LETTER: School board service is not as simple as touting ‘the basics’

To Ozaukee Press:

The primary role of a School Board member is to make sure the district is functioning according to board policies and procedures and state and federal laws.  The only power board members have is in their individual vote cast during meetings.  What makes a highly effective, strong board member is a long-term vision for overall district improvement, and the ability to identify the district’s strengths in order to build on them and strategically lead the district to continued success. What makes an excellent board member is the ability to stay the course during both successful, celebratory times, and during the most challenging times.

Education has gone through many changes over the decades. It takes a truly dedicated board member who is willing to learn about how school finance really works, how state and federal laws guide educational practices, and how to work as a team with other members to accomplish the district’s goals.

Sara McCutcheon has a proven track record of being a positive contributor to the district’s success for many years. She has put careful thought into decisions that affect the educational experience of all students, not just select groups of students.  She does not chase after red herring topics that are not school-related issues.

Sara has been part of critical board decisions on issues of academic standards, mental health support, special education needs, building and ground maintenance, school funding and finance, job readiness, college preparation and remodeling an almost 100-year-old high school building into a modern campus that will serve as a hub for our students and community for years to come.

Her years of experience on the board are of incredible value during these times when other candidates offer a much smaller vision of only providing “the basics” for our children. The goal for public schools should always be to provide a rigorous, robust, comprehensive, diverse set of course and program offerings in order to have students who are well-rounded, highly educated and best prepared to handle the challenges and changes that they will surely encounter once they leave our district and go out into the world.

The candidates for the Port Washington-Saukville School Board who I see as best suited for the responsibility of this incredibly important role are Sara McCutcheon, Justin Myers and Kierstin Cira.

Carey Gremminger

Saukville