I have notified all candidates for MFSD School Board that I will post one page of their position. Mike happens to have responded first.
Please look to the far right of this blog to see other candidates positions in previous or future posts -------------->
Dear Friends and Neighbors,My name is Mike Dillhyon and I am running for a seat on the Menomonee Falls School Board. I have lived in Menomonee Falls for 2 ½ years and my family and I love the community. I am married with two children, both of whom are at Valley View Elementary. They are the reason I am running. I have a vested interest in the success of this school district for many years to come. I would like to take a minute to discuss some of the issues we face as a district and some of my solutions to these problems.
One of the concerns that I have repeatedly heard from parents is that they feel like what they say does not matter, so many of them do not bother anymore. Parents need to feel that they have a say in not only their child’s education but within the school district. Parents elect the board members, which mean the board members work for the parents. I will discuss any topic with any parent. I believe there should be regular "town hall" type meetings where the board not only listens to the parents, but discusses the issues with them away from the regular board meetings. I also feel there should be a parent response policy within the district. This policy would require all teachers, administrators and board members to respond to parent inquiries within 48 hours. Even if the question or comment needs further research, there would need to at least be a response acknowledging the inquiry. The best way to improve the district is to get the parents involved.
The next issue is the lack of accountability within the district. Our combined test scores rank us 17th among 18 districts in Waukesha County reporting test scores in 2006. Some will say that we are better than the state average, but to me that is just lowering our standards. Waukesha County’s test scores are higher than the state, so that is who we should be comparing ourselves to. Also, the number of seniors going on to a 4 year education has dropped from 72% in 1997 to 58% in 2006. In today’s business climate, many times even a 4 year degree is not enough. While a 4 year college is not for everyone and many graduates enter 2 year programs and are very successful, I feel that we need to look at the reasons for the decrease in graduates attending a 4 year college to see what improvements within the secondary schools can be made. I am also proposing that there be a set of annual goals and objectives laid out each year for the superintendent by the school board. It is then the superintendent’s job to ensure these goals are met by passing the goals on to the schools as needed. For example, one school in the district may be further behind in test scores than another, so they would have a more aggressive goal for improvement. The principals then pass their goals on to the teachers. Now, everyone has clear goals for the year. If anyone is consistently not achieving their goals, then they need to be held accountable, first through additional training and if problems continue then termination.
Finally, the budget is, of course a major issue. We are going in to the next school year with nearly $1 million deficit. The solutions that have come forward have been to cut teachers jobs, reduce supply budgets and, with no change, we will soon be cutting programs. This does not have to happen. By simply shopping around and adopting a better, more cost beneficial health care plan we can virtually eliminate the deficit. This school district needs someone who will be a voice for the community and that will be willing to stand up and say things need to change. I will be that voice. By voting for me on April 1st, you are voting for a change in attitude. By working together with our community, we can make our good schools great!
Sincerely,
Mike Dillhyonwww.mikedillhyon.com
