Candidate Profile: Tassia Hughes For Greendale School Board

GREENDALE, WI— The 2022 election is heating up in Wisconsin and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Voters will decide the outcome of state representative and senate seats, plus local government and school boards.

Patch asked the candidates for the Greendale School Board, which will have a primary vote on Feb. 15, to answer questions about their campaigns.

Tassia Hughes

Age (as of Election Day)

51

Position sought (including ward or district number if applicable)

Greendale School Board

Party Affiliation

Nonpartisan

Family

David-Husband, Ian-16, Serena-13, Evelyn-10. All 3 children attend Greendale Public Schools.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA in Accounting from UWM’s Lubar School of Business.

Occupation

CPA-20 years of experience. Substitute teacher-6 years of experience

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

https://hughesforgreendale.com/

Why are you seeking elective office?

I have always been a fierce advocate for my children. I now feel it is the time to expand and advocate for all the children in the Greendale School District. I believe the primary work of the board of education is to advocate for our students. Children need to feel safe emotionally, physically and socially in order to thrive in a learning environment. Children learn better when they aren’t hungry or worried about being bullied by a child in their class. When outside stressors are removed, we all learn better. I also believe that the board must advocate for the teachers so they have the best possible environment to work in. It is important that the teachers, tasked with the learning and nurturing of our children every day, know they are being heard, and that the board has their safety and well-being in mind.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is recruiting and retaining the best educators possible including teachers, substitutes and support staff. Overall the number of people going to college for a K-12 educational degree is dwindling, forcing universities to shudder their educational programs due to low enrollment. This shift will make recruiting quality teachers more challenging. In addition, there is a significant lack of substitute teachers, which has been magnified by the pandemic. As a school board member, I would develop partnerships with local educational programs to help give the district a better avenue for hiring new graduates. I would also look for ways to make substitute teaching more accessible to Greendale parents. The parents with children in the district would make wonderful substitute teachers, but childcare can be an issue for them. I will look for ways to subsidize childcare for interested parents so that it is economically feasible for them to substitute teach. Finally, I would look to increase the daily substitute pay to be on par with neighboring school districts. The shortage of substitute teachers, which has grown acute as the pandemic continues, impacts student learning. When a school is short on substitutes, the district must pull their reading and math interventionists to substitute in the classrooms. The district has utilized principals, the curriculum director and business manager as well to fill in where needed. We need to find alternative solutions to our substitute shortage, to keep these critical interventionists and administrator’s where they are needed most.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

First, I take a whole-child approach to solving problems. For example, other candidates think academic achievement gaps will be solved by focusing 100 percent on academics. This is far from realistic, as parents, teachers and researchers alike know students need to feel safe emotionally, physically, and socially in order to thrive in any type of learning environment. An abused child may skip school. A hungry child will not be able to concentrate. A bullied child may withdraw into themselves and close themselves off from the learning world around them. If we level the playing field so that every child is ready to learn, our proficiency scores will improve.

Second, while the course of the pandemic is promising, I believe keeping our kids in school, in person, full time is dependent on following the guidance the majority of health experts recommend. Promoting critical thinking is good, but blatant disregard for consensus among medical experts, in the name of freedom and with little science to back up claims, is irresponsible and short-sighted. Instances such as the pandemic demonstrate the importance of community, self-awareness and the science and guidance we teach our kids to respect. I would review the district’s safety plan and would work with the board members to adjust as needed.

Lastly, I have a solid understanding of the district’s 5 year strategic plan and will continuously evaluate it to ensure the district is on track to meet the goals it sets out. Other goals include: monitoring the district’s upcoming budget and healthcare costs, reviewing reading curriculum changes, assessing open enrollment changes, and working towards social/emotional help for students to name a few.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I believe the current board has not worked as well as a team. There have been several key topics and I do not feel every board member was equally listened to when discussing agenda items. I also feel that some of the current members are not responsive to the citizens of our community, but rather let the loudest voices dictate their actions. If elected, I would work hard to improve communication among the board members as well as among the community.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I’m running to improve communication, to boost academic proficiency, and to ensure our students, educators and taxpayers alike get the most from our finite resources. Central to each of these priorities is recruiting and retaining the best educational teams possible. I would develop local partnerships to help give the district a better avenue for hiring. Parents have sometimes been taken off guard by district changes. One solution to address communication is a parent advisory group for middle and elementary levels like the one for the high school, as each age group has distinct needs.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I served on the Greendale School District’s Citizen Budget Team with Erin Green, a prior district business manager. I worked through many complex issues such as Act 10, eliminating bargaining, the rising cost of health care, and spending referenda that were eliminated through budget cuts. I was also a member of a previous five-year strategic planning team.

I have an undergraduate degree in Actuarial Science from UW Madison and a Master’s in Accounting from UW Milwaukee. I worked several years for Arthur Anderson as an auditor and then as a financial analyst for Northwestern Mutual. I spent many years there in their budget department and in other areas, formulating budgets and providing cost saving analysis.

Finally, I have been active in the school communities and have volunteered through reading buddies, trunk or treat, Olympic day, field trips, clean and green, robotics team, as well as the marching band.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The best advice I have ever been given was by my mother. She would always tell me to really listen to what others are saying. Show empathy and concern, and always treat others the way you want to be treated.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am married to David Hughes, who is just as passionate as I am about Greendale and all it has to offer. In my spare time I enjoy downhill skiing, playing tennis and swimming. For the past 25 years, my evenings have been spent playing the violin. I am a violinist for the Milwaukee Festival City Symphony and enjoy sharing my musical talents with others. I also spend time researching and reading about current events. Being well informed has made me a strong advocate for those who need a voice.