~by Kim Low
Whose interests are best served by the current District Superintendent and G-E-T School Board? I would submit it is neither yours nor mine. Due to the obvious ethical deficiencies, inherent in situations concerning nepotism, the tax payer is, at a minimum, under represented. There are members of the District Board who have relatives who either are teaching or working for the school district in some other capacity. When school was canceled due to a high volume of “sick” teachers on February 17th, do you think the board would take disciplinary action towards those teachers who traveled to Madison, rather than to stay and teach our children? Why should they? Their spouses and other family members are on the payroll. Look at the staff directory on the G-E-T website.
Dr. Grace was questioned if there was a policy in place for teachers and staff who falsely call in sick, and he claimed there isn’t one. He was asked for a list of teachers who called in sick on February 17th, but he said that list does not exist. The verbiage is such that, even with open request policies it is very difficult to get information from our particular district. One of the At-Large Board Members seat is up for election Tuesday April 5th. That seat is currently held by Paul Halderson, the farmer with a 2000-head dairy operation. While Mr. Halderson makes great contributions to the community, how can we expect him to be objective with a wife and daughter both teaching in the district.
According to Board Member Code of Conduct and Ethics Policy # 165, Board Members shall:
5. Render all decisions based on the available facts and my independent judgment, and refuse to surrender that judgment to individuals or special interest groups; And,
13. Avoid being placed in a position of conflict of interest.
It would seem that Mr. Halderson has two priorities before that of the district students and taxpayers. What is needed is someone who has no family members on the district payroll. We need someone who will not potentially encourage his wife and daughter to call in sick to attend protests in Madison. The responsibility of the School Board and Superintendent lies with the taxpayers and students. How can we expect Mr. Halderson to uphold his obligations to us when members of his immediate family are on the payroll of the district?
I am asking you to write in a concerned parent, Anthony Nelson, for this elected position. Anthony will put G-E-T’s children first, including two of his own. Anthony is a hardworking taxpayer just like you. He is
a concerned, intelligent citizen who makes informed and well researched decisions. As a computer programmer, he brings a technical edge to the table. As a father, he brings student perspective.
Anthony is also frustrated by board decisions, including the bussing of several town (Galesville) children to Ettrick (his eldest daughter being one of them). He is frustrated by the methodologies in which money is sought through referendum after referendum. Did you know that between 1998 and 2008, Wisconsin doubled the amount of money spent per pupil, yet proficiency went unchanged? Anthony Nelson wants to help to correct that, starting in his own community, with his children and yours.
Anthony is a solid candidate that will breathe new life into an otherwise stagnant board.
He may ruffle some feathers, but more importantly, he will listen. Please help to elect a fresh-ideas guy, a well-informed father, and a fiscally pragmatic citizen to the G-E-T School Board on Tuesday April 5th. Write in Anthony Nelson.
