unilaterally impose handbook and employment changes permitted to them under Act 10?
Do you support charter schools? What can the school board do to protect against the constant pressure of privatization?
What is your process and metrics to determine whether schools should re-open during the pandemic?
FOR NEW CANDIDATES ONLY
What are the unique qualities and perspectives that you will bring to this office?
What are the biggest equity issues that the Pandemic has highlighted?