School Board Candidates Answer Public Questions

Q: Why did you choose to run for a school board position?

Feddick-Goodwin: After completing Leadership Marshfield years ago, I desired to be more involved in local government and causes. I sought an appointment to a school board position at that time, and was one of two finalists, but lost on a coin toss. I then sought to be appointed to a city council position and was successful. I ran again six times for city council, serving 13 years in total. I stepped down as I believed I had accomplished my goals on the council. I am now on the Ethics Committee and Communications Committee for the City. I believe parents with children in the school system should be on the school board. My step children went through the Marshfield School System and are successful in their future endeavors. My son just entered middle school in Marshfield.

Gorst: I have heard parents, both before, during and after the pandemic raise concerns

• regarding the accessibility, for themselves and their children, to the facilities and staff in our school district;
• regarding a lack of fiscal transparency, foresight, and accountability;
• regarding the physical and mental health and safety of their children in the schools in our district;
• regarding the lack of accountability of staff for their behaviors and poor teaching skills;
• regarding the educational lag their children are experiencing and the failure to provide their children with the educational tools to develop good critical thinking skills and the skills needed for them to compete in a global environment.

These are significant concerns relating to our children and grandchildren and need to be addressed.

Q: Why do you feel qualified to run for office?

Feddick-Goodwin: As a mother of a child in middle school, I believe I can address issues regarding the fundamentals of educating our children, empowering parents, ensuring student success, supporting teachers and staff, and promoting financial accountability.

Gorst: I am an adult resident of the Marshfield School District and a property owner. I meet the qualifications in the forms provided by the Clerk of the school board to run for this position as well as the qualities and qualifications enunciated by the Wisconsin Association of School Boards.

I am an Attorney with my Juris Doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Law. My undergraduate degree is in Medical Records Administration and my last position prior to attending Law School was with the University of Wisconsin Madison Department of Family Medicine and Practice working in their residency program.

In addition, I have served on several Boards including the Wisconsin Board of Veteran’s Affairs, the Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Law Foundation.

Q: Do you think the current School Board is doing an overall good job? 

Feddick-Goodwin: I believe all children should be protected, encouraged, and engaged in education, and to learn in the way each child learns best. Our children’s grades, achievements, and character development matters. There are huge problems in our schools, including vaping and drug use. A different approach needs to be taken to address these problems and more.

Gorst: After hearing the concerns noted above, observing the board at recent meetings, observing how my grandchildren are attempting to function in their schools, observing the Board’s attempts to evade answering Public Records Requests, and personally attempting to locate information on the School District website, I would have to say they are not.

They were ill prepared to implement an effective virtual learning program during the pandemic, so much so, that several parents transferred their children to other school districts and to private schools to address their educational needs.

Students were pass /fail and if they turned in work (if they received any) it seems like they all passed.

This occurred in spite of the passage of a continuing referendum for several million dollars annually to be added to their budget.

The Board currently presents as secretive and non-transparent and have on some issues that they should address transferred their decision-making authority to the Administrator. At the last two Board meetings that I attended, it appeared that they had made their decision on issues discussed and opened for public input prior to the meeting.

More recently, I was contacted by parents whose children were assaulted by other students in the hallways at school. This behavior appears to be occurring frequently and there does not appear to be a policy in place to address it.

Q: What do you think the priorities should be for the School Board?

Feddick-Goodwin: 1. That ALL students matter, from Kindergarteners to Seniors. 2. That students should learn HOW TO THINK, not just what to think. 3. We are preparing the next generation of leaders. We need to give students the skills now that will assist them in understanding how to be the most productive members of society. 4. We need more parental involvement.

Gorst: The priorities for the school board should align with creating a physically safe environment for students with classes and educational options that provide them a learning environment where the can develop the critical thinking skills and receive the education required to be a proficient competitor in the world marketplace.

Q: If you are on the School Board, what new direction, if any, would you like to see the school board take?

Feddick-Goodwin: I would like to focus more on academics, so our students are prepared to become productive members of society and to practically and effectively lead our communities, preparing students for college, technical school or to enter the workforce.

Gorst: I would like the Board to be more proactive in developing an effective curriculum that addresses the competitive environment in the real world and looks at issues from all sides. There are no participation trophies when competing for a job, for housing, or for the productivity bonus, etc. when they graduate and have to compete and that needs to be made part of the learning process.

I would like to see the school develop mentor programs and add classes for tutoring and extra assistance for students who are having difficulty in Math or Science or any other subject.

I would like the school district to make parental access and participation in schools a priority.

Q: If the school district received a $1 million grant to use in any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why? 

Feddick-Goodwin: I would want to see the listing and prioritization of programs and infrastructure, determine and/or discover a plan that would have the most productive impact for the students, the schools and the community, and focus on that plan.

Gorst: I would like to see the development of an effective and interactive virtual program so that no student ever misses a day of class. It should be a program that would permit children to attend class virtually and interact with their classmates and the teacher as well as allow their classmates and the teacher to interact with them. All classes should be taped and archived so that any student can access them and review the lessons for the day. This would allow students who are ill and who are staying at home to be actively involved in their classes. Children who attend class in that manner would be considered in attendance.

Q: What goals do you have in place to getting schools back to pre-Covid guidelines (allowing kids to intermingle, lunch time extension to greater than 10 minutes at elementary levels, volunteers in the classrooms, allowing parents back in school at drop off)?

Feddick-Goodwin: I believe the lack of in-person learning has stunted our children’s education and learning and stunted our children’s mental health. There is no evidence that shows the masking of children, the least affected by covid, has changed the course of covid in any way. Instead, fear has negatively motivated choices and decisions.

Gorst: MY goal would be to move forward as quickly as possible to return to regular programming and interaction. Parents should have access to the school and to the staff with no restrictions. In person school conferences, allowing parents into the school to get their children and giving children adequate time to interact at lunch is important. Parent volunteers are good assets for the school and using parent volunteers gives the parents more confidence in the school.

It should be made clear to both teachers and staff that they do not make moral, religious, identity or health choices for the children they teach. Those are decisions which should be left to parents.

Q: What is your view on mandatory masking in schools? 

Feddick-Goodwin: I believe masks should be optional, based upon the desires of the parent(s) of each child. Further, I believe masks interfere with communication, proper oxygen and breathing, and development, as children rely heavily on facial cues.

Gorst: I do not support a masking mandate. I believe that whether a child should wear a mask is a parental decision that should be made based on the needs of their child after they have the opportunity to weigh the benefits and detriments to their child and evaluate the current environmental issues.

Q: Is there any way the school district can improve communication to parents and the community? If so, explain.  

Feddick-Goodwin: I am a huge proponent of an overabundance of communication to parents and the community. I fought for improved communication for the City of Marshfield, and am part of the communications committee. I do have a concern that there is no voice from the school board to the community. The televised meetings are not enough. For instance, I believe there should be a regular newsletter to the community, and a new website that is more user friendly.

Gorst: Post their agendas and minutes as well as a notice of hearing dates further in advance of a meeting and request public input into the agenda.

Maintain an archive of all minutes and all documents made available and reviewed by the Board as part of their decision making process.

Prior to implementing a new policy or any new curriculum or programming, make it available to parents prior to implementing it.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like voters to know? 

Feddick-Goodwin: I have been a resident of Marshfield, and have owned a small business in Marshfield for the last 20 years. I am passionate about the success of our community, and it starts with our students.

Gorst: If elected, I will do my best to make the schools the best possible learning environment for our children. I will make every effort to be accessible and will listen to both sides when there is an issue before the Board.