School Board Candidate Questionnaire Answers – League of Women Voters
The following are candidate responses to a questionnaire sent by the Midland Area League of Women Voters. The responses are unedited by the League.
Mindy Cox
Address: 3113 Walden Woods Drive
Phone: 801-360-5299
Web Site: http://www.facebook.com/Parents-For-Midland-Public-School-Board-109616841867414
Email: mindycoxforschoolboard@mail.com
Education: ADN-Registered Nursing Degree
Occupation/Experience: Registered Nurse for 17 years, RN Case Manager with focused areas of nursing in Hospice, Oncology, ICU and NICU. Room mom/volunteer in MPS for 7 years.
How do your experience and education qualify you to serve as a member of the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
I have been fortunate enough to be a nurse for 17 years now. With that work experience, I have learned how to listen with empathy and follow through on the needs of others. I have a strong ability to hear concerns and relay that information to my team and translate that to actionables. There are so many mental and physical challenges that are facing the students and staff of Midland Public Schools. I have the ability to bring that compassion, as well as public health experience to the Board of Education. Because of my public health background, I can rely on that expertise to guide the school board on those issues moving forward. I’m also a concerned parent who has been a volunteer for the past 7 years within Midland Public Schools. I have seen firsthand the support that our students and teachers need and the areas that are lacking. If elected, I can be the advocate for our teachers and students ensuring that they have the resources they need to ensure success.
What do you think are the most pressing issues facing the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
Over the last couple years of attending school board meetings regularly, one of the most pressing issues facing the Board of Education for Midland Public Schools is transparency.
Key stakeholders like teachers, administrators, parents, and students don’t feel like their concerns are being addressed. Teachers aren’t getting the support they need. Their opinions aren’t valued at the administration level. Parents are being excluded from decisions that seriously impact their own children, without taking into consideration the needs of each individual child and their well-being. A lot of parents in our community (including myself) felt like they didn’t have a say in these decisions that specifically impacted our kids. And that those decisions being made weren’t explained openly. And when questions were there…more often than not, no responses at all were given. I hope to bring that perspective and be that advocate for transparency and honesty to the community.
What actions would you propose the Board take to address these issues?
One thing that I think would be beneficial would be to have a more open forum like a town hall meeting. People come to school board meetings to address their concerns and leave without knowing if they were even heard or if their thoughts are ever taken into consideration. It can be extremely frustrating. If there was a more open format for our meetings, the frustration levels would be decreased because those attending would feel like their voices weren’t just falling on deaf ears.
It would be beneficial for teachers to be able to speak openly without fear of retribution and to feel like their opinions are valued and taken into account.
Good leadership doesn’t shy away from conflict, honesty and transparency. It listens to all views to make the best decision to benefit the whole.
Sara Ladwein
Address: Midland, MI 48642
Phone: 9896008650
Web Site: http://www.facebook.com/Parents-For-Midland-Public-School-Board-109616841867414
Email: Saraladweinforschoolboard@mail.com
Education: BS – Michigan Technological University
Occupation/Experience: I have experience in small business, large corporations, project management, non-profit operations board, and 13 years volunteerism in MPS
How do your experience and education qualify you to serve as a member of the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
As the mother of three boys who has 13 years of volunteerism in MPS, I have seen up close the good and bad inside MPS. I have worked with amazing and passionate teachers, I have spent countless hours tutoring struggling students and I have donated time and personal resources to our music and sports programs. This commitment to our schools has allowed me to build relationships with teachers, students, other parents, staff and administrators.
Through my prior work experience at a large corporation, I developed an exceptional project management ability. I have used this skill extensively in fundraising activities at MPS as well as for other nonprofits in Midland. I believe my ability to define a specific problem, gather critical stakeholders, and move forward toward an actionable and measurable outcome will be a great benefit to the board and ultimately to the students and teachers in MPS.
What do you think are the most pressing issues facing the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
I believe the most pressing issue facing the School Board is a lack of trust between the board and parents in the community. The pandemic response caused significant emotional and academic harm to our children. Many parents were rightfully concerned and attempted without success to engage the school board to alter their course. Now with the pandemic hopefully behind us, many see in retrospect how the mitigation efforts unnecessarily harmed kids with little to no observable benefit.
Many parents are also seeing political agendas infecting much of their children’s education, instead of academic excellence being the focus. They are concerned about teachers being unsupported in their classrooms. They are concerned about fiscal decisions where agendas are funded more than classrooms. They have heard from concerned teachers that feel disrespected by the administration. They are parents who feel ignored. I am one of these parents.
What actions would you propose the Board take to address these issues?
