By Press Times Staff
Five candidates are vying for three seats on the Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education on April 2.
Brenda Warren, current board president, who has served on the board since 2004, is seeking reelection.
Kristina Shelton is also seeking a new three-year term. She has been on the board since August 2018.
The other board member whose term expires, Ed Dorff, is not running for reelection.
Challengers include John Jahnke, Eric Vanden Heuvel and Paul Boucher.
The Press Times reached out to each candidate and gave them the same questions with a word limit of 100 for each answer.
Brenda Warren
Why should people vote for you?
As a mother, pediatrician, Green Bay school and community volunteer, and school board member, I have spent my entire adult life advocating for the health and well-being of children.
I have a broad depth of knowledge about the field of education and our district, as well as strong relationships with community members and local and statewide elected officials that allow me to be an effective advocate for our district and public education in general.
Additionally, as the parent of a special education student, I am especially committed to and passionate about ensuring all children in our district experience success.
What’s the biggest issue facing Green Bay Area Public Schools?
The social, psychological and emotional needs of our students continue to grow.
It is imperative to address those needs before they can fully engage in learning.
To solve this challenge, our district must develop strong, collaborative relationships with community mental wellness providers.
Furthermore, current state funding isn’t sufficient to meet the increasing needs of our diverse student population.
Just one example is the need for additional transportation funds so that our mobile students can consistently attend one school.
I will continue to advocate with legislators from both parties to help them understand and address the unique needs of our district.
How would you make Green Bay schools more desirable for district students and those attending under open enrollment?
The more successful we are at providing programs that meet the unique needs of students, the more attractive our district will be to our families and to families from other districts.
As the third-largest district in Wisconsin, it is important we continue to focus on improving customer service and flexibility in meeting the diverse needs of our students and families.
We are currently conducting an open enrollment survey, and the data gathered will help us understand why some families open-enroll into other districts and identify opportunities for improvement in order to attract families to our district.
What does the next superintendent need to do to ensure growth for the district?
Our district has made significant progress in closing achievement gaps, increasing graduation rates and increasing the depth and breadth of our programming.
We have developed strong community partnerships which provide financial and advocacy support.
To maintain that momentum, the next superintendent must be a visionary leader who can identify and advocate for new ideas that meet the needs of our students, operate within the limits of current funding and provide staff with the support they need.
He/she must also be proficient in data-informed decision making and instructional leadership, as well as maintain and build strong relationships with community partners.
Kristina Shelton
Why should people vote for you?
With my extensive experience as a classroom teacher, public health professional, community builder and parent of children attending a Green Bay public school, I’m in a unique position to serve on the school board.
Since my August 2018 appointment, I have advocated for the needs of our diverse families and schools while balancing a more strategic and multidimensional approach toward change.
I’m enthusiastic to continue building partnerships and believe authentic collaboration is critical to building trust.
Education and health equity are significant priorities for me, and I will take to common sense actions to support healthier students and academic success.
What’s the biggest issue facing Green Bay Area Public Schools?
Creating and sustaining a thriving place of employment where our talented teachers have authentic opportunities to participate in decision-making and leadership is our biggest issue.
We have to restore a strong and positive culture within the teaching profession so our students can learn from the best.
With a $274 million budget, our priorities must support classroom instruction and wellness services.
Compared to surrounding districts, we often ask more of our staff because of the deep needs of our students and families.
Overall morale, recruitment and retention is a concern as staff report feelings of stress and burnout.
How would you make Green Bay schools more desirable for district students and those attending under open enrollment?
We need a full assessment on why families choose or do not choose our district.
Stronger data collection and analysis would provide a firm foundation for planning.
At the core, we must be able to provide equitable and inclusive services, instruction and consideration for every student.
I believe every student is talented and gifted in their own way and, if given the appropriate tools, resources and opportunities, they will succeed.
The district must demonstrate a deeper commitment to serving all families, recognizing different types of learners, and following up community feedback with both courageous and timely action.
What does the next superintendent need to do to ensure growth for the district?
As we turn the page from the work of our current superintendent, I’m delighted with the prospect of playing a leading role in recruiting a new superintendent with a strong vision for our urban-serving district.
The next superintendent must see our wide-reaching diversity as an asset.
They must be an instructional and community leader who can work with the teaching and administrative talent we have to reimagine our school setting and the drivers of academic success.
Further, he or she must work to ensure our budget aligns with the strategic plan and address our deepening needs through advocacy and action.
