DecorahNews.com guide to Decorah Community School District School Board candidates

All DCSD candidates run as Director "At Large" and all DCSD residents vote for no more than 3 candidates in the 2023 election. Each candidate was asked to respond to the same set of questions. Their responses are included below. Some responses have been edited for spelling and punctuation only. Candidates are included in alphabetical order, based on last name. Absentee Voting in the Auditor's Office will be available through November 6th. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023. Brad Darling Why are you running for the DCSD school board? I believe it is important to have representation from all areas of our district. I feel I can bring great value to the board from being from the rural part of the district. I think I can do this by not only bringing comments and concerns to share with the board but also helping communicate the board's message, decisions and needs back to the residents. What are the greatest challenges facing the school board right now? One of the bigger challenges that I believe we face is keeping up with all our facilities, staff compensation and the rising costs of everything all while staying financially responsible. Another I think is keeping up with changing laws and how to interpret them with how they will affect our school. We need to make sure that every student has an equal right and access to a great education. What are your priorities, if elected? I want to continue with the work that the previous board has done on getting a new elementary school built. This needs to remain a top priority, the current buildings have outlived their usefulness. Another main priority of mine is to make sure that we are competitive in staff wages and benefits. It is crucial that we keep our current teachers and our school district is attractive to new teachers. What experiences, skills, or training do you think qualify you for this office? I have just retired from serving on the Farmers Win Coop board. I was on that board for 17 years, 4 of them as president. During my time as President I over a merger with a neighboring coop and hired a new General Manager. I have also served on our church council, for 2 years as President. It is my belief that a board member can do nothing alone. It takes great cooperation and discussion from the entire board to get things done. Why should residents vote for you? I think I can be a great asset to the school board. I believe that my years of experience on other boards and my connection to residents in the rural areas of the district is what sets me apart from the other candidates. I will be sure to make myself available to listen to comments and concerns from any member of the district. It is my promise to always answer those questions as honestly as I can. Brian Petersburg Why are you running for the DCSD school board? During my several years on the school board, I have been very involved in securing land to build a new John Cline school. Now that the land is under contract and an architect has been selected, I want to see that a bond issue gets passed so we can build a new school that our teachers and students deserve. What are the greatest challenges facing the school board right now? A major issue is replacing John Cline and West Side School. I think we are finally heading in the right direction with the land purchase. Another item that needs to be continually looked at is teacher retention. We need to provide the best contract to our staff that we can afford and find ways to keep teachers motivated. What are your priorities, if elected? 1) Curriculum and Oversight: I think we should continue to work with our curriculum director, administration and librarians to make recommendations for passage by the board, 2) Equity and Students: I feel that we should do what ever we can legally do to support our teachers and students and not let politics get in the way of educating our students. We have a great district with students that are not all the same. It's our responsibility to respect them andprovide a save environment where they feel welcome to learn. Why should residents vote for you? A board member is involved in setting the vision for the district. They work with the superintendent to make the best decisions that affect teachers and students. This includes fiscal responsibility and making sound curriculum decisions. A board member is also involved in maintaining the best facilities for student growth. A board member must also be an advocate to provide the best workplace for its teachers. I'm extremely committed to public education. I have had conversations with our elected officials advocating for public education and I have asked that they not support school vouchers. I will continue to advocate against vouchers. Zachary Robinson Why are you running for the DCSD school board? I'm running for School Board because I'm a parent of 3 and will have at least 1 student in Decorah Schools for the next 14 years. One of the primary reasons that my family moved back to Decorah 5 years ago was to be a part of a community. Running for School Board is a way for me to contribute to the community and to build upon Decorah's educational successes. What are the greatest challenges facing the school board right now? I see the greatest challenges for the School Board as 1) gaining consensus on the specifics of a new school building, 2) bringing a bond issue forward to cover the consensus plan, and 3) continuing to take state policies and adapting them to work for Decorah Schools. What are your priorities, if elected? My first priority if elected would be to learn as much about being a Board member as possible, how the Board operates, about the history of current measures/issues on the Board's docket, and how I can best contribute to the Board and Decorah Schools. As far as specific issues are concerned, we should capitalize on the forward momentum generated by the pending land purchase a keep working toward a new elementary school. Why should residents vote for you? I have a broad breadth of experience that provides a viewpoint from outside of education and adjacent to it. My family has worked in education for my whole life, both