Candidate Profile: Tony Novinska 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 also decide the outcome of state representative, senate seats and 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. We will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Name

Tony Novinska

Age (as of Election Day)

56

Position sought (including ward or district number if applicable)

Greendale School Board

Party Affiliation

Independent

Family

Married, two grown children

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

1990 Graduate of UW-Oshkosh

Occupation

Sales & Sales Management 25 years

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

This is my first campaign for public office

Campaign website

www.tonyforgreendale.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

After 31 years of community service to the Village of Greendale, I have more to give.

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

My top priority is raising the bar on academic achievement while maintaining fiscal responsibility. The school district needs to remain the heart of the district! I feel we have a very good Superintendent, but she has inherited a sad fact. Since 2010, I am seeing a decline in academic achievement. Specifically, math, language and reading.

A second area for improvement which is a goal that I’d like to set: ACT testing needs to be changed back to what is used to be. It needs to reflect only those students who will pursue College.

There are a ton of kids that don't want to go to College, so why put them through ACT testing? All this “one size fits all” methodology does is lower overall test scores. Let them go on to two year degrees, or apprenticeships instead. I feel that we have swung too far in one direction in all phases of academia and that is a mistake. The total "worth" of a human being should not rest on if they have a four-year degree or not.

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

I have spoken to many, many concerned parents in the district and they have told me that they are concerned that uptick in dealing with social issues has overshadowed the decline in academic achievement. Greendale has fallen over the past ten years in math, reading and language skills, but precipitously over the past three years. And, while the school district has done a good job overall in dealing with the Covid pandemic, three of my opponents, with the backing of the Teacher's Union have decided that they do not wish to move forward to normalcy any time soon. Regardless that the surrounding districts have already done so! So a vote for them is a vote for continued academic decline and further covid restrictions far beyond what would be warranted at this stage of the pandemic.

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

Property Tax levies have increased. And, for the past three years, social issues have overshadowed to the point of harming academic achievement. I intend to bring balance to that but my main focus will be academic achievement.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

For all students that are able, In-person learning for those students MUST happen. The psychological, anti-social damage to kids will be irreversible if virtual learning persists. From a 300% increase in teen self-harm, anxiety and depression, schools being closed do more harm than good. Board focus on student achievement, engagement of youth, families and citizens, with a sharp eye on finances while working with the superintendent to hire top teaching talent will bring us out of the pandemic.

Editors note: Novinska cited this article for a statistic mentioned in the section above: Self-Harm Claims Among U.S. Teenagers Increased 99% During Pandemic, Study Finds

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

30 years of business experience in the private sector and 31 years of community service to Greendale. It's time to apply what I've learned in this new setting.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

You cannot control the wind, but you can adjust the sails. Life is not fair. Try harder. Life will knock you down. Get back up. And, you are always the most fulfilled when engaging in service to others.

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

I am a straightforward, "Regular Guy" that feels the Public School system, in general, needs help in achieving academic success again. Greendale has been a destination school district in the past, but over the past 10 years there has been a decline. I will do my best to set policy and initiatives that will bring us back to prominence.