Press release:
Peter Sobol announces his candidacy for re-election to the Monona Grove School Board in the upcoming spring 2010 election. Peter is seeking his second term on the board where he has served as Vice-President, Treasurer and chair of the Business Services committee, as well as a member of the Energy & Sustainability committee. Peter and his wife Kristin are Monona residents with 2 children in Monona Grove schools. Peter is a member of the academic staff of the UW Department of Geosciences and is a partner in Synchrotron Research Inc, a company that develops unique scientific instrumentation. Peter believes that successful Monona Grove schools are the ultimate asset of our communities and high-quality public education is key to its future.
Peter believes that his experience overseeing the annual budget process has helped develop a grasp of the intricacies of district finance that will be invaluable in the difficult decisions the district will face in the coming years. Peter understands the difficult choices the district faces due to the structural budget deficit: “But my experience has shown me that successful organizations use tough times to focus and orient around that which is important, and I believe our schools can emerge from the current budget crisis as a stronger asset to our community. This process will require innovation and forward looking leadership capable of identifying, promoting and implementing the best practices in education and school operations.”
Peter highlights several areas of accomplishment including his leadership role in developing the energy efficiency contracts that will save more than $117,000 per year in energy costs. “Three years ago I identified that MG spends much more per student on energy than the average Wisconsin school district. Although I can’t overestimate the contributions of many on the board and district staff, my sustained leadership in this area played a key role in achieving these savings while at the same time providing critical infrastructure improvements and setting an example to students and the public about our commitment to a sustainable future. Through this effort I believe that I have helped place the district on a firmer financial footing that will help us weather difficult financial times in the future.”
Peter also maintains a blog (at http://petersobol.blogspot.com) designed to help keep the public informed on school board business as well his thoughts on issues before the board. The blog also serves as a convenient forum for feedback and questions from the public. “Campaign promises about improving communication with the community are as common as yard signs each spring, but little is accomplished. I have taken up this challenge by creating a frequently updated on-line blog intended to keep the public informed, despite a barrage of criticism from other board members.”
Peter believes his efforts at communication help counter a disturbing trend towards less of openness and public participation in school board decisions. He gives as an example recent decisions by the board to eliminate all committees that included public members. “I opposed the decision of the board to abolish the committee structures that have served the district for so long. Fourteen people from the community generously volunteered to serve on board committees this year but the board turned them all down, effectively eliminating the opportunity to benefit from their experience and isolating the board’s decision making process from public input. No citizen has been formally involved in any school board decision since last year’s re-organization, a real loss to our district especially considering the relative inexperience of the current board. If re-elected I will work to restore openness and public participation in our decision making process.”
If re-elected Peter also pledges to continue working to build a climate of academic achievement that provides opportunities for all students: “Accountability is key to our future success; we need to complete the transformation to an outcome driven model of operation.”
________________________________________________________________________________
Susan Manning is also running for re-election; the new challenger is Jennifer Pickel. Jennifer is a CG resident who has recently served on the district's ad hoc facilities committee and is president of the Cottage Grove elementary PTO.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Peter-
I heard you were running for school board again. I read your comments about referendums not affecting the operating budget.
It is my opinion that Maywood is overcrowded.
I assume that because referendums do not affect the operating budget that you are in favor of a building a new K-2 or 3 in Monona at the Maywood site?
The argument that Maywood School is overcrowded is just silly. Get real. Maywood's capacity is 250 students. There are about 215 full-time students in that school.
If the first Anonymous poster would respond please I can't tell the tone of your post (a problem with email too). Are you seriously proposing a referendum when there is plenty of space to use in Monona, or are you being sarcastic to try to insult Mr. Sobol? My reading leans toward the later, and if that is the case, please stop it.
I'm not a Sobol supportor, but do want to see real ideas from candidates especially this year when we know the board will have to make tough cuts over the next few years. I think that a Monona K-2 school "joke", is just going to take away from the tough questions the three candidates need to answer.
I really am sick of the national level mudslinging, and really don't want it to creep into the local level. Please encourage the canidate you support to start a blog, and please write positive posts there, instead of negative posts here. I will be happy to read that blog and post positive ideas as well.
Thanks, now what would it take to earn your support?
I currently support none of the 3 candidates.
I will support the 2 who can give the best (detailed and thoughtful) answer to the question "How can the Board correct the long term budget shortfalls with a minimal impact on students."
I realize that the current Board will do some of that before the election, but I suspect much of those decisions will only fix a year or two. I really want to support a candidate who will think longer, and unfortunately this type of candidate usually looses elections. I think voters don't want to hear bad news, and don't like to think long term either.
You of course have hit the nail on the head. I lay awake last night thinking about how we deal with the structural deficit, and at the SAME TIME increase the quality of the education in this district.
I have some thoughts, and it can't be just about cutting this or that - that approach is unsustainable. Instead of doing less with less, we have to do more with less. Can it be done? Yes. I've seen it done in other environments.
Peter- you already have my support. I am so glad you are running. I appreciate the intelligence that you bring, and the deep thought that you put into things. And you are right. It can be done, but it will be tough. I appreciate the studies that you post, the educational information you share, and the fact that you maintain this blog. I wish all candidates this year would do the same in order to be responsive to the public. You are so correct in your release-- to talk about transparency, and then shut down all parent involved committees is a joke. Thank you for truly putting in time to communicate with the people. Where do I send my money?
If you look at other schools and districts that have made remarkable achievements under difficult circumstances (financially and demographically) it's all about leadership - leadership that recognizes that exemplary teaching is the basis for student achievement and that's where the resources need to be spent - on teacher development. I'll put my kid in a class of 30 kids with a great teacher over a class of 15 kids with a mediocre teacher any day.
I think you have at least one leader who can rise to the level of a great educational leader, and that's Paul Brost. I don't know about the rest one way or the other. I also don't know if the current super is such a person. But I know one thing, and that's when you have educational leaders who are capable of great things, school boards need to get the heck out of their way and give them wide berth to do their thing. I'm not voting for anyone who doesn't understand this.
Post a Comment