Here are Green Bay School Board candidates' thoughts on Tiller's resignation, closings
GREEN BAY — Two seats are up for election on the Green Bay School Board April 2 as the board grapples with hiring a new superintendent, school closings and teacher retention.
The board oversees the state's fourth largest school district by enrollment with about 18,000 students, 3,000 employees, a $336 million budget and 39 schools. Board members serve three-year terms and receive $7,500 annual stipends.
Incumbent Andrew Becker is seeking his eighth term. Board member Nancy Welch is not seeking reelection after serving one term, opening her seat for a newcomer.
Kou Lee, Alex Mineau and Paul Boucher are also vying for a board seat.
Boucher was convicted of lewd and lascivious behavior ― a class A misdemeanor ― in 2011 after a female caseworker reported that he exposed his genitals to her. He was banned from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus in 2013 because of complaints that he was harassing female students. Neither of these things prevent Boucher from running or serving on the school board, according to Wisconsin law.
For information about registering to vote and polling locations, visit the MyVote Wisconsin website at myvote.wi.gov/en-us.
Candidates also participated in a forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Greater Green Bay, which readers can watch on the league's YouTube page.
The Press-Gazette asked all candidates to fill out a questionnaire about issues that are top of mind for them, how they would have handled the investigation into former superintendent Claude Tiller and how they will ensure school closures are equitable. Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and formatting.
Here's what each of the candidates said:
Andrew Becker
Age: 49
Campaign website: www.electandrewbecker.com
Current occupation: IT technician
Education: Bachelor's in psychology from the University of Houston
Relevant experience: This is my 24th year on the board, and as the only member with more than 10 years of experience, this allows me to help provide important context about the history of the district, including things that have gone well and things that have not.
Paul Boucher
Age: 58
Campaign website: None
Current occupation: Unemployed
Education: Bachelor's in sociology from UW-Madison
Relevant experience: I have lived and observed. That is what sociologists do. I see the board needs fresh ideas and balance.
Kou Lee
Age: 46
Campaign website: www.Lee4GB.com
Current occupation: Operations manager
Education: Bachelor's in business management from Michigan State University
Relevant experience: I'm Kou Lee, a candidate for the Green Bay Area Public School Board seeking your vote on April 2, 2024. My background as a Hmong-American refugee has instilled in me a deep appreciation for public education and democracy, fueling my commitment to our children's future in the Green Bay Area Public Schools.
Alex Mineau
Age: 36
Campaign website: Alex Mineau for GBAPS School Board Facebook page
Current occupation: Adult family home owner/operator and teacher
Education: Bachelor's in kinesiology and education from UW-Eau Claire and a master's in administration from Concordia University
Relevant experience: For almost my entire life, I‘ve lived in nearly every part of our community. I have a diverse background and am connected to people of all walks of life. I taught, coached and was an activities director in GBAPS from 2010-2022. I now operate a small caregiving business and teach part time. I am routinely responsible for others’ well-being and future. I am fearless, hard working, honest and straightforward. I know our district's weaknesses and strengths and have good ideas how to address them.
Why are you running for school board?
Becker: I am running to make sure that I can help see the district through the process of school consolidation, boundary changes and necessary construction projects that have been started during my most recent term on the board. I will make sure the community is listened to during all steps of the process and that we continue making changes in response to community needs as we move forward.
Boucher: I see problems, and I have ideas that might help resolve them. People have encouraged me because they find my ideas interesting.
Lee: By voting for me, you're supporting a vision for a school board that values diversity, champions education for all and is committed to making a real difference in our community.
Mineau: I am running for School Board to create change. We need to have a better functioning board that is more engaged with our entire community. I want to help create a board that actually makes decisions that result in positive growth and development of our schools and what our kids are capable of. I want to help be an informed and fearless guiding partner through a lot of significant changes on the horizon. I’m running because so many people support me and what I stand for.
What do you believe are the top two issues that need to be addressed in the district, and how would you address them, if elected?
Becker: First, we need to choose our next permanent superintendent — making sure that we have an excellent, community-driven process to inform the board's decision making. We are well-positioned to take the time we need to do this the right way, thanks to the quality leadership of interim superintendent Vicki Bayer. We also need to make sure that our process of "right-sizing" the district is a balanced approach considering costs and also considering the importance of neighborhood schools. Savings should not come only from combining schools but also from reductions in central administration.
