Laitinen-Warren resigns
BY KRIS LEONHARDT
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
GREEN BAY – Four candidates are seeking two seats on the Green Bay Area Public School (GBAPS) Board of Education during the spring 2024 election.
Following are the responses to the questions posed to the candidates ahead of the April 2 contest:
Andrew Becker (Incumbent)
Please provide your background, education and experiences that qualify you for the position:
As an experienced board member of the Green Bay Area Public Schools, I have had the opportunity to learn about all areas of the district and to develop a strong understanding of the challenges and opportunities that we face. As the elected representatives of the community, it’s critical that the Board is directly involved in the making the important decisions.
I have always been a believer in positive, hands-on leadership. With my diverse professional background including the private sector, nonprofits and education, I have developed a broad understanding of how to incorporate different viewpoints and find solutions. I have always stressed the importance of the Board being directly involved in the key decision-making, taking into account a variety of perspectives, not just the administration’s.
I’m committed to using my background to drive positive change in student achievement and create a sense of belonging for everyone in our district. My goal is to ensure that every decision we make is well-informed and balanced, geared toward the long-term success and well-being of our students and community.
What developments would you like to see the school district make over the upcoming term:
Our biggest challenge in the Green Bay Area Public Schools is the selection of our next superintendent, a process that demands careful consideration to ensure we collaborate with the community to choose a leader committed to excellence in education for all children and dedicated to community engagement. This decision is pivotal in setting the direction and tone for the district’s future.
We also need to address the issue of the budget while facing the challenge of declining enrollment. We must be strategic about costs while acknowledging the important role that neighborhood schools play in our lives. They are more than just educational institutions; they are the heart of our neighborhoods and offer a sense of community. While we will need to combine some schools due to low enrollment, closing schools must be a last resort, and should be accompanied by reductions in central administration costs.
It’s also critical to make sure that we give all of our community a voice and that the Board and the Administration find ways to reach out to hear from everyone and respond to your concerns. My goal is to see us navigate these challenges in a way that strengthens the district, fosters innovation, and upholds our commitment to serving every student and family in our community.
What means would you use to further involve your constituents in the decision-making process:
The board needs to ensure that everyone in the community is heard and valued. We need to reach out and offer listening sessions and opportunities for communication to everyone and this means going beyond just the traditional Board meetings. I also believe we need to continue to make sure that the Superintendent and other top administrators have the opportunity to spend time in our schools and at school events on a regular basis as this helps inform the advice they provide to the Board.
By continuing to expand our efforts to hear directly from parents, students, staff, and community members, we can build relationships that will lead to improved success for all of our students.
Paul Boucher
Please provide your background, education and experiences that qualify you for the position:
I earned a bachelor of science in sociology from the UW-Madison in 1988. I’m a former NCAA athlete and a participant of the Big 10 Athletic Conference. I went to both public and private schools in the Green Bay Area. I received my diploma from Green Bay East High School in 1984.
I attained a total of six varsity letters in three sports. I was employed by Georgetown University for three years. I have been making observations in the local community since, with the hope of returning the knowledge and bringing the community to a higher intellectual ground.
What developments would you like to see the school district make over the upcoming term:
I would like to see growth in the community with increased school spirit by developing a better fan experience at athletic events. A strong school spirit brings better attitudes to the daily school existence. Music in the hallways and on buses can create a more positive atmosphere for students and teachers. If we create fun accessible Athletic Centers where students and teachers can be active and relieve the stresses of the day; we will have found a solution to the hostilities and depression that have been burdening the prevalent attitudes weighing down the public schools. I want to encourage travel and book bus trips to allow students and teachers to explore the Midwest. I would like students to have a five-minute stretch opportunity to start their mornings. We could get the students politically involved by campaigning to get the local Municipal voting age lowered to 16 years old.
What means would you use to further involve your constituents in the decision-making process:
I would like to see constituents attend school sporting events. It would be great if the GBAPS system had indoor swimming facilities for community usage. I would like to see the schools develop advanced Athletic Centers with indoor golf and Arcade style venues that community members could get memberships to, similar to college programs.
Building indoor seating capacity for the Athletic Stadia would increase attendance and profits from ticket sales. This also would hope to develop long term relationships with the alumni both socially and financially.
We need constituents to get involved in making sure the population of the school district grows. The shrinking student population has created an increasingly unreasonable business model for GBAPS. We need someone or perhaps many people to step up to guarantee that the student enrollment numbers increase. A growing student population will bring opportunities that would otherwise be unattainable.
Kou Lee
Please provide your background, education and experiences that qualify you for the position:
My background as a Hmong American refugee has instilled in me a deep appreciation for public education and democracy, fueling my commitment to our children’s future in the Green Bay Area Public Schools.
Personal Journey: From fleeing Laos during the Vietnam War to overcoming poverty and cultural barriers in America, I’ve experienced firsthand the transformative power of education. Education Advocate: As the first in my family to graduate from a Big 10 university, I am proof of what access to quality education can achieve.
Community Champion: I stand for a school district that is inclusive, equitable and recognizes the strength in our diversity, ensuring every child has the opportunity to excel. Vision for GBAPS: My leadership will focus on accountability, high academic expectations, and safety, aiming to empower all students to reach their full potential.
Your Support Counts: By voting for me, you’re supporting a vision for a school board that values diversity, champions education for all and is committed to making a real difference in our community.