John Jahnke
Why should people vote for you?
People should vote John Jahnke for Green Bay Area Public School Board because I have a demonstrated history of service to my community, including serving during Operation Desert Storm.
Because of my experience raising a child with a disability, I bring a strong voice for disability advocacy and inclusion that currently isn’t there.
From my work as a family advocate, I also bring the experiences of the underserved families I have worked with in our community.
I believe my willingness to be open and talk to the community will lead to better decisions as a board member.
What’s the biggest issue facing Green Bay Area Public Schools?
Reaching under-served communities.
I would work to make sure that school staff has the freedom to find creative ways to engage with those who are struggling in our community.
In my experience, many of these families are facing outside factors related to transportation, housing and child care that are making it difficult for them to support their child’s school work.
If staff are given the tools to help families out with these issues, their children will be able to attend and focus while at school.
How would you make Green Bay schools more desirable for district students and those attending under open enrollment?
I would work to make sure that all voices in our community are reflected in the decisions of the school board.
I would work to make sure that we look at the administration level spending in our district and find ways to make sure as much of the budget as possible is spent in the classroom where it has the greatest impact on our students.
I believe that if we are committed to these things, it will result in schools that people want to send their kids to.
What does the next superintendent need to do to ensure growth for the district?
I believe that the biggest decision facing the Green Bay Area Public Schools is choosing a new superintendent.
This next board will make a choice that will guide the district’s future.
I believe that we need to choose a candidate that has a proven record of having an efficient administration staff so that we can focus more spending in the classroom.
I also believe the right candidate needs to demonstrate an ability to bring administration, staff and the community together to support our schools.
Eric Vanden Heuvel
Why should people vote for you?
I have dedicated my entire professional career to the pursuit of helping children learn and be successful.
Having worked as a classroom teacher and elementary school principal in neighboring districts, I will bring an informed approach to my decision making.
We need school board members who are experienced, innovative and above all, passionate about educating our kids.
We need members who will ask the difficult questions and offer creative solutions.
I promise to listen respectfully, work collaboratively, and always keep the focus on what is most important: providing every child in our schools with the opportunity to excel.
What’s the biggest issue facing Green Bay Area Public Schools?
It is very difficult to break this down to one issue, but I am most concerned about the climate and culture within our workforce. The recruitment and retention of teachers has been a challenge and will continue to be a concern.
We need to promote the Green Bay Area Public School District as a great place to work in order to attract the best candidates and ensure the most talented people are helping us to achieve our mission.
I will advocate for all employee groups and support the work they do for our communities’ children.
How would you make Green Bay schools more desirable for district students and those attending under open enrollment?
The size of the Green Bay School District allows for the opportunity to provide more innovation and unique educational pathways to meet the diverse needs of all learners, compared to other districts.
These opportunities need to be marketed so outlying families know that they can take advantage of the options.
Examples of this include OAK Learning Center (Nature Based 4K), King Elementary Children’s Center for Engineering, John Dewey Academy of Learning, and Fine Arts Institute at East High School.
What does the next superintendent need to do to ensure growth for the district?
The next superintendent needs help unite the community in an effort to establish a connection between the success of our school district and the success of our city.
When community leaders and local government value this symbiotic relationship, we can make mutually beneficial decisions that help everyone.
The superintendent needs to promote continuous improvement in each of our schools, invest in the growth and development of our staff, foster a culture that values public schools, and encourage all stakeholders to play a role in helping to ensure the success of our students.
Paul Boucher
Why should people vote for you?
You should vote for me, because I am going to be a positive influence, bring transparency, and eliminate the bureaucracy.
These are concerns that the school board needs addressed so desperately.
What’s the biggest issue facing Green Bay Area Public Schools?
The biggest issue that we need to change is the attitude.
The state of the truancy, detention, suspension system is messed up and has negative repercussions throughout the schools.
Policies like that need reform. We need positive reinforcement.
How would you make Green Bay schools more desirable for district students and those attending under open enrollment?
It is simple; make the schools look more attractive and create an environment where students believe in each other and their collective future.
What does the next superintendent need to do to ensure growth for the district?
The new superintendent needs to have a lot of energy.
We need a welcoming school atmosphere.
We need to recruit more students from outside the district, from outside the state and from outside the country to increase the matriculation in the GBPS.
I look forward to the point where we can build another high school. One that is an inspiring state-of-the-architecture facility.