Boucher: Creating an environment that will allow for positivity and growth will reduce substantially the negativity of mental health and bullying that have found a home in this community. All students and staff should have access to workout facilities before, during and after school hours. If we want students to prepare for their future, 16-year-olds voting in city elections will help build a vision of the possibilities. Raising the marriage age would take dating out of high schools. Students should be focusing on their selves. We would have better election results if we had more college graduates.
Lee: The revelation of our public schools today should cause us not to feel vainglory, but rather a sense of deep realization of all which life has offered us, a full acknowledgement of the responsibility which is ours and ours alone, and a fixed determination to show that it can thrive best. We need a strong instructional leader willing to commit all to the preservation and growth of our children in public education. We have to establish an environment of accountability, strong leadership, high academic expectation and safe schools for ALL.
Mineau: First we’ll change how we staff our district. We need to find a competent superintendent. It means changing some staff at our district office and how we work together and treat each other. The Burns/Van Fleet report says it all. And it includes changing how we obtain and support our staff in our schools. Implementing an effective evaluation system for all administrators and District Office Building staff is crucial. Without this, nothing will change. Then we need to adjust or replace a number of policies contributing to disruptive and unsupportive classrooms so that students and teachers have a healthy learning environment.
Do you believe the School Board handled the investigation and ultimate resignation of former superintendent Claude Tiller well? What, if anything, would you have done differently?
Becker: As the only candidate who was on the board during this process, I am very limited in what I can legally say about a confidential personnel matter. I believe that Dr. Tiller introduced several positive initiatives — from his being present in our school buildings almost every day, to advocating for meetings to be held in schools instead of central offices. He was a champion of including student voice, and I appreciated working with him. Dr. Tiller demonstrated the importance of presence in the schools and outreach to the community, which I hope to see our next superintendent carry forward.
Boucher: It all happened so fast.
Lee: Green Bay is a beautiful city. Toward that end, we must behave as a people with such responsibilities. Our attitude must be one of cordial and sincere friendship. Let us all wish for the peace of justice and the peace of righteousness. It is never easy to be in Dr. Claude Tiller’s position. So, I wish Dr. Claude Tiller the very best in his future endeavors. I believe it's critical that the School Board provides a clear and consistent system of support to the superintendent to ensure GBAPS continues with the best instructional and operational leadership.
Mineau: I do not believe they handled it well. I think they should have released the video earlier. They had five days by law but instead they released it nearly 10 days later, only after an open records request was done because they waited so long to announce an investigation. However, we don’t know if that's the board's fault. However, I would have waited until the community had a chance to see the actual footage and provide feedback before making a decision either way.
The district has had 5 superintendents in the last 5 years. What will you do to ensure leadership stability and that the next superintendent is successful?
Becker: Following the resignation of Dr. Claude Tiller Jr., the board has appointed Vicki Bayer as the interim superintendent, which will give us time to do a full search for our next full-time superintendent. With my experience in the district, I plan to work more directly and more frequently with the next superintendent to make sure he or she is able to get the important historical perspectives that I am uniquely positioned to share.
Boucher: You have to choose the best available candidate with a vision for the district. I don’t think they were necessarily wrong on the choices that they have made. We, as a community, have learned and been entertained by their hustle. I look forward to seeing who the new candidates for superintendent are.
Lee: The inconsistency in finding quality leadership may have been not anyone’s fault but of a process with flaws. We must create a dynamic structure where we can identify the unique qualities in a sea of candidates, the stellar qualities that we hold dear within our core values. We must look deeper into our soul, take it upon divinity that we owe it to the parents and students. We need a true instructional leader who will model best instructional leadership for all the building leaders. One who focuses on teaching and learning.
Mineau: I will change the way the board operates. I will demand accountability and will accept nothing less. I will continue to forge strong and meaningful relationships with current and future board members and hold all of us accountable to higher standards of operation. I also know that having his/her direct subordinates (district staff and administrators) held accountable for their performance with a new evaluation system, will be key. I will work closely with the new superintendent to maintain awareness of how things are going. I’ll be involved.
As a School Board member, how would you measure the success of district leadership meeting key goals? How will you hold district leaders accountable?