If elected to the school board, I will oppose any decision that would take health care decisions, including masks, out of the hands of parents. I will also stand for parents and caregivers to be the drivers of their child’s values and beliefs, and stand against any policy that could be subversive or contrary to views held by the parents. I will work to ensure political and social justice drivers do not distract from providing the best possible academic education.
I will work to ensure that the mission of MPS is on providing the best possible education for each and every student. I will ensure that MPS has an attitude of partnership and collaboration with parents, teachers and administration. I will ensure that the board always acts with integrity and transparency. I strongly believe in the benefits of music, arts, sports and other extracurriculars and believe they should be funded appropriately.
Jon Lauderbach
Address: 715 East Main Street
Suite 110
Midland, MI 48640
Phone: 989-859-0886
Email: lauderbach1@gmail.com
Education: I obtained a BA in history from Albion College, and a JD from the University of Detroit School of Law.
Occupation/Experience: I have practiced law in Midland since 1994. In 2006, I was elected as a Circuit Judge for Midland County. I was reelected in 2012 and served in that role until March of 2013 when I returned to private practice with the law firm of Warner Norcross + Judd LLP.
How do your experience and education qualify you to serve as a member of the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
As a judge, I was called upon to evaluate opposing viewpoints and make decisions supported by the law and an objective review of the facts. Many such decisions involved the admissibility of scientific or expert testimony. In addition, I served by appointment of the Michigan Supreme Court on Michigan’s Attorney Discipline Board from 2015-2021, and chaired the Board in 2020 and 2021. As a result of these experiences, I am able to fairly and objectively evaluate competing positions and reach a conclusion based on the law and evidence. I have also served on the boards of directors of both for-profit and non-profit enterprises. These experiences have taught me to work collaboratively with fellow board members for the betterment of the enterprise. All of these experiences have prepared me be an objective, consensus-seeking member of the Board of Education.
What do you think are the most pressing issues facing the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
I believe the most pressing issues facing the Board of Education are continued maintenance and improvement of our facilities and infrastructure, recruitment and retention of talent, and the transition of position of Superintendent. The voters approved bonds to finance significant upgrades to our school buildings in 2014. The Board of Education has used these financial resources prudently and most of our school buildings are in excellent condition. That said, there is more to do. In addition, many veteran teachers have elected to retire or leave the profession since the onset of the pandemic in 2020. MPS has been, and should continue to be, the employer of choice for education professionals in our region. But there is more to do. MPS must retain and continue to recruit the best and brightest to educate our kids. Finally, our Superintendent’s impending retirement requires the Board to work together to attract an innovative, top-tier candidate to replace him.
What actions would you propose the Board take to address these issues?
For our facilities challenges, we should use a combination of cash from our fund balance, debt financing and community support to fund improvements that Midland can be proud of. For our retention and recruiting challenges, we must continue to provide a work environment in which our veteran professionals want to work. They deserve to be shown respect and genuine appreciation for the work they do, and they deserve to be paid for the top quality service they provide to our stakeholders. MPS also needs to continue to be a strong partner in economic development efforts, to make sure that the Midland area is a place where up-and-coming education professionals want to live, work and play. And to recruit our next superintendent, the Board of Education needs to provide an air of stability and consistency. Top candidates will only be attracted to a district that has a high-quality, high-functioning Board.
Phil Rausch
Web Site: http://www.facebook.com/Phil4MPS
Education: B.S Chemical Engineering and Masters in Business Administration
Occupation/Experience: Commercial Manager
How do your experience and education qualify you to serve as a member of the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
I was first elected to the Midland Public Schools’ Board of Education in 2018 and began serving in 2019. Since then, I have gained valuable experience by serving on the Curriculum, HR, and Finance subcommittees. As a trustee, I was also appointed by fellow board members to serve as the Secretary and then Vice President.
As a parent of a 3rd generation MPS students, I am extremely passionate about and dedicated to the success of Midland Public Schools for all students. Having graduated from MPS, I went on to achieve a degree in Chemical Engineering before beginning my career at Hemlock Semiconductor. During my career, I also completed an MBA which together provide great background in the private sector to bring to the Board of Education.
Serving on the Board has been a true honor and learning experience as I continue to strive for effective governance in my role through collaborative stakeholder input, thoughtful questioning, and long-term vision setting.
What do you think are the most pressing issues facing the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
First is student achievement for students that are college-bound and for students that want to pursue careers outside of a four-year college track. We need to meet the demands of our local businesses to provide top skilled trades talent and vocational programs where students are encouraged to pursue a wide variety of noble professions.
