Candidate Profile: Karrie Kozlowsi For Waukesha School Board

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

Name

Karrie Kozlowsi

Age (as of Election Day)

Position sought (including ward or district number if applicable)

Waukesha School Board

Party Affiliation

Family

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Occupation

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

none

Campaign website

Why are you seeking elective office?

Waukesha is a strong community that rallies around its children, and I'm a mom who wants what's best for the families in the Waukesha community.
The pandemic revealed the negative impact on our students' education by increased implementation of equitable and emotional learning programs demanded by teachers' unions and the absence of curriculum transparency, and parental involvement.

We cannot afford to keep sabotaging student achievement by replacing fundamental educational principles with diversity and equitable teaching. The "one size fits all" approach lowered academic standards. Our kids' future is dependent on our corrective action today.

As a CPA and longtime Waukesha resident, I'm passionate about continuing the positive momentum we have seen over the past year. My goal is to continue to focus on those things that are helping those in the district who are thriving, while finding ways to reverse the troubling trends that show increasing numbers of our students failing to achieve at proficiency level in any area, which now at 60% or more.

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 the board and our district is reclaiming Waukesha's reputation for outstanding schools. This is what I intend to do about it.

We must:

• Insist on accountability and curriculum transparency, including parental oversight of their children's education.
• Fight to ensure financial strategy to push funding to the students' learning curriculum instead of at the district level.
• Eliminate any divisive instruction that distracts from academic achievement, and further divides our community.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
The incumbents Greg Deets, Amada Roddy and Bill Baumgart have overseen a decade of declining achievement, declining enrollment, increasing deficits, and done nothing to solve any of these recurring and ongoing problems.

Another challenger in the race, Sarah Harrison, seems to be in lock step agreement with the incumbents on every issue. We need to replace these incumbents with challengers who are ready to step up and lead and take these issues on head on.

For my part, my priority is academic achievement and ensuring curriculum transparency to parents, who have ultimate approval of the education their children are taught. We need an action for review in every Teaching and Learning Committee and Board of Education meeting until we are on a path to academic achievement for all.

The first step will be to disallow the overextended curriculum and instruction that has distracted students from the fundamental education students need for their future success.

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

The three incumbents have sat idly over the past several years, doing nothing despite knowing that most School District of Waukesha students lack proficiency in any subject. In the absence of accountability, they approved layering in the divisive curriculum that distracts from focusing on core fundamental education of English Language Arts, math, science, and social studies.

We are failing our students. Simply stated, the board of education, administration, and faculty are to there to educate. We must reintroduce the needed accountability to parents of students.

Fiscal responsibility is another area the current incumbents have ignored over the past several years. I plan to use my financial skills to not only manage the current budgetary challenges, but to Focus Forward on the district’s future. Our kids are depending on it!

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

One, the financial strategy that drives funding to the students.
And two, allowing parents to choose where their child will get the best education.
It is critical in lowering enrollment and structural deficits that we control how and where we spend our money. Our focus must be on the individual needs of the student. Funding to the student is critical in our diverse community. We need to lift students who need more and challenge students who have dreams and stamina to reach higher.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
Volunteer / community leadership notables -
Bethany Christian Services, Board of Directors
Jr. Wolverines Girls Youth Basketball Board of Directors
Volunteer for Waukesha West Endowment Fund

An early clue to my future leadership roles was my commitment to achievement. I graduated college in three years by accelerating course load and studying hard to pass the CPA exam by age 22. That drive is part of who I am. Why should I hold someone accountable from the outside when I can join the BOE and be instrumental in holding ourselves accountable – to you. And your children.

The best advice ever shared with me was:
You can do anything you set your mind to with hard work, perseverance, and courage to keep going when you fail. Success only comes from taking chances and learning from failures.

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

You can find much about my views and philosophy of education at https://karrieforboard.com
My growing thread of Forward Focus Podcasts describes in more detail some of the critical issues we need to understand and work on right away.