Gibraltar School Board Candidate Questionnaire

There are five candidates running for two Gibraltar School Board positions. A primary will be held Tuesday, Feb. 19, to narrow the field to four candidates for the April election.

What motivated you to run for the school board?

Ray Einhorn (RE): Last year, while working the polls in Baileys Harbor, I had an inspiration to get more involved with my community. My job at the time limited me in which ways I could help serve the people of our community, meaning I could not run for a supervisor seat on the town or county board, as it would be a conflict of interest with my appointed town office. My position, however, did not prevent me from running for a seat on the district school board. The whole reason that I moved to Door County was for the betterment of my daughter – her safety, her education and her future. Running for school board seemed like an obvious choice to me, what better way for me to ensure that my child (now children) and her peers had the best educational opportunities afforded to them. I decided very late in the game to throw my hat in the ring as a write-in candidate, in fact there were only two weeks until the election. I received a ton of support and encouragement from parents and teachers and in the end I tallied nearly 10 percent of the vote as a last-minute write-in. I took this as a sign that there was an obvious call for change and set my sights on running again in 2019. Between that time and the end of 2018, there were various events and experiences that very much challenged my desire to be involved with (small town) politics. There were people who even went as far as to try and jeopardize my job and degrade my family because of my motivation to be involved and to make a difference. There were some very hard decisions that had to be made and a definite feeling of wanting to extract myself from the entire public eye and political process. Alas, I decided to leave my appointed town position and the animosity, lack of appreciation and backstabbing that came with it. Breaking free from the problems and being a part of the solution became my new goal. My next decision was whether or not to run for town board or school board. Again, the whole reason I am here in the wonderful community is for my daughter, so the choice was obvious to me. Gibraltar Area School Board 2019, #Einhorn4thekids, here we go.

I took my time to mull it over and when I decided to put myself out there again, it was because the parents I know, the residents and taxpayers I know they pushed me, they encouraged me and asked me to get out there and make a difference. So, here I am.

Don Helm (DH): I have two daughters that attended Gibraltar K-12, and I have been fortunate to have coached both boys’ and girls’ basketball teams from elementary through high school. I have been impressed with the quality of education at Gibraltar. When I was approached by community members to run for this position, I viewed it as an opportunity to give back to the school to help ensure that Gibraltar students receive the best quality education possible.

Mike Peot (MP): I became interested in the Gibraltar school governance when there was talk of merging with Sevastopol. After looking into this proposal I discovered that the Gibraltar taxpayers would end up contributing about 70 percent of the operating budget of a combined school district.

The second item that motivated me to run for school board was the proposal to institute a noncollaborative 4K program at Gibraltar. This would have devastated our two child care providers in the area and left working families with no option for full-time quality child care. The best option is to have some type of collaborative program that supports our students as well as the full time care providers that operate a quality program.

Brett Reetz (BR): A desire to improve the quality of leadership on the Gibraltar School Board motivated me to run.  

Carole Vande Walle (CV): When teaching teachers and preparing/training educators for the classroom, I observed outstanding schooling and numerous ways to use staff, district resources, and money wisely.  

What is your own experience with public education?

RE: I have no previous experience with administration in public education. I spent six years working with the YMCA Aftercare Program in both New Jersey and Florida, where I worked in public schools with both students and staff. My experience with children and the education they receive spans the demographics and the map. I feel that my past involvement with schools and children, and present parental knowledge prepares me for handling a variety of situations and scenarios that may arise. My K-12 years were spent in the New Jersey public school system. I attended a private college outside of New York City, on a full academic and athletic scholarship.

DH: All of my education from first grade through college has been at public institutions. Being at Gibraltar as a coach for 14 years has given me the opportunity to gain insight into this particular school system.

MP: I am a graduate of Gibraltar High School and UW Madison. Throughout my career outside Door County I was involved with several public schools as a Junior Achievement counselor.

