Community Support:
Quality schools can only be maintained when there is substantial community support. The school district must be responsive to the needs of the district, soliciting feedback from stakeholders and parents. Regular evaluations should be solicited from student’s families as well as recent graduates to determine how well the MGSD is serving them, in addition to the planned district-wide survey. Careful fiscal management of district resources is an important factor in maintaining community support.
Achievement:
The MGSD has made important steps in improving the achievement, particularly at the elementary levels, but we need to go well beyond the dictates of NCLB to meet the needs of every student. This includes providing remedial help for some, tailoring programs to the different learning styles of others, and just as importantly finding ways to challenge the most talented students. This includes expanded gifted and talented programs at the elementary and middle level and advanced programs in the high school.
Instructional Support:
This district has many well-trained, talented and dedicated teachers. Our teachers should never be lacking the resources to fully utilize their abilities in the classroom. The district should make every effort to maintain competitive compensation in order to continue to make this district attractive to talented teachers.
Cost Savings and Energy:
Analysis of Wisconsin school finance data shows that MGSD spends 30% more per pupil on energy than the state average. That would amount to $300,000 saved per year if we can just reach average – and this is and area we should be better than average. Energy use is just one area of the non-instructional budget where we should look for savings. Well-run businesses use many techniques to control costs, including extensive cost-benefit analysis, aggressive supplier management and externalizing costs. Many of these techniques are applicable to the operation of well-run school districts.
Programming:
The broad range of programming the MGSD offers, including extensive music, arts and sports programs, have substantial community support. More importantly they enhance the intellectual development of our students and better prepare them for successful lives. It is important to find ways to maintain these programs in an era of tight budgets.
District Unity:
The partnership between Monona and Cottage Grove has served both communities well for more than 40 years; together this community has accomplished much to be proud of. But nothing can be accomplished if we pit one community against the other in a competition for resources. Both communities will be better off if a co-operative environment is maintained where the resources of each can be used to solve problems in the simplest most cost-effective manner – this is the best way to ensure that all students have the best resources at their disposal. Meeting the needs of the students first is the best way to meet the needs of Monona and Cottage Grove.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Monday, January 22, 2007
League of Women Voter's Questionnaire
The Dane County LWV sent questionnaires to all candidates in the Spring elections. For school board candidates they asked three questions and allowed 100 word answers. Here are the questions and my responses, bear in mind that 100 words are barely enough to clear your throat and the answers are necessarily incomplete:
What educational, occupational, civic and community experience have you that you believe qualifies you for this office?
A few years ago we chose as a family to move to this community in part because of the clear local support for its quality schools. I am committed to maintaining and improving the quality educational system that brought us here and the unified school district that continues to make our communities attractive places to live. I will bring to the job an unbiased and professional analytical problem solving approach, developed through several years of senior corporate management experience. My professional experience has helped me develop techniques to gather and evaluate information in order to find the best and most cost-effective solutions.
How would you encourage schools in your district to increase energy conservation and the use of energy efficiencies and renewables as a fuel source? How would you support the integration of these district efforts into the curriculum and into special projects to provide a continuing learning experience fo students, staff and the community?
The district now budgets $1.1 million for gas and electricity, or 3.7% of total spending (which is 30% above state average), and this is only expected to increase. For savings there are two approaches: Find and implement practices by staff and students that may lower energy use today, and audit equipment and facilities to find self-funding efficiency improvements to reduce future expense. The geothermal heating/cooling at the new middle school shows how smart choices may result in future savings. Energy efficiency is an area where the schools can certainly teach by example, but integrating students into these efforts would certainly provide opportunities in science and consumer education.
What role should staff such as guidance counselors, psychologists, social workers, librarians and school nurses play in supporting teachers and students?
When properly utilized support staff can make important contributions to student achievement. If our schools are expected to maximize achievement of all, they must meet the increasingly diverse needs of individual students. This includes providing remedial help for some, tailoring programs to the different learning styles of others, and just as importantly finding ways to challenge the most talented students. Support staff can provide critical support to this process by applying their specialized expertise to ease teacher’s burden of identifying individual student needs, and play a crucial role in finding resources and customizing programs to meet those needs.
What educational, occupational, civic and community experience have you that you believe qualifies you for this office?