Becker: I believe in using multiple measures of student achievement and not relying on only a one-size-fits-all test. Key district leaders must be responsible for our overall improvement in student achievement, which includes meeting district and state benchmarks. We have more students that move between our schools than our neighbors, and we need to make sure we can make transitions between schools seamless and ensure that we can quickly get students learning successfully when they move into our district.
Boucher: I think the goals of ensuring all students are able to see and comprehend what colleges are and how they or their peers and future children can benefit from the experience. Sometimes when you define a person, you look at who their friends are. College is an opportunity to expand the geography of who you are. I would like to see the media hold district leaders accountable.
Lee: I will work with other board members to establish systems to support and hold the superintendent accountable to high academic results and creating an environment of trusts where she/he is the anchor in support and allocating resources to assist building leaders succeed. When you are walking inside a school facility you should feel the serene, climatic envy of learning, growth and development of our youth.
Mineau: Again, having a robust evaluation system in place, directly tied to employment, is a key instrument. We’ll measure success by creating/aligning our goals with things that we as a community consider meaningful. If we don’t meet a goal then I won’t consider it a success. The stakes for what we do are high and have major consequences, good and bad. The time has passed for doing things arbitrarily and ignoring the actual outcomes. The outcomes of our decisions and what we do matters. We need to evaluate and act accordingly. The time is now!
School boundary changes and additional school closings are likely in the district's future. How will you ensure these changes are equitable and won't adversely impact students?
Becker: By listening to the community we can make the right changes. The board has modified plans by not moving Leonardo da Vinci into Webster Elementary, revising the plan for Tank Elementary and leaving John Dewey Academy of Learning in the building that was already remodeled with previous referendum funds. I am particularly proud of working with community leaders on a successful effort to save West High as a traditional high school. The current boundary review community has a good mix of citizens helping us make sure that community voices are at the front and center of further decisions on changes.
Boucher: The community needs to decide if they want to grow or give up on the school district. It is nearly impossible to run a business (school) with a shrinking consumer base (students). We need to grow the amount of students each year to keep the school district healthy. This will require more housing for families and more people to immigrate to the school district.
Lee: Some changes are unavoidable. I will work with board members and the community to make there are plenty of resources available to assist parents and students as we try to salvage our school district.
Mineau: First I want to make clear that changes will happen. It’s necessary for a plethora of reasons. However, I commit to making sure to only support a plan that I can at least feel confident provides an as good or better learning environment for any school and its students, if required to close. I will continue to be directly involved in feedback from teachers and the community to ensure what the desires and outcomes of any changes would entail. I would also be sure to plan and communicate proactively as to what potential changes would look like. Nothing should be a surprise.
A report commissioned by former superintendent Claude Tiller found the district's senior leaders created a 'dynamic of distrust and antagonism.' How will you work to improve district work culture and teacher retention?
Becker: Climate and culture are very important to me, and I believe we are in a good position to continue the work that Dr. Tiller was starting in this area. Central administration needs to be an efficient support system to teachers and principals, and we need to streamline and flatten the structure of central administration so there are fewer layers to go through to make changes. We also need to make sure teacher voice is the main driver of curriculum decisions.
Boucher: I would let all teachers and district employees have access to athletic facilities. Stress levels decrease with your body’s ability to cope. Exercise is the best way to allow humans to cope and thrive without the petty arguments that come with pent-up aggressions.
Lee: It starts with the board members — our vision for the district and finding an elite instructional leader who will model best instructional leadership for all the building leaders. One who focuses on teaching and learning. Start by giving teachers a voice, connecting and building sincere relationships, eliminating toxic culture and respecting teachers — allowing them flexibility to create lesson plans and keep their workload center around students' growth and learning. And find a way to increase teacher pay and minimize the requirements for becoming a certified teacher in our district.
Mineau: That report was as accurate as it gets. As a former employee, I know with my own eyes how true it is, unfortunately. But the good thing is, we all know the problem now. For starters, as a board member, I‘ll ensure this is on the agenda and it’s addressed. I will also collaborate with various groups to put in an evaluation system. It’s not easy to say, but some people will no longer have jobs at some point. But anyone who performs, and does so with good intentions, will flourish. Teachers will have more input and autonomy on a lot of things. We need to stop rewarding malice and dysfunction.