What developments would you like to see the school district make over the upcoming term:
I am indebted to public education and democracy. Without it, my entire life would not have been possible. I am committed to the vision that children in Green Bay Area Public schools are given the same opportunity as was given to me. Our children shall be given the choice to become high academic achievers, not just the rich, privileged and well-off kids whose parents can afford them a private education. There is so much at stake from our struggles to keep schools open to declining in enrollment.
As a little boy, I have experienced the ups and downs of poverty living in a refugee camp, growing up in the inner city and struggling to adapt to the new American culture, while learning a new foreign language. I went on to become the first in my family to graduate from a Big 10 university (Michigan State University), enjoy a successful career, to owning a business, raising a family, owning a home and living the American Dream. I will bring this kind of passion, creativity and leadership to the GBAPS.
Our community has been a place of hope and a new beginning for so many families. I remain a strong supporter and believer that our community is better because of diversity. Our children are smarter because of the variety of cultures and backgrounds that exists here in the City of Green Bay. I want to champion education for all. We are stronger together when we are united, inclusive, equitable and diverse.
What means would you use to further involve your constituents in the decision-making process:
I am running to be your next GBAPS board member to establish an environment of accountability, strong leadership, starts early with early childhood care and education and proactively anticipating and creating a safe place for kids to learn. It is our future. It is critically important to our success as a city, state and country.
In the city of Green Bay alone, we are faced with a number of growing problems such as decreasing student enrollments, low standardized test scores, not enough attention to early childhood care and education, wide spread of teacher shortage, lack of budget, student disciplinary issues and school safety- to name a few. According to U.S. News, 84% of high school students who graduated from GBAPS are not proficient in math and 82% in reading. We failed to prepared our children for the challenges of the 21st century world. Our children are being out-performed by kids from other parts of the world.
I believe we have what we need to be a successful school district; our teachers, the Green Bay Community, GBAPS is part of the International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs. All we need is a strong leader who is unafraid to demand high expectations. I believe I am that leader.
We must create an environment of trust and growth where everyone is accountable to each other. Our boards must be able to identify, hire and support the right leadership to lead this new strategic goal that focus on our children’s learning such as early childhood care and learning, teachers’ developmental programs, middle school career planning programs and truly implementing the International Baccalaureate education system.
We must demand high expectation from our leaders, educators, students and parents. There must be monthly meetings taking place in each school and communities to openly communicate academic standards and good citizenship expectations to parents. Everything must be transparent and open to the public because great leadership comes from our community — not behind close-door meetings. I believe schools should provide 90% of all the learning necessary for our children and the other 10% directly by parents/legal guardians.
Our schools will be the safest place where parents can have a peace of mind.
Alex Mineau
Please provide your background, education and experiences that qualify you for the position:
I was born and bred in Green Bay. I have lived in nearly every corner of our community at some point over the last 40 years. I have a diverse background and am connected to people of all walks of life in Green Bay. I taught physical education, health and Spanish in six of our schools in GBAPS from 2010-22. Also, I coached football, baseball, basketball, and track.
For years I held a variety of leadership positions too. Currently, I teach part time in various school districts and operate a small caregiving business with 10 employees. My many roles and experiences in GBAPS makes me best qualified to hit the ground running knowing specifically what our district needs and how to achieve it. Along with my business, I know what it’s like to be responsible for others’ well being and future. I know from personal experience our district’s weaknesses and strengths and some things we can do to address the weaknesses and capitalize on our strengths.
What developments would you like to see the school district make over the upcoming term:
I would like the district to address a few things in particular. First, we need to determine which schools and boundary lines need to be adjusted so that all students can have better learning environments. We need to do so with the utmost scrutiny, intelligence and community involvement to make the best long term decision for the right reasons. Secondly, we need to change some of our policies like PBIS and MLSS to address deteriorated student behavior and accountability, and to work more on assisting kids and families with the real skills needed to help ensure student success in schools and thereafter. We also need to change some of our policies/practices to address how we staff our schools, recruit and retain staff. As important as anything, we need to put in place a strong evaluation system for administrators to ensure their performance is assessed and decisions made accordingly.
What means would you use to further involve your constituents in the decision-making process:
I would continue to be active and involved in person, on my facebook page and more. I will be in our schools consistently, and I will always see feedback (and listen to it) from all parties involved in our district. I would also hope to set up situations where not only can I receive feedback, but also help strengthen community involvement by helping others learn about various topics and aspects of our operations as well.
I will plan to take advantage of all types of opportunities to stay connected. I’m always out and about the town. I see families all over Green Bay every day. The best thing about me is that I am still to this day a teacher. I will always want to know what’s going on at all levels from the district office down to the classroom. I will not clam up and stay hidden once elected. It’s not who I am. I promise to be available to the community. Lo prometo!
One more seat opens
On Feb. 24, GBAPS Board Member Dr. Laura Laitinen-Warren announced her resignation.
Laitinen-Warren was appointed to the board in March 2021 and was elected to another term in April 2022.
“We wish Laura well in her future endeavors and thank her for her time and dedication to the staff, students and families in Green Bay Area Public Schools” stated GBAPS Board President Laura McCoy. “Laura has been a strong advocate on behalf of all children and we know that she will continue to serve to effect positive change within our community.”
At its March 4 meeting, the board will review the timeline and process to appoint a new board member to serve Laitinen-Warren’s remaining term, through April 2025