Second, our students must be safe every day when they go to school. I have strongly supported the physical hardening of our buildings, but that alone cannot be the only thing that we do to increase student safety. We must continue to focus on the emotional intelligence and wellbeing of our students as part of our safety.
Third, we need to make sure that the school system is optimized for the families of the 21st-century. We as a district need to make sure that we provide access to before and after care that is structured for students to grow and utilize resources that can provide additional help in their growth.
What actions would you propose the Board take to address these issues?
Student achievement and growth are nurtured by our dedicated teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff – MPS must continue to be an employer of choice. Each year, the board must review the data to understand areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. I will look to the staff for continuous improvement, best practices, and longitudinal studies to measure long-term outcomes.
The social and emotional health of our students is paramount to student safety. I will continue to advocate for an effective DEI strategy, the use of more counselors in the school, and early intervention and access to mental health professionals. I am proud of the support that MPS offers in times of need along with our community partners.
I will continue to advocate for the expansion of our before and after school structured programs and pre-primary center. I am very proud to have successfully advocated through our local legislators for the expansion of 31A at-risk funding for MPS.
Jennifer Ringgold
Address: P.O. Box 1293
Midland, MI 48641
Web Site: http://ringgold4mps.org
Email: ringgold4mps@gmail.com
Education: Bachelor of Science in Geology and Secondary Education Certification, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Occupation/Experience: Director of Educational Ministries, United Church of Christ Midland / Program Associate for Youth Ministries, Michigan Conference United Church of Christ
How do your experience and education qualify you to serve as a member of the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
Raised in MPS, I am now an active MPS parent. I began publicly advocating for students in 2017 and have regularly attended board meetings since. I attended Parent Information Committee meetings and was invited to join the District School Improvement Committee. In order to address inequities, I have met with administrators, supported teachers, and stood with marginalized families. I have a clear understanding of school finances from experience as PTO treasurer, sitting in on MPS budget meetings, and balancing my own nonprofit accounts. I began my career teaching middle school Science and have spent the last 10 years working as a faith educator. On a daily basis, I work with and listen to a wide variety of people of all ages and viewpoints.
What do you think are the most pressing issues facing the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
The most pressing issues currently facing the MPS Board of Education are: * A nationwide effort to undermine public schools and teachers. * The retention of teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school staff. * Supporting the needs of all students, especially those who are marginalized and bullied due to a lack of understanding of the diverse backgrounds of students who are different from dominant culture. * A communication disconnect between the Board, administration, staff, families, and the community.
What actions would you propose the Board take to address these issues?
I propose: * A focus on community relations with more transparent, helpful, and direct communication. Families and our wider community need to understand how we are equipping students. * New approaches for board member accountability for community engagement. * Listening sessions for our staff to share what they need, and administrative commitment to support staff needs. * Staff training to help create safe and accessible learning environments for students, and hiring additional staff to support students. There must be a continued effort to seek out highly trained and diverse professionals to meet the increased mental health and learning needs of MPS students.
Matthew Samocki
Address: Midland MI
Web Site: http://www.facebook.com/Samocki4MPS
Education: Doctor of Education and Master’s of Arts in Curriculum and Teaching
Occupation/Experience: Executive Director of the Great Lakes Bay Region Mental Health Partnership initiative within the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance
How do your experience and education qualify you to serve as a member of the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
I have several years of experience with Midland Public Schools (MPS) and I want to ensure MPS continues to thrive as an excellent school district for our community. I grew up in Midland as a child of two MPS educators and I am the parent of children who attend MPS along with a wife who teaches in MPS. I am a certified 7th-12th grade social studies teacher with ten years of experience and I am a certified school administrator with three years of experience as a MPS high school assistant principal. I also have three years of experience as a program manager at Central Michigan University which included developing kindergarten-5th grade science curriculum and I provided professional learning for teachers across the State of Michigan. Lastly, I have a master’s degree in teaching and curriculum and a doctorate in education which included a dissertation specific to considering alternatives to out-of-school suspension programs, social-emotional learning, and developmental assets of youth.
What do you think are the most pressing issues facing the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
It is critical for the Midland Public Schools (MPS) Board of Education to ensure students and staff come to school in safe and secure learning environments to protect everyone from potential threats to our schools. It is also important for our MPS Board of Education to continue to keep providing high-quality facilities for our students and staff, not only for safety and security, but to also provide exceptional opportunities for our students and staff. Lastly, it is important for the MPS Board of Education to continue to consider the everchanging health and economic landscape for our students, parents, staff, and community that may affect a wide range of health and quality of life outcomes before ever stepping foot inside MPS schools. Addressing these pressing issues will allow the school district to continue to provide the students, staff, and the community with excellent academic opportunities.
