Apr. 1—EAU CLAIRE — There are six candidates in the race for three open Eau Claire school board seats, up for election April 5.

Following February's primary, an initial candidate field of seven was trimmed when challenger Josh Ingersoll was eliminated from the race. Remaining candidates are Tim Nordin, Marquell Johnson, Corey Cronrath, Nicole Everson, Melissa Winter and Stephanie Farrar.

Nordin, the board's current president, and Johnson are the only incumbents.

All six candidates were sent identical questionnaires. The following are responses from Everson, Cronrath and Farrar. Responses from the other three candidates appeared in Thursday's paper.

Members of the seven-member Eau Claire school board serve three-year terms. Everson is an outreach worker, Cronrath is a physician and Farrar is a professor at UW-Eau Claire.

Why should you be elected to the Eau Claire school board?

Cronrath: I believe we need to get schools back to the basics of teaching English, math, science and social studies. They are intended to give our kids the basic knowledge they need to be successful after graduating high school in the workforce, trades or universities. What do I have to offer?

1. Authentic servant leader with formal training through the U.S. Army, American Association of Physician Leaders, Center for Creative Leadership, Huron Group and Development Dimensions International.

2. Action-oriented with a plan and experience in building teams with great cultures. For full details go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDlnALS1DXI.

3. A dual board certified physician with a Master's in Public Health. I have the ability to look at different environments and make sound risk/benefit decisions, whether it be COVID-19 or other contagions.

4. Ability to problem solve utilizing tools such as DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, implement, control), Scrum, A3 and others.

Everson: I bring something unique to the current board from my life experiences in many different situations and environments, including my role as both an advocate for and user of special education, as a parent, and as a member of the Eau Claire community.

My diverse experience utilizing special education and navigating IEPs has allowed me to gain a broad understanding of different learning styles, while tutoring, substituting, and volunteering within the school system has given me a direct look into the system. I have strong skills in listening and absorbing the ideas and opinions of students, community members, teachers, aids, administration, school board and other stakeholders. I have a strong ability to hear concerns from everyone and develop ways to resolve them.

Farrar: Ultimately, I should be elected because I believe in public education, I support teachers, and I listen and communicate effectively. I have 18 years of experience in teaching, assessing student learning, and in administrative work evaluating colleagues and academic programs of study. Public service and education is part of my family history, growing up with a teacher for a mother and a superintendent for a father, a story that exists only because a teacher helped my dad become the first in his family to attend college. I am a parent to young children in ECASD schools, and my hopes for them — and all other children in our district — are that they may learn to navigate this complex world, and that they may find in their education a path toward becoming contributing members of society who find fulfillment in discovering their individual gifts.

What do you believe is the primary role and responsibility of the school board?

Everson: Establish, implement, and create policies and accountability for the school district. Some of the ways to do this:

1. Governing the board and governing the superintendent

2. Plan and implement a comprehensive plan for student achievement

3. Partnership and accountability with the superintendent

5. Evaluate/accountability for the following areas:

11. Budget analysis, recommendations and adoption of yearly budgets

Farrar: The school board sets a vision for the school district that the superintendent leads in accomplishing. In order to employ a superintendent and evaluate their progress in achieving goals for student success, members of the school board must be knowledgeable about the work of education, its institutional structures and its role in the community. Critically, board members must possess a deep respect for the expertise of professional educators. The school board also serves an important role in advocating for full funding for public schools, and in representing the community interest in maintaining excellent schools that serve all children. It is the responsibility of the board to model respect for public education and to ensure that all children have their educational needs met by this critical foundation of civil society.

Cronrath: The board's primary mission is to set the vision of the district and to see that the vision comes to fruition. Utilizing the mission, vision and values, the board helps create and approves the strategic plan of the district and updates it annually.

The board can delegate authority, but it can never delegate responsibility. It accepts failures as its own and gives praise for success to those doing the work. It must walk a fine line in order to neither micromanage nor be aloof. This is accomplished when the members on the board listen to and earn the trust of the stakeholders.

What role do you believe educational equity should play in the school board's decision making?

Farrar: Equity is not a "special interest" or goal that exists separately from the rest of the work of the school board. Understood as a goal to provide each student access to the resources that they need, when they need them, equity recognizes students' differences and meets each child where they are. Equity is part of curriculum development, acknowledging that every student deserves to see themselves in the curriculum and needs to learn about those who are different from them. Equity is the lens through which we work to serve students with disabilities and learning differences, students who are high-achieving, students learning English and students who are economically disadvantaged; equity is understanding that students can belong to multiple groups. Equity is how we identify areas for growth in our school climate and how we measure our success in making sure every student attends school free from discrimination. Equity benefits all students.

Cronrath: We must first define equity. Are we talking about being fair and impartial? If so, I see equity as being part of integrity, and I believe integrity is the number one quality a leader should have. Integrity to me is doing the right thing when people are looking and more importantly, when they are not.

The Eau Claire school district's operating definition of equity is defined on its website: "The ECASD will use a lens of equity in all decision-making and at all levels, where equity means ensuring opportunities for learning and experiences for all students and especially for students who have been historically marginalized."

The ECASD definition strays from being fair and impartial. Their actions have definitely strayed from being fair and impartial. I would support the ECASD definition and wrap it up into integrity if it replaced "have been historically marginalized" with "who have need."

Everson: Ideally, educational equity means giving every child the tools and resources that they need to succeed. I support that goal wholeheartedly. However, some who prioritize educational equity combine this pursuit with political rhetoric and divisive instruction that can leave certain students and staff feeling sidelined for their immutable characteristics, values or faith upbringing. As a board member, I'll commit to pursuing excellence for every single student and won't support policies that marginalize anyone for the sake of elevating others.

Providing a quality education that is welcoming of diverse viewpoints is one of our country's highest ideals. Our students deserve outstanding schools with high expectations and improved outcomes, schools that welcome their perspectives and family engagement. Our students have diverse backgrounds and belief systems, and our schools must support them all, building unified communities of curious learners who believe in themselves and reach for the stars.

What specific experiences and skills have prepared you to serve on the board?

Cronrath: I am living the American dream. I grew up in poverty, came from a broken home, served in the military, graduated from public schools and became a physician. This has taught me that personal relationships and environments shape us, not demographics.

I am a father and a husband with four children who were all in the ECASD. Today, none remain in the district due to the board removing kids from the classroom, excluding parents and a five-year trend in declining graduation rates. This led me to make a decision: Be part of the problem or part of the solution. I choose to be part of the solution and that is why I am running.

I am a physician with experience in primary and specialty care. This has taught me empathy, how to listen, how to look at the whole person and the importance of critical thinking.

* State of Wisconsin Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 10+ years

* Vice chair, Center for Independent Living Western Wisconsin, fourth year

* Advisory board member, 12+ years at WDBTAP Project

* Eau Claire North Husky Football Club

My background consists of advocacy, volunteering, parenting and contributing to the community. Mentorship, speaking engagements, community projects, tutoring, substitute teaching, volunteerism and working with individuals with any type of barriers and how to overcome those barriers.

Farrar: During the pandemic, my experiences as both a parent and teacher have enabled me to understand different stakeholders' concerns and allow me to serve as a mediating voice in finding common ground. As a teacher, I understand the value of relationships in the learning process, and I know that starting from a place of empathy and curiosity sets the stage for successful communication even where there is disagreement. Professionally, I have a wealth of experience in developing curriculum, setting goals for student achievement, assessing student outcomes and evaluating teaching performance. More than anything, my professional training has taught me how to learn, how to recognize when I don't know something and how to find and evaluate information when making decisions.

Candidates' responses may have been edited for clarity.

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