School Board vacancy: Is Kevin Viney this year's Tim Boylen?

The candidates have been determined and interviews are set for THIS SUNDAY July 13, beginning at 1:00 pm at the District Office (501 S. Bird St). These interviews are open to the public, and the board WILL vote someone in by ballot at the conclusion of the interviews.

Last year, when a post-election vacancy emerged, despite several candidates with direct Sun Prairie school board involvement, the board opted to choose the pro-administration outsider with experience as a school district business manager: Tim Boylen. A quick review of the candidates for the vacancy created via Jim Carrel's resignation June 23 suggests that if history repeats itself, Kevin Viney becomes the likely successor to Carrel. Note that the public has NO INPUT on the selection process; the board simply selects the candidate of their choice. Four votes wins someone a seat at least until next April.

Note also that, as with last year, the board requires candidates provide a list of three critical issues facing the district along with suggestions to resolve them. But there is no "check" to ensure that candidates have actually fulfilled this "requirement"; nor is there any follow-through on the information provide. So...what's the point...just to make busywork? As with any other application process, should this not serve as a "screening" procedure?

The candidates
Kevin Viney - The Banker/Town Chairman (Burke)
Al Slane - The Engineer
Patrick Anderson - The Real Estate Manager/Developer
Dr. James Murray - The Educator

Candidates' School Board Experience
Kevin Viney - Served as a member of the High School Planning Committee representing townships. Has not attended school board meetings since the High School Planning Team was dissolved.

Al Slane - Ran unsuccessfully for the school board this past April; has applied for a citizen representative seat on the Finance and FTT committees. Has regularly attended school board meetings and some committee meetings since this past winter.

Patrick Anderson - Has applied for a citizen representative seat on the FTT committees. Has regularly attended school board meetings since this past winter.

Dr. James Murray - Currently serves as a citizen representative of the school board's Finance committee; has also attended school board meetings.

So...we have 3 candidates with recent involvement in school board activities and one candidate with temporary peripheral involvement. Mr. Viney sure looks like this year's Tim Boylen on paper. One has to wonder, however, whether his involvement on a number of boards as well as being the Chairman for the Town of Burke will impact his ability to participate fully on a school board that requires a great deal of time commitment.

The candidates' issues
As part of the application process, candidates were asked to identify "three critical issues facing the district; and how to address/resolve these problems".

Kevin Viney - Listed the following issues: school overcrowding, busing safety, continued technology enhancements. His letter did not offer any suggestions for solutions. In fact all three were combined into a short 5-sentence paragraph. (Should this disqualify him as a candidate?):

" The three critical issues I can see now [sic]is school overcrowding, busing safety and continued technology enhancements. I think long range planning needs to be addressed to make sure the schools are adequately balanced with students of all backgrounds. I know that bus transportation is an issue with fighting, inappropriate behaviors and aggressiveness. I feel the buses need to be monitored and students controlled. We need to continue to excel in our training and education of technology in our schools to prepare our students for higher education."

SP-EYE: Ummm...some of our students may not choose to pursue higher education...but we still need to prepare those students for life beyond high school.

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Al Slane - Mr. Slane identified these 3 challenges: boundary issues, grade promotion standards, the need for a pool.

Boundary issues: "...the current approach the board is taking in forming a longer term task force is a step in the right direction."
Grade promotion standards: I think the current grade promotion standards need to be updated. The current standards reduce the schools to being a baby-sitting facility for low-performing students. ...we can certainly do better than just checking for math and reading proficiency."
Pool: "...I am in favor of getting a pool at the high school."

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Patrick Anderson - Mr. Anderson identified these 3 challenges: SPHS on DPI list for failure to make adequate yearly progress in reading, balance student needs in designing curriculum for new grades 6-7 and grades 8-9 schools, and reduce utility costs.

High School Reading achievement: "...One of the stated priorities of the Board is to improve reading achievement. The Board should review results, revisit the action plan making appropriate adjustments, and monitor the progress quarterly through the 2008-09 academic year...."
Grade 6-7 and 8-9 schools: " How can we maintain academic achievement and offer diversity of class selections that can advance those that are struggling and also advance those that are gifted and talented? The balance is to block for the differences in Math, English, Social Studies and Science and allow flexibility in schedules for the extra classes that round out the academic day...."
Reduce utility costs in all schools: "The 2008-09 budget shall be over $1.4 million...The high school is close to being LEED certified, can we get there?...I also believe the use of photovoltaic solar on the massive roofs of the schools can generate the power necessary to meet the needs of most of the buildings as long as the payback to the taxpayer is short."

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Dr. James Murray - Dr. Murray identified these 3 challenges: Improve community relations, Revitalizing writing skills, and Control discipline/Maintain a wholesome learning environment.

Improve Community Relations: A perception of exclusion is a condition that often spawns suspicion and resentment. To that end, residents should be invited to participate in monthly 'town hall' meetings during which time their concerns would be received by a panel consisting of an administrator, teacher, school board member, student, and a citizen representative."
Revitalizing Writing Skills: " While reading and math are being emphasized, knowledge of sentence structure, paragraph construction, parts of speech, punctuation, and spelling seems to have only incidental recognition. ...many individuals are unable to compose a text that is unambiguous, coherent, grammatically accurate, and correctly punctuated."
Control Discipline/Maintain wholesome learning environment: "Strict standards need to be established and communicated to all students and their families. Repeated violations, carefully documented may necessitate referrals to professional intervention sources. If they persist, a 'no-further-tolerance' policy needs to be articulated and a dismissal for significant periods instituted. To do otherwise is to reinforce and perpetuate deviant behavior and to undermine the opportunities our schools should provide...."

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There you have it folks....which candidate do YOU think is a best fit for the school board?