BR: My daughter is a Gibraltar graduate. My two sons are students at Gibraltar. I attended a public elementary, junior high and high school in Downers Grove, Ill. As a lawyer, I represent public school students, teachers and administrators in a wide variety of matters.

CV: My bachelor degrees were in School Community Leadership in Recreation Education, Elementary Education and Reading. I was a recreation director in nursing homes while my husband attended college after the Air Force and a PTA president when our children were in school. Our severe needs foster teenager helped me understand mental health issues and bullying in public education. My master’s thesis was a schema for valuing differences when teaching. I taught children and teachers pre-K to university, including “homes” for troubled teens. I learned about legal aspects of public schooling when I earned principal and superintendent certification.

If elected, what skills will you bring to the job?

RE: I believe I can and will offer an unique skill set based on the broad spectrum of opportunities I have been afforded over the years. I have spent many days on both sides of the “managerial fence” and in quite a few different types of professional worlds. I believe that one of the most important skills I have acquired is the ability to understand issues from all sides. I pride myself in being fair and thinking outside of the box in challenging situations. I have a level of honesty that I have personally failed to see in many other of our leaders in this area. I am not afraid to stand up for what I believe in and I am not afraid to get knocked down. I will put myself out there if it means doing the right thing for the children of this community.  

DH: I have been a business owner in Egg Harbor for more than 25 years. This has given me experience in financial management, employee and customer relations and all aspects of running a successful business. I have served on several boards, including the Door County Y and the Egg Harbor Business Association, as well numerous committees. I feel that I will bring a fresh perspective and a different outlook on issues.

MP: I have been a school board member for nine years and have served as clerk and vice president. I have had business experience in managing large construction projects and large budgets during my career as a manager.

BR: I am a trial lawyer and a writer. Through both pursuits, I have garnered the ability to diagnose complex issues and problems and effectuate concise, understandable solutions. I am able to negotiate controversial, critical and sensitive issues and terrain. I do so with a direct and honest approach. I have vast experience dealing with people of all sorts, from Supreme Court Judges to common criminals. I am not prone to being fearful of personal consequences when my intentions are just.

CV: Some Gibraltar school board members have been serving the district for years and understand legal requirements and rules of order to ensure a well-run board meeting. Effectiveness of a school board is equally dependent upon interactions between board members and administrators to promote high levels of performance and achievement. Among other things, as a curriculum resource, I can offer suggestions based on experiences and research. I have seen what works and what is a waste of money.

What are the current challenges facing the district?

RE: This year marks my third winter here in the Gibraltar School District, so by all rights, I am still new to the area and still very appreciative of where I am able to send my children to school. I hear talk about the things that people do and do not like about this district from the variety of people that I encounter. Overall, I must say, parents here in this community should be counting their lucky stars. Every area has their problems and issues to tackle but the folks of Northern Door are truly blessed. That being said, every school needs to be kept safe and in a time of escalating political division and random violence, keeping our children safe is the biggest challenge facing any and every school district.

DH: Gibraltar, like all school districts is faced with a rapidly changing environment, both technically and socially. In addition, Gibraltar is facing issues with declining enrollment, teacher recruitment and retention.

MP: We have a large construction project in the high school for this summer and fall to remodel the core section of the school. This has been a school board goal for many years. One of my first board meetings we reviewed an option for the renovation and have several plans in the interim, I think we have a good plan now. We also have an academic challenge to improve our high school ACT scores. And a challenge to continue the award winning work in our elementary school.

BR: The current challenges at Gibraltar are to improve student proficiency, teacher morale and the quality of leadership. These three challenges are interrelated. For any one to be improved, they all must be improved. We have lost quality teachers. Student proficiency scores have languished and fallen. There is, for too many, a sense of futility at Gibraltar. This is unacceptable. It can be changed.

CV: Schools in Wisconsin that define “excellence” using test scores for comparison lag behind in the current technological knowledge explosion. The most important challenge is encouraging knowledgeable staff to use their abilities to meet the needs of each child. Schooling must be a place where motivated teachers enjoy teaching, students are excited about learning and where parents and communities are energized to be involved.

