1. January 24 thru 28 was No Name Calling Week, an anti-bullying program/curriculum schools join into to educate students,
parents and staff about bullying within schools and the affects it has on students and their learning. Do you support some
type of anti-bullying program for all elementary and high schools within MPS and the inclusion of information about LGBT people
or individuals perceived to by LGBT?
Response:
Anti-bullying programs should be available for inclusion in the curriculum for all MPS Schools. Bullying is
unacceptable at all times and in all circumstances. Failure to provide age appropriate information about LGBT individuals,
or individuals perceived to be LGBT, as a part of any anti-bullying curriculum or program would leave such a program incomplete
and less effective than it should be.
2. The 2005-06 school year is the planned opening of a new MPS High School, The Alliance School of Milwaukee (ASM). The
goal is to have a school that is diverse and accepting. The students will be from all walks of life, but have one thing in
common, the desire to learn without the fear or distraction of being singled out as different. At this school students will
be able to be who they are artistic, gay or lesbian, straight ally, alternative culture, etc. and the school's administration
and staff will be supportive. As a MPS Board Member, what would be your role in the continued development of this school?
Response:
The ability of groups of teachers, parents and administrators to create programs like The Alliance School
of Milwaukee is one of MPS’ great strengths and assets. As a Board Member I will fully support the continued growth
and development of quality Charter Schools. As a Community Organizer with almost 20 years of experience in organizational
development, I am keenly aware of the challenges that confront new programs as they are starting. I will make myself available
to the staff, students and parents of Alliance, and any other Charter School, that needs advice, guidance, support or assistance
in furthering their growth and development.
3. Are there age appropriate materials and resources readily available to students about LGBT people and their families
within all MPS schools? Do you support age appropriate information to be included in curriculum for elementary and high schools?
Please explain.
Response:
I cannot speak to the current availability of age appropriate materials and resources about LGBT individuals
and their families within MPS schools. I’ve been visiting schools in my district, but had not thought to make inquiries
on this topic. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, this will become an important part of my school visits from here
out.
I do believe that such age appropriate materials should be available for inclusion in the curriculum for elementary and
high school students. Our community grows increasingly diverse with each passing year. The depiction of LGBT people is increasingly
common in all forms of media. If schools are to be zones of tolerance and acceptance for all our children, our schools need
to have age appropriate materials that show the full range of diversity that we have in our community: age, race, gender,
ethnicity, creed, family structure & sexual orientation.
4. Do you support LGBT students being covered by the anti-harassment policies in student & staff conduct? And if so
how would you enforce this policy?
Response:
Yes. Harassment of LGBT students by other students or staff is unacceptable. Period.
In terms of enforcing anti-harassment policy I would expect the administration to fully and forthrightly implement any
such policy that the Board might adopt. Should issues arise regarding how the policy is being implemented I would work with
MPS Administration to see that it is fully implemented.
I would also work with groups like Human Rights League, PFLAG, LAMM, the ACLU and others to keep myself current on any
issues or concerns that might arise, and to craft appropriate strategies for implementation of such a policy.
5. Do you support Parents, Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) being a resource to MPS staff and students? Would you be
in favor of PFLAG doing staff inservice or coming into classrooms to present age appropriate information to students about
LGBT-people and their families?
Response:
I would welcome PFLAG’s provision of in-service resources for staff, and age appropriate information
/ presentations for classrooms.
6. Do you support student Gay Straight Alliances (GSA) holding meetings on MPS property after school hours and holding
activities to promote acceptance of the diversity with in MPS?
Response:
Gay Straight Alliances should have the same opportunity and rights to utilize MPS property as any other organized
student group.
7. If elected to the school board what other ways would you work for a more diverse educational system?
Response:
Creating more quality schools and a consistent reputation for quality education across MPS will allow the
system to attract and retain parents from all socio-economic / racial-ethnic communities. This is the key to building a more
diverse educational system. Failure to provide consistent quality education throughout MPS insures that families with resources
will continue to flee MPS.
Promoting the development of more quality MPS schools will be a priority for my tenure on the MPS Board of Directors.
Beyond the question of quality schools and its impact on diversity, MPS needs a diverse workforce that reflects this community
and our student body. Under no circumstances would I support any hiring policy that discriminates based on sexual orientation
/ LGBT status.
8. Why should HRL-PAC endorse you?
Response:
Beyond my clear commitment to support issues of concern to the LGBT community as illustrated by my answers
above, there are additional reasons why HRL-PAC should endorse me.
First, my wife, Karen Campbell, and I have been donors to LGBT political candidates, to HRL-PAC, and to other LGBT groups
and issues in the present and past. We are proven friends of the LGBT community.
Second, I am a social justice activist and community organizer with almost 20 years of work history in support for the
LGBT community. Within one week of starting as the first Executive Director of Community Shares of Greater Milwaukee (formerly
ACHOICE) I found myself defending the rights of the LGBT community here in Milwaukee. I had to face down a hostile employee
in a meeting at City Hall who was unhappy with the fact that the LGBT community was a giving option through Cream City Foundation’s
membership in CS-GM. The two groups that I most constantly had to defend while at ACHOICE were Cream City and the ACLU –
good company to be in, and groups I proudly presented to prospective donors in workplaces all across Milwaukee.
In the intervening years I helped organize, or provided training / technical assistance to, more than 40 programs like
Community Shares of Greater Milwaukee in cities across the U.S. In every one of those organizing drives one of my first questions
to local activists has been ‘‘is the LGBT community at the table, and if not, how do we get them here?’’
Broad based coalition organizing anywhere in the U.S. is incomplete if the LGBT community is not involved. Successful coalition
fund raising for social justice work is incomplete if the LGBT community is not part of the equation. My work has helped more
than one hundred LGBT groups across this nation raise several million dollars annually in support of their missions.
Third, my background and experience as a community organizer makes me uniquely qualified to reach out to and work with
parents, teachers, students, the business community, neighborhood organizations and community groups in an effort to increase
public support for MPS. MPS cannot succeed until all of these elements of the community share a common commitment to creating
the best possible public school system for our children.
Finally, I have the practical skills and abilities to help the MPS Board of Directors become a credible advocate for our
schools and our children. I have managed organizations; I have served on Boards of organizations. I understand budgets. I
have worked with organizations that were in crisis or transition and understand the challenges that confront efforts to reform
institutions in transition.
For this School District to meet the needs of all this city’s children we need a Board of Directors that is credible
and professional, a Board which does not undermine the work and effort of our teachers, principals, administrators and support
staff. I have those skills and I have that commitment.
