Cris Carusi
Cris Carusi was a candidate for Seat 6 representative on the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education in Wisconsin. Carusi was defeated in the at-large primary election on February 21, 2017.
Elections
2017
Two seats on the Madison Metropolitan School District Board of Education were up for at-large general election on April 4, 2017. A total of six candidates filed for the seats. A primary election was held on February 21, 2017, because there were over twice as many candidates as seats on the board to be elected.[1]
Three newcomers filed for Seat 6, which was left open when board incumbent Michael Flores chose not to seek re-election. Ali Muldrow and Kate Toews advanced to the general election, defeating Cris Carusi in the primary. Toews defeated Muldrow in the general. In Seat 7, incumbent Ed Hughes filed for re-election and faced challengers Matt Andrzejewski and Nicki Vander Meulen in the primary. Hughes and Vander Meulen advanced to the general, but Hughes dropped out of the race in March. His name still appeared on the ballot, but Vander Meulen won the seat.[2][3][4][5]
Results
| Madison Metropolitan School District, Seat 6 Primary Election, 3-year term, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Ali Muldrow |
40.16% | 14,828 |
| Kate Toews |
30.24% | 11,166 |
| Cris Carusi | 28.90% | 10,670 |
| Write-in votes | 0.7% | 259 |
| Total Votes | 36,923 | |
| Source: Dane County Clerk, "2017 Spring Primary Unofficial Canvass," accessed February 21, 2017 These election results are unofficial and will be updated after official vote totals are made available. | ||
Funding
Carusi had not filed a campaign finance report with the City of Madison as of March 1, 2017.[6]
All school board candidates in Wisconsin were required to file a campaign registration statement with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission after qualifying as candidates. This statement declares their candidacy to the county clerk's office and allows them to claim exemption from reporting campaign contributions and expenditures. Candidates were only required to report campaign contributions and expenditures if they did one or both of the following:[7]
- Accepted contributions, made disbursements, or incurred debt in excess of $2,000 during the calendar year
- Accepted more than $100 from a single source during the calendar year, barring contributions made by candidates to their own campaigns
There were three campaign finance report deadlines in 2017:
- The pre-primary report was due February 13, 2017,
- The pre-election report was due March 27, 2017, and
- The post-election report was due July 15, 2017.[8]
Candidates who filed before January 1, 2017, also had to file a continuing campaign finance report on January 16, 2017.[9]
Campaign themes
2017
League of Women Voters questionnaire
Carusi participated in a questionnaire published by the League of Women Voters of Dane County. The questions and her responses are listed below:
| “ | 1. What in your professional and community background qualifies you for this elective office?
I have been a district parent for more than a decade, and I believe strong public education is the foundation of a healthy democracy. I’ve been active in classrooms and PTOs, and have attended school board meetings. My professional career has centered on sustainable agriculture, including support for farm to school efforts connecting kids and healthy food. I have been executive director of a nonprofit and currently lead a communications program, including budget management. My community work has included: treasurer, Wisconsin Cooperative Housing Association board; founding member of School Community Alliance for Public Education (SCAPE); Peace Corps in Nepal. 2. Voters recently approved a referendum question to allow the Madison Metropolitan School District to exceed the state-imposed revenue cap. What criteria will you use to authorize spending of these funds? I’ll focus on equity, strong neighborhood schools, and retaining and supporting our teachers. I will direct resources to classrooms and schools. I will prioritize reducing class sizes, particularly in elementary grades—a proven strategy to close achievement gaps. My decade of experience as an involved district parent has taught me that learning increases when we invest in creating conditions that foster positive relationships among students, staff and the community. To strengthen these relationships, we should expand restorative justice and nurture respectful schools free of bullying and harassment. Ultimately, spending criteria must be subject to an inclusive public process. 3. What do you see as the pros and cons of the Personalized Pathways program for high schools, which will begin implementation in 2017–2018? Pathways reminds us that we must be careful to protect the things that are working as we make changes, and include all our families and staff in planning. I share the goal of engaging students through hands-on learning. At the same time, I have reservations about 8th graders committing to a career focus in this changing economy. I’m equally concerned about impacts on fine arts classes, electives, advanced courses and special needs students. An inclusive process could have reduced turmoil and built public support. As Pathways is assessed, I will seek broad input, and carefully consider positive and negative impacts. 4. With fewer journalists dedicated to covering education issues, what do you see as your role in advocacy with the community? Clear communication and advocacy are crucial components of school board service. On the board, I will listen to the ideas, concerns and expertise of students, parents, teachers and community members. I will foster relationships to enhance communication, reach out to people who are often not represented, and create opportunities for diverse community members to provide direct input to the board. However, input is only effective when championed by strong advocates. I have spent a decade standing up for public education and will work to ensure that our democratically-elected school board speaks for the community when making difficult choices.[10] |
” |
| —Cris Carusi (2017)[11] | ||
See also
- Madison Metropolitan School District, Wisconsin
- Madison Metropolitan School District elections (2017)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Wisconsin State Legislature, "Election of School Board Members," accessed January 4, 2017
- ↑ Wisconsin State Journal, "Let Madison's great school debate begin," January 6, 2017
- ↑ Dane County Clerk, "2017 Spring Primary Unofficial Canvass," accessed February 21, 2017
- ↑ The Cap Times, "Madison School Board candidates debate how to narrow achievement gap," March 17, 2017
- ↑ Dane County, "2017 Spring Election Unofficial Canvas," accessed April 4, 2017
- ↑ City of Madison, "Campaign Finance Reports," accessed March 1, 2017
- ↑ Wisconsin State Legislature, "11.0104 Reporting exemptions: limited activity," accessed December 15, 2016
- ↑ Wisconsin Ethics Commission, "Filing Deadlines and Reporting Periods," accessed December 15, 2016
- ↑ Wisconsin Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Checklist," accessed December 16, 2016
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Cris for School Board, "The League of Women Voters of Dane County," accessed February 19, 2017
| Madison Metropolitan School District elections in 2017 | |
| Dane County, Wisconsin | |
| Election date: | Primary: February 21, 2017 General: April 4, 2017 |
| Candidates: | Seat 6: Cris Carusi • Ali Muldrow • Kate Toews Seat 7: Incumbent, Ed Hughes (Withdrawn) • Matt Andrzejewski • Nicki Vander Meulen |
| Important information: | What was at stake? |