What actions would you propose the Board take to address these issues?
If elected, I will collaborate with the Midland Public Schools (MPS) Board of Education, students, parents, staff, and the community for MPS to provide safe and secure learning environments, high-quality facilities and consider the everchanging health and economic landscape to provide excellent academic opportunities. Additionally, I will research best practices, build relationships, communicate, consider all points of view, and adapt to unique situations to help all students and staff, regardless of demographics, environments, or experiences, to enable all to achieve success in MPS. I guarantee my actions as a member of the MPS Board of Education intend to enhance educational opportunities for students and staff now and for years to come to help make our community the best it can be where we all learn, live, work and play.
Jimmy Sheets
Address: 1206 Bayberry Lane
Midland, MI 48640
Email: jimmysheets1@gmail.com
Occupation/Experience: Ower of Ceramic Pro Midland
How do your experience and education qualify you to serve as a member of the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
For years I have spent time in roles of leadership and dealing with local families. As an active member in this community, I have grown to know family and what they look for to raise their children. As a father of 3 I have a direct connection to what other parents have to deal with in our school system.
What do you think are the most pressing issues facing the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
It is well known that our students are way behind on academics with reading, math etc. And currently there is no clearly stated plan in place to bring our student back on track.
What actions would you propose the Board take to address these issues?
I would purpose that the schools bring on additional staff to participate in extra reading courses and other subjects. there are additional support programs that could be brought in to help tutor kids that need help.
Michelle Plude Tschaikowsky
How do your experience and education qualify you to serve as a member of the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
Candidate has not yet responded.
What do you think are the most pressing issues facing the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
Candidate has not yet responded.
What actions would you propose the Board take to address these issues?
Candidate has not yet responded.
Kurt D. Yockey
Address: 110 E Main St
402
Midland , MI 48640
Phone: 248-752-3470
Web Site: http://midlandschools.com
Email: kdy@yockeylaw.com
Education: JD 1980
Occupation/Experience: Michigan based Law practice 41 years, Volunteer for MPS 49 years (more than any other volunteer perhaps); Board member – private company in the Upper Peninsula 26 years; Counsel for the Board of Directors 3 private companies 14+ years, Counsel for a Detroit area School District.
How do your experience and education qualify you to serve as a member of the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
More experience: Counsel for Hospice of Michigan 5 years, Youth sports coach 24 years, High school baseball coach 21 years, Member of Attorney Discipline Board 25 years, Counsel – Upper Peninsula companies 24 years, Worked with medical community for 41 years. I have held policy-making positions, financial oversight positions, audit positions, compliance and human resources positions, all of which will assist as a MPS Board member. My focus would be a return to academic and vocational emphasis, administered by those with the drive to make the schools the best, and not be satisfied with above average schools in a state of below average accomplishments. My background in due process, informed consent, and open government (including school district issues) will provide insight to board members that seem to believe issues can legally be deliberated and effectively made in private.
What do you think are the most pressing issues facing the Board of Education for the Midland Public Schools?
A meaningful board. The MPS Board exhibits a complete lack of ideas submitted by board members. Why be a Board member if you bring no ideas? Voting as requested by administration is not being a meaningful board member. Ideas: Endowment of teaching positions as these positions will never be subject to layoffs in down financial times; Assign a pool of money to each school where teachers determine on what the funds will be spent, not the central office; Security: The District chose to “harden” the front entrance of some schools as if a bad actor would come to the front door and sign in, perhaps show his ID. Windows just feet away from the “hardened” front doors are unchanged and easy access points. Throwing money away on superficial measures to generate the perception that “something” was being done to protect students and staff produced no greater protection. End all CRT “training”. Change leadership. If you want better schools, elect a better board. See MidlandSchools.com for more.
What actions would you propose the Board take to address these issues?
See above plus provide for actual public involvement. Permitting parents 3 minutes to raise and present issues, suggestions, etc. suggests the board needs none of your thoughts. How arrogant of our administration to limit comment to 3 minutes. In a nutshell, Create endowed positions; actually secure the schools; permit teachers a budget with which they determine spending; change leadership as the last two years made clear this group of leaders are not up to the task. Let us not continue with those that exhibited poor leadership and poor decisions while ignoring parents. End CRT training during school hours. Offer CRT seminars in conjunction with the teachings of Martin Luther King and other credible authors. Teaching stereotypes and racist ideology conceived by Marxists law professors should end. Done well, race becomes a non-factor in personal relations, business, and the law. Teaching that all white people are inherently racist is not what the public schools should teach.
All above responses come directly from the candidates and are unedited by the League of Women Voters. The League does not support or oppose any candidates or parties.
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