in Decorah and outside of it. I am a product of Decorah Schools but attended other K-12 schools during my sabbatical years. I grew up in Decorah but spent much of my 20s and 30s in a large metropolitan area. I've worked in road construction, meat processing, manufacturing, and professionally as an engineer. I've completed multiple leadership courses and spent three years overseas with the Army. I can acknowledge that some of this experience is not directly applicable to being on the School Board, but it has provided me with a wider view of the world into which our students will be graduating. Anything else you'd like to add? The well-being of my family is directly tied to their experiences within Decorah Schools. Decorah Schools have a well-deserved reputation for quality education and I will work to maintain that level of quality for all students. Carole Sand Why are you running for the DCSD school board? I have lived in Decorah most of my life and value this family-oriented community with excellent schools. I am now retired and want to be of service with the important work facing our district. I am committed to using my time, expertise, and problem-solving skills to work hard to develop our district's plans for the future. What are the greatest challenges facing the school board right now? Building a new elementary school along with retaining quality teachers and staff are the district's most important challenges. Research shows the most cost-effective educational investment is quality early childhood education. Our challenge is to provide a new facility that meets every student's opportunity to learn. District-wide we need to continue to explore and expand learning opportunities to meet the expanding interests and needs of students. What are your priorities, if elected? As we spend this year planning for a new primary school, our job as a community will be to gather expertise from all corners to plan and build a cost-effective but visionary building that combines inspiring spaces with energy-efficient technology. It's important for the board to ask questions of teachers, associates, bus drivers, students, and parents to get the real scoop on everyday needs as we plan this building. If elected, I will spearhead surveys and conversations with school personnel and community members from all areas to cast a wide net to listen to various perspectives. What experiences, skills, or training do you think qualify you for this office? I have 31 years of teaching experience in grades 3-8, including 25 years in the Decorah and North Winneshiek districts. Some of my leadership responsibilities have included serving as Collaborative Teacher and PLC teacher leader in Decorah, plus president and negotiator for the North Winn Education Association. In my years of leading students through complex, extended projects, I learned that success is about carefully gathering and analyzing information, listening to the input of others, and strategically making decisions together. Why should residents vote for you? I am a practical, detail-oriented person. I have practiced and taught problem-solving skills which involve a process of careful consideration before making final decisions. I serve on the Decorah Foundation Board so I have experience as a board member. Because I taught in both Decorah and North Winn districts, I feel I have some insight into wide-ranging perspectives as we plan our future together. Aaron Zander Why are you running for the DCSD school board? I am running for the Decorah School Board to support our teachers and staff, and to increase opportunities for our students, particularly those who currently attend John Cline Elementary. I will actively support and campaign for our much-needed new elementary school in the year ahead as we approach a bond issue next year. What are the greatest challenges facing the school board right now? The biggest challenge is the elementary facility and the construction of a new school. The current building no longer meets the needs of our students, teachers, or staff and is either uninhabitable or a poor learning environment for students throughout the year due to heat, cold, rain, and spring flooding. We must address this, as well as continue to advocate and support our teachers. I will advocate with local and state representatives for enhanced funding for schools and our children. What are your priorities, if elected? Seeing the 2024 bond issue to fruition for a new elementary school. Exercising prudent financial oversight for the construction of the new facility and maximizing the current budget to support our students and staff in the years ahead. What experiences, skills, or training do you think qualify you for this office? As a former upper elementary/middle school teacher and high school coach, I have direct experience in the classroom at schools across Iowa and Wisconsin. I have been a teacher representative for the parent advisory council, a content specialist, and a one-on-one paraprofessional. I have worked in diverse classrooms and seen high outcomes for my students. I have experience beyond the classroom at the higher education level and already work closely with the Decorah School administration for high school athletics as well as adaptive PE courses taught at Luther. Why should residents vote for you? My wife and I intentionally chose to move to Decorah to raise our family. We are blessed to raise our family in a caring community with exceptional schools. As a parent of 3- and 5-year-old boys, I have a personal investment in our schools and the future of public education in our community. I understand the issues our teachers and staff face as a former teacher and look forward to serving them and our students in the years ahead. Anything else you'd like to add? Our students are the future, and we must invest in them! I'm excited by the land purchase agreement and plans for the new school, which formalizes nearly 16 years of planning for a new elementary school. I strongly support collaboration and believe in bridging issues by creating personal connections to enhance and benefit our district. We must see this bond through for the generations of students to come in Decorah and the surrounding community.