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Dan Wade (Wisconsin)
Dan Wade was an at-large representative on the Kenosha Unified School District school board in Wisconsin. He served from 2014 to 2021. Wade participated in a candidate forum on March 16, 2017. Click here to watch a video of the forum.
Biography
Wade served as the chief of the Kenosha Police Department for 10 years before his retirement in 2008. He and his wife, Mary, have three adult children and four grandchildren. His grandchildren attended the Kenosha Unified School District.[1][2]
Board membership
2016-2017
The members of the Kenosha Board of Education voted unanimously on 95.4 percent of their agenda items from April 25, 2016, to January 12, 2017. The voting data indicated that Tamarra Coleman, Gary Kunich, Mary Snyder, and Dan Wade were the governing majority, just as they were from April 2015 to March 2016. The other three members of the board—Mike Falkofske, Tony Garcia, and Rebecca Stevens—did not vote together consistently enough to be considered a minority faction.[3]
2015-2016
The Kenosha Board of Education voted unanimously on 92.08 percent of its agenda items between April 27, 2015, and March 22, 2016. The voting data indicated that Tamarra Coleman, Gary Kunich, Mary Snyder, and Dan Wade were the majority faction on the board. The other three members of the board—Mike Falkofske, Kyle Flood, and Rebecca Stevens—did not vote together consistently enough to be considered a minority faction.[3]
Elections
2017
Two seats on the Kenosha Unified School District Board of Education were up for at-large general election on April 4, 2017. In their bids for re-election to the board, incumbents Gary Kunich and Dan Wade defeated challengers Zak Jakobs and Mary Braun Modder.[4][5]
Results
| Kenosha Unified School District, At-Large General Election, 3-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Dan Wade Incumbent |
30.24% | 5,674 |
| Gary Kunich Incumbent |
28.83% | 5,409 |
| Mary Braun Modder | 26.71% | 5,012 |
| Zak Jakobs | 13.99% | 2,626 |
| Write-in votes | 0.23% | 43 |
| Total Votes | 18,764 | |
| Source: Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Stacy Busby, Executive Assistant/School Board Secretary, Office of the Superintendent, Kenosha Unified School District," May 4, 2017 | ||
Funding
Wade began the race with an existing account balance of $460.24 from his previous campaign. He reported $4,955.00 in contributions and $1,650.30 in expenditures to Kenosha Unified School District, which left his campaign with $3,764.94 on hand in the election.[6]
Endorsements
Wade was endorsed by the Kenosha Education Association (KEA).[7]
2014
Dan Wade ran against five other candidates in the primary election on February 18, 2014. The top four vote recipients advanced to the general election on April 1, 2014.
Results
General
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Dan Wade |
28.2% | 6,858 | |
| Nonpartisan | Gary J. Kunich |
26.1% | 6,346 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Falkofske | 23.4% | