I am deeply honored to serve on the FDL School Board. I was appointed to the board from a slate of 8 candidates in June of 2020 upon the resignation of Peggy Breister. I then had to run for a seat in February of 2021. I lost that election by 9 votes. In 2022, I ran again and won.

When I started on the school board, I had no idea we would be looking for a new Superintendent. The resignation of Dr Sebert put the district in a place where we needed someone to fill in. Sharon Simon did that short term while there was a national search. Dr Fleig was hired to start in June 2021.

For the first year (and remember, it was the height of the pandemic) the district worked on creating a strategic plan. A strategic plan is meant to guide an organization and this was an important step for the district. In August of 2022 this plan was released. There are four main goals in this plan and I think going over them is a good way to address the past three years and the future of our district.

#1 STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT Academic excellence with co-curricular experiences creating future-ready citizens.
• Ensure students receive outstanding instruction in reading and writing
• Ensure students receive outstanding math instruction

This goal is at the top because it is always the #1 goal for everyone in education. We want to see our students succeed academically and grow up to be successful adults. I believe this difficult goal was reached. Our district was just honored in a report by the Harvard and Stanford Educational Opportunity Project.

● Fastest Math Improvement – From 2022 to 2024, Fond du Lac showed the greatest improvement in math scores out of the 20 largest school districts in the state, surpassing pre-pandemic math levels. The district also had one of the highest positive changes in math achievement in the entire state of Wisconsin.

● Top Reading Growth – Fond du Lac experienced the highest positive change in reading growth in all Wisconsin school districts from 2022 to 2024.

One of the reasons we had great results was a complete overhaul of the curriculum and the way we teach. The school district created 4 new administrative positions (Literacy and Math Coordinators as listed on the school district website) to guide teaching staff through this complicated process. Another reason was the monumental effort of our teachers, principals and the new administrative staff. It was not easy. When you see a district employee, tell them THANK YOU.

In terms of co-curricular growth, in 2023 we saw the opening of the new outdoor athletic facility next to the High School. Football, track, and soccer teams, the marching band, and physical education classes use the field. Many students benefit from this investment and I believe that their co-curricular experiences are improved.

For a significant number of students, their athletic experiences are where they learn discipline, team work and how to handle disappointment. Coaches, like teachers imprint lasting impressions on students that make them better citizens. I think we all feel a bit of pride that our Fondy HS graduate, Braelon Allen, made history in 2024 as the youngest player in the National Football League.

#2 SAFETY An environment that ensures physical and emotional well-being.
• Ensure students feel safe at school and while riding the bus.

2019 and 2020 were two of the biggest years for expulsions in the district. Unfortunately, we were going in the wrong direction. I am happy to report that expulsions are way down. Clear expectations were set up front and students were given clear guidelines as to the behaviors that are unacceptable. Holding students accountable is key – there are no surprises. Behavior of the kids improved because they knew the rules and they knew they would be enforced. When kids behave better, everyone feels safer. More kids are in classrooms and in school because of these policy changes.

Mental health is right up at the top of the list with achievement. Every student in the district is now covered by Fondy Cares, a program that brings mental health services into the schools so students can have counseling right at school. Community partners continue to donate funding so students who are not covered by insurance can still have the services. Just this week, the FDL Woman’s Fund made their 3rd annual donation to this program.

#3 EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT Quality employees skilled and supported to educate and serve.
• Improve trust and engagement with staff.
• Provide actionable feedback to employees

I know we have had a rough school year. The community has been vocal and I have talked with many people. I appreciate that many citizens took the time to show up and speak at school board meetings. I view my primary role as being a good listener. I strive to listen to EVERYONE. Students, parents, teachers, community members, custodians, food service workers, administrators, and educational experts.

I do not approve of all the actions attributed to Dr Fleig. They directly contradict our strategic plan. They did not improve trust and engagement with staff.

We need to build and improve trust and communication between the administration and district employees. My goal is to never hear that teachers are too scared to talk, or any other employees for that matter. I believe the teachers should have regular meetings with the Superintendent and the custodial and other support staff should as well. In these meetings, the Superintendent should LISTEN, not talk. Our staff know important things that administrators do not.

I heartily endorse the promotion of Matt Steinbarth to the position of Superintendent. Matt has learned and grown as an educator and administrator in the FDL school district. He has deep knowledge of our students and strong connections in our community. He is the right person to lead us forward.

I look forward to healing the wounds of the past year and working hard on increasing the trust of our employees.

#4 COLLABORATIVE CULTURE Strengthening relationships with community stakeholders.
• Provide timely and purposeful communication to parents and guardians regarding their student’s learning.
• Strengthen partnerships with parents, guardians and community stakeholders through timely communication and collaboration.

I have personally seen the behind the scenes work Dr Fleig did when he arrived by working with parents to make their children more successful in the FDL school system. Also, Dr Fleig reached out to community organizations and listened to them. Some of these groups had never been approached by a school leader. I know it is impossible for everyone to know everything a person does, so I want to let you know, Dr Fleig has made some big steps for our community by recognizing concerns of people who have long been ignored.

The FDL school district strengthened its partnership with the FDL Boys and Girls Club. They now operate in more of our schools and gives kid vital support after school. We also strengthened our ties with the YMCA. Caring about the needs of our kids outside of the school day is vitally important. I look forward to building stronger ties with the Fond du Lac Health Department as the physical health of our kids is also an important part of helping kids be ready to learn.

We need to have a more collaborative environment for our parents. I know some parents feel the district is not listening to their concerns and I will work hard to improve communications between parents and the district. I would like for the district to survey parents and collect their ideas on how the district could improve on communication.

Finally, we need better timely communication with our community. Facebook is not enough when it comes to communicating with the public. I would like to see the district have a weekly email newsletter so people can get regular information from the district. Many citizens do not have children in the schools but they want to know what is going on in our schools and it is a wonderful way to show the achievements of our students.