What opportunities do you see in the district?

RE: When parents, faculty and the board of education work together the opportunities are endless. With the continuing support of the taxpayers in our area, this district has the ability to bring in the best teachers, staff, educational programs and learning devices to our children. Building and maintaining a strong foundation starts with having the best of the best, and ends with, turning out the best of the best. In this school district the only thing that can stifle what our taxpayers can provide is mismanagement and division of leadership.

DH: We are fortunate that Gibraltar is a relatively small school located in a small town/rural environment. This should afford us the opportunity to create and maintain effective communication channels between the school board, school administration and the community. In addition, this community strongly supports quality education. We need to utilize this support in order to attain maximum benefits to the Gibraltar School.

MP: We have a tremendous opportunity in this district. Our operating referendum has just passed and stabilized our funding for the next several years. We have the opportunity to always look for ways to improve our students environment rather than worry about cutting budgets and programs.

BR: The Gibraltar School District, its demographics, the teachers, and the community offer the amazing opportunity to create an institution of education that is unmatched anywhere in our nation. Given the size of the student body, the dedication and qualifications of the teachers, the community and the resources, to the extent we are not the envy of all other public schools, it is nobody’s fault but our own.

CV: Unlimited. When schools and communities research critical concerns about health and safety from economic and ecological perspectives, opportunities abound to instill in students an appreciation for and understanding of how fortunate they are to be part of preserving such an extraordinary landscape: the school district has unique towns and villages with talented and insightful people and more shoreline than any school district except Hawaii. In addition, the schools adjoin Peninsula State Park and three nonprofits. The district embraces amazing theater, arts, music, recreational and learning opportunities. The Pulse, a non-Gannett newspaper, is a high-quality nonpartisan resource in the district. Exceptionally generous people care about human rights, equity and sustainability. Many who “can” have donated to the arts, recreation and organizations that help people in need or who quietly “pay it forward” in many ways. This is the community I love and Gibraltar schools are literally in the center of it all.

What is your vision for public education in the community you hope to serve?

Ray Einhorn: When I look forward to the future of the public education in our district I only can hope for advancement. Making strides in safety measures, staffing and general operations should always be the goal. This is not to say that I feel we are currently in a bad state of affairs, in fact, I’d say the opposite. I am a firm believer in being prepared to stay ahead of the curve. No matter how far ahead you are in a race, you can always fall down. My vision is to bring new ideas, new energy and spirit to our community and to make sure that any obstacle, at any time, is planned for and approached with concern and caution.

Don Helm: We need to offer our students the best public education within our means, taking advantage and the benefits of a small school, as well as providing opportunities afforded students in larger school districts. Our students are our future and need to be prepared for their lives ahead, whether it be in Door County or in the broader world.

Mike Peot (I): We should always strive to graduate students that are good citizens and well adjusted, and prepared for their next step whether it be continuing their education or entering the work force.

Brett Reetz: I envision Gibraltar as a benchmark of the highest caliber in public education, an institution where students genuinely feel blessed to attend and learn, where teachers truly actualize their passions, where a high school diploma from Gibraltar provides a student with a superior credential.

Carole Vande Walle: My unpublished post-graduate research showed when students work together, they are engaged and empowered and there is a direct relationship to improvement with few discipline problems. My vision is to empower staff to effectively collaborate with communities for the health, safety and achievement of children and improvement of communities within the guidelines of the law. Each child will learn to problem resolve to be an effective decision maker in our democracy when they graduate. They will have opportunities from experiences to put on resumes.

What are your views on transparency of information, and what kinds of school-district information should be made public?

RE: First and foremost, the protection of the students and their best interest should be the most influential factor in the transparency of information concerning our school district. As far as information that is made public, I believe that all residents and taxpayers have a right to know what money is being spent and what basic safety measures are being enforced to protect the children of our community.