The district's reading proficiency scores have remained low across all grade levels for years. If elected, what specific steps will you take to improve student achievement?
Becker: I have been looking into issues of reading/literacy best practices along with retiring board member Nancy Welch over the past year. Developing a strong universal curriculum is the key to improving reading and all other educational subjects. Through my discussions with top district administrators, I believe we are positioned well to listen to teachers and make the curriculum updates we need to.
Boucher: Apparently literacy is an issue everywhere. I hear the congressional members know how to read. But it seems that the Supreme Court is having difficulty with reading the Constitution. If students can comprehend the importance of literacy and find interesting reading, they will learn much more quickly. It is just a matter of tapping into their imagination and helping them develop their appetite for learning.
Lee: There are three fundamentals that I think are required for student success in any school district or learning institutions: strong and clear instruction, professional development, and student and family engagement. We can!
Mineau: I will ensure that our superintendent has a focus on overhauling our curriculum department and how it functions. That has been a key failure in our district for years, which I know first hand, having taught various subjects and grade levels. I think the biggest way to rectify many issues here is to lean on our incredible and experienced teaching staff. Now is the time to listen to them and trust them, instead of belittling them and ignoring their expertise. My job as a board member is to make sure the district administrator has good people doing good things.
What specific steps will you take to improve board transparency with the community? Do you think the current board is transparent? Explain.
Becker: Transparency is always something that can be improved, although there are always going to be times that confidential situations occur and information can't be shared. I have always been a supporter of more public input at different types of meetings, and I support holding meetings on issues of community concern as they arise. Each board member has a unique perspective and hears from different people in the community, so we need to consider all members' opinions in planning meetings.
Boucher: I would like the board to sit more among the people and not so opposed on the opposite side of the room. I don’t think transparency is what the current board has been good at. I think the board tends to fear transparency because of the scarcity of resources. They seem to want to stay focused on what they have deemed important now and not get dragged into the next hurdle too early.
Lee: Let’s make ourselves and the agenda of the boards more accessible and available to ALL in Green Bay, the people we commit ourselves to serve.
Mineau: Simply put, I’m going to make sure we’re not only following the letter of the law, but also I plan to make sure we’re not falsely pretending like we’re the only school board around that has to operate the way we do. I will learn more about how and why other boards function, and I will not shut down once elected. Obviously, there's plenty of matters that are not going to be able to be disclosed. But I will be a vocal and available board member because it's the right thing to do. I serve you, the public, first and foremost.
Last year, the Press-Gazette reported that a teacher who was sexually abusing students continued teaching, despite the district receiving a complaint about the abuse. The school board took no action in light of the Press-Gazette's reporting. What, if anything, would you have done as a board member?
Read the Press-Gazette's reporting here.
Becker: The district now has a full time Title IX coordinator on staff whose responsibilities include investigating anything of this nature. We have strong new leadership in the human resources department, as well. The board has approved significant updates and policies regarding complaint and investigation processes including Title IX complaints as well as other types of issues.
Boucher: There is so much that went wrong with this situation. You could write a book about how so many things went the wrong direction. It is going to take a committee of people to investigate and propose solutions to prevent this problem from happening again.
More: Green Bay School Board takes no action after district fails to properly investigate abuse complaint
Lee: I apologize to all the victims and their family. After hearing about the situation, it re-energized my commitment to the children of GBAPS. Our schools should be the safest place for young children. If I am elected, I promise the Green Bay community and the students of GBAPS that we will review and make the necessary changes to Title IX reporting process with experts' and child protective agencies' input moving forward. We must be better finding the right candidates with the right fit for any position in the district.
Mineau: As a board member, I would have a thorough review into any processes and policies that led to the situation to help make sure that never happens again. I would also have a hard look at any personnel involved and possibly make employment decisions depending on what I learned. I would want to make sure I understood every aspect of that situation and took any action necessary and available. Our families entrust us with their kids every day. There is no greater job for a board than keeping that trust and creating vibrant, reliable and safe schools.
Danielle DuClos is a Report for America corps member who covers K-12 education for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at dduclos@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @danielle_duclos. You can directly support her work with a tax-deductible donation at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Green Bay School Board candidates share stances on closings, Tiller resignation
