Candidate Profile: Anthony Zenobia For Waukesha School Board

WAUKESHA, WI—The 2021 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 candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Three people will be elected to the Waukesha School Board in April.

Anthony Zenobia hopes to be elected as a Waukesha School member.

Age (as of Election Day)

48

Position Sought

School District Of Waukesha School Board Member

Party Affiliation

Family

Married, 3 Children

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

College

Occupation

Self-employed 6 years, 15 years in industry

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None

Campaign website

votezenobia.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I believe education in schools, and at SDW, are reaching critical mass. Should education continue increasing focus on topics such as critical race theory, white privilege, systemic racism, gender identity, and the general politicization and sexualization of all curriculum? Or should education return to fundamentals emphasizing reading, writing, math, history etc., and provoking critical thought in all grades K to 12. I believe the latter approach is best and produces young, critical thinking adults capable of making proper judgments on the former issues.

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

Bad Covid policies remain the single most pressing issue facing SDW. Currently, the quarantine policy has kept thousands of healthy kids out of school and cost months of learning time. This is one example of Covid policy interrupting kid’s education.

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

I am self-employed in a business driven by sales. Success on any day means remaining motivated, persistent, and optimistic each day, regardless of rejection, failure, and running daily business operations. I will bring this mindset to the SDW school board.

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

The SDW school board failed when they did not keep their original plan in place last summer that allowed all kids to return to school. This effort was led by Diane Voit and supported by Kurt O'Bryan. On a last-minute motion, Diane Voit introduced hybrid learning for grades 6-12 with no discussion or debate. The board surprisingly reversed itself in a 5-4 vote for hybrid instead of face-to-face learning 5 days a week. This upended the lives of families and students and led to failing classes and lower GPAs across the district.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

The 5-4 vote switching to hybrid rather than face-to-face learning was a mistake. I would not have supported this. I will not support any future lockdown of schools or mandates that change the function of in-person education. I do not support the ongoing Covid policies of quarantining healthy kids or requiring children to wear masks.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

In elementary schools, I want to reduce the amount of screen time kids have in class and use that time improving reading, writing and math. In middle and high school, I want to see kids preparing for their futures with opportunities to enter trade schools, apprenticeships and college. I will for look inefficiencies in the budget to address areas of need like more teachers.

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

In my entire professional career, including consulting, sales, finance, and now my own business, I have learned you cannot fix any problem nor facilitate any solution until you have listened. I feel it is important that parents in SDW are heard and represented.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Treat others as you wish to be treated.

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

I love my family, and I want the families in this community to receive the best education possible for their children. I am a God-fearing Christian and believe we as individuals are at our best when serving others. I believe in individualism, hard work and limited government. I value American traditions and love this country. These are the values and principles that will guide me if elected.