DH: All information should be transparent with the exception of personal information regarding faculty, staff and students.

MP: Transparency is always an issue for any public institution. As a school board we have always tried to be as open as possible and share budget and policy information on a continual basis. Individual student information and personnel information are the issues that cannot be shared with the public. In a small school and community this is a problem that we always try to minimize.

BR: I am a passionate supporter of transparency. With the exceptions of personnel, student, medical and counseling records, all information should be readily available to the public.

CV: Some information is, and should be, protected by state law. Beyond that, there is no place in schooling improvement for Bullying Speech (BS) – bashing, badmouthing, belittling, distraction and deflection. We need to focus on facts to make decisions, but also must protect people’s legal rights.

If a parent comes to you with a particular school issue, how do you see your role as school board member to resolve that issue?

RE: Every parent needs and deserves to be heard. My role will be to hear these parents and relay these issues to my peers. Every issue should be considered from all sides, void of personal or political opinion. Decisions should be solely based on what is best for the children that will be affected by these issues.

DH: My role is to bring issues to the board and to make sure all viewpoints are considered before action is taken.

MP: Parent concerns are always important; often they need to be directed to the right resources at the school. As a school board member I have always worked to help parents navigate our system and policies to resolve their concerns. Some of our best new initiatives have come from parent comments and concerns. As a school board we don’t have all the answers, but we are always interested in looking at new ideas.

BR: A school board member owes the community an ear. As a public servant, it is necessary to be accessible to the public to hear its concerns. No matter the concern, question or issue, it is imperative that the parent reaching out to the board member is assured that his or her questions or concerns are not being ignored, neglected or deemed unimportant. When a parent speaks to a board member, he or she should have a genuine belief and understanding that he or she has been heard, respected and an appropriate response will occur.

CV: Depending on the issue, the parent should be “guided” to the best resource to get help to address their concern or see a different perspective.

Do you see yourself primarily as a representative of the community or as a representative of the school system?  

RE: I do not see a difference in representation. The children and parents make up the “community” that I wish to serve. The taxpayers without children in the school, whether full or part-time residents, still have a responsibility to this district. I believe that makes them a part of that very same community.

DH: Because I live and work in the community and have strong ties to Gibraltar school, if elected to the school board I would view myself as a representative of both.

MP: A good school board member needs to be both a representative of the school as well as a community resource for the school.

BR: A school board member is both a representative of the Gibraltar Community and a representative of the Gibraltar School District. The Gibraltar Community wants the Gibraltar School District to be exceptional. The community’s desire is consistent with the school district’s. By leading and managing the Gibraltar School District in a manner that actualizes and optimizes its potential, the school board member is serving the community’s best interests as well as properly representing the school system.

CV: Depending on the concern, sometimes one, sometimes the other and sometimes both are required for effective decision making.

What do you see as the most important role of the school board?

RE: The most important role of the school board is to serve the children. The future of this district depends on the decisions that are made now. The future of this district, Door County and even our state and country, depends on what we provide to our children to advance within each passing school year. Any number of students have the potential to learn, excel and change the world. The school board is ground zero for deciding to what level those potentials can grow.   

DH: The role of the school board is to ensure that the residents of Door County are provided with the best educational environment possible.

MP: To be effective the school board needs to focus on the goals of the school and community. Oftentimes this is a multiyear goal and evaluation process. We need to continually monitor our progress and adjust as necessary.

BR: The most important role of the school board is leadership. The school board is at the crest of the school hierarchy. It is the leadership of the school board that is charged with the duty to lead the school through every aspect of the institution. Responsibility for all of it, the good, the bad, the average, the extraordinary, the triumphs and the failures, all of it, eventually falls on the school board. This is why leadership is the most important role of the school board.  

CV: A school board member must understand and support the Wisconsin Law, 118.01 and the Gibraltar District commitment to engaging minds, empowering learning and achieving excellence. When we work together, we can encourage children in the Gibraltar Schools to become the best that they can be based on their abilities.