A few years ago we chose as a family to move to this community in part because of the clear local support for its quality schools. I am committed to maintaining and improving the quality educational system that brought us here and the unified school district that continues to make our communities attractive places to live. I will bring to the job an unbiased and professional analytical problem solving approach, developed through several years of senior corporate management experience. My professional experience has helped me develop techniques to gather and evaluate information in order to find the best and most cost-effective solutions.
How would you encourage schools in your district to increase energy conservation and the use of energy efficiencies and renewables as a fuel source? How would you support the integration of these district efforts into the curriculum and into special projects to provide a continuing learning experience fo students, staff and the community?
The district now budgets $1.1 million for gas and electricity, or 3.7% of total spending (which is 30% above state average), and this is only expected to increase. For savings there are two approaches: Find and implement practices by staff and students that may lower energy use today, and audit equipment and facilities to find self-funding efficiency improvements to reduce future expense. The geothermal heating/cooling at the new middle school shows how smart choices may result in future savings. Energy efficiency is an area where the schools can certainly teach by example, but integrating students into these efforts would certainly provide opportunities in science and consumer education.
What role should staff such as guidance counselors, psychologists, social workers, librarians and school nurses play in supporting teachers and students?
When properly utilized support staff can make important contributions to student achievement. If our schools are expected to maximize achievement of all, they must meet the increasingly diverse needs of individual students. This includes providing remedial help for some, tailoring programs to the different learning styles of others, and just as importantly finding ways to challenge the most talented students. Support staff can provide critical support to this process by applying their specialized expertise to ease teacher’s burden of identifying individual student needs, and play a crucial role in finding resources and customizing programs to meet those needs.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Fundraisers
I can't thank the Aswegan's and List's enough for hosting the upcoming fundraising events. In keeping with my desire to fairly represent the interests of both Monona and Cottage Grove, two events, one in each community, are planned.
Not sure about your support? This is an excellent opportunity to get to know the candidate and exchange views!
Tuesday January 23rd, 6-8 pm
At the home of
Ann & Craig Aswegan
6008 Winnequah Road
Monona
Sunday February 4th, 2-4 pm
At the home of
Tom and Jill List
4370 Citation Court
Cottage Grove
Please join us at these informal events for appetizers, refreshments, good company and discussions with the candidate.
If you can't make it, but would still like to contribute, please mail to:
Sobol for School Board
6005 Midwood Ave
Monona, WI 53716
Not sure about your support? This is an excellent opportunity to get to know the candidate and exchange views!
Tuesday January 23rd, 6-8 pm
At the home of
Ann & Craig Aswegan
6008 Winnequah Road
Monona
Sunday February 4th, 2-4 pm
At the home of
Tom and Jill List
4370 Citation Court
Cottage Grove
Please join us at these informal events for appetizers, refreshments, good company and discussions with the candidate.
If you can't make it, but would still like to contribute, please mail to:
Sobol for School Board
6005 Midwood Ave
Monona, WI 53716
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
Press release
Sobol to run for Monona Grove School Board
Press Release December 11, 2007
Peter Sobol announces candidacy for the Monona Grove School Board.
“A few years ago Kristin and I brought our family to Monona from California, driven in part by a desire to find better school options for our children. Our research convinced us that this area has some of the best public schools in the country. The tangible community support and pride for the Monona Grove schools convinced us that this would be an excellent place to educate our children.”
Sobol will seek to maintain the range of programs and improve the quality of education that brought his family here, and believes it will continue to attract other young families. “I consider this successful school district as the most important asset of our communities, and a continued quality public education as key to its future.”
Sobol consistently supports the continued unity of the school district, “The partnership between Monona and Cottage Grove has been successful for more than 50 years, and we have every reason to believe that it will be successful for the next 50. On the other hand we see that school districts much smaller than ours have trouble offering the full range of program options that this community has deemed important.”
Sobol has also supported the construction of the new middle school approved by voters in last spring’s referendum as the best option. “I believe the new school is, in the long term, the best and most cost effective way to meet the district’s need for improved middle school facilities. I look forward to my children attending what will be a fine facility”
Sobol believes that the Monona Grove school district needs to find ways to meet the needs of every student, through expanded Gifted and Talented programs at the elementary level and AP programs in the high school. “Our teachers need to have the support and resources to service the unique talents of all students, and challenge and develop the abilities of even the brightest. I can see how the World Languages at the elementary level and International Baccalaureate programs that are being evaluated by the district may be important steps toward meeting these needs.”
Sobol also seeks to improve the communication between the school district and families by soliciting input from parents through systematic surveys and evaluations. “The families of our students are the school district’s “customers”, and their evaluation is a key measure of school performance. I have yet to meet a parent in the district who did not have unique and useful insights into the education of their child”.
As a homeowner in Monona in the MGSD, Sobol appreciates the need for careful fiscal management of the schools. “I came here from a hi-tech manufacturing company in a very competitive market. As a department director I was constantly working to find ways to achieve goals most efficiently and made choices that would be both less costly and most effective in the long run. Just as it is crucial that every decision that School Board makes be examined for long-term cost effectiveness. Our experience in California shows that the broad educational programs we value here (including music, arts and sports programs) can be lost without careful management of resources.”
Currently Sobol works with a partner developing scientific instrumentation under federal contract, and as a consultant in analytical chemistry. Previously Sobol was for several years a technical manager and department director for a Fortune 500 company in Silicon Valley. Born and educated in the Midwest with a Master’s degree in Physics, he has worked in Minnesota and California as an analytical chemist and in scientific instrument and software design. He has co-authored several scientific papers and one reference book on Photo-electron Spectroscopy. “I believe my background as a scientist and corporate management experience will bring useful skills and unique perspectives to the school board.”
Sobol and his wife, Kristin, an artist and free-lance illustrator, live in Monona with their two children Katherine and Will. Both children are students at Nichols Elementary.
Press Release December 11, 2007
Peter Sobol announces candidacy for the Monona Grove School Board.
“A few years ago Kristin and I brought our family to Monona from California, driven in part by a desire to find better school options for our children. Our research convinced us that this area has some of the best public schools in the country. The tangible community support and pride for the Monona Grove schools convinced us that this would be an excellent place to educate our children.”
Sobol will seek to maintain the range of programs and improve the quality of education that brought his family here, and believes it will continue to attract other young families. “I consider this successful school district as the most important asset of our communities, and a continued quality public education as key to its future.”
Sobol consistently supports the continued unity of the school district, “The partnership between Monona and Cottage Grove has been successful for more than 50 years, and we have every reason to believe that it will be successful for the next 50. On the other hand we see that school districts much smaller than ours have trouble offering the full range of program options that this community has deemed important.”
Sobol has also supported the construction of the new middle school approved by voters in last spring’s referendum as the best option. “I believe the new school is, in the long term, the best and most cost effective way to meet the district’s need for improved middle school facilities. I look forward to my children attending what will be a fine facility”
Sobol believes that the Monona Grove school district needs to find ways to meet the needs of every student, through expanded Gifted and Talented programs at the elementary level and AP programs in the high school. “Our teachers need to have the support and resources to service the unique talents of all students, and challenge and develop the abilities of even the brightest. I can see how the World Languages at the elementary level and International Baccalaureate programs that are being evaluated by the district may be important steps toward meeting these needs.”
Sobol also seeks to improve the communication between the school district and families by soliciting input from parents through systematic surveys and evaluations. “The families of our students are the school district’s “customers”, and their evaluation is a key measure of school performance. I have yet to meet a parent in the district who did not have unique and useful insights into the education of their child”.
As a homeowner in Monona in the MGSD, Sobol appreciates the need for careful fiscal management of the schools. “I came here from a hi-tech manufacturing company in a very competitive market. As a department director I was constantly working to find ways to achieve goals most efficiently and made choices that would be both less costly and most effective in the long run. Just as it is crucial that every decision that School Board makes be examined for long-term cost effectiveness. Our experience in California shows that the broad educational programs we value here (including music, arts and sports programs) can be lost without careful management of resources.”
Currently Sobol works with a partner developing scientific instrumentation under federal contract, and as a consultant in analytical chemistry. Previously Sobol was for several years a technical manager and department director for a Fortune 500 company in Silicon Valley. Born and educated in the Midwest with a Master’s degree in Physics, he has worked in Minnesota and California as an analytical chemist and in scientific instrument and software design. He has co-authored several scientific papers and one reference book on Photo-electron Spectroscopy. “I believe my background as a scientist and corporate management experience will bring useful skills and unique perspectives to the school board.”
Sobol and his wife, Kristin, an artist and free-lance illustrator, live in Monona with their two children Katherine and Will. Both children are students at Nichols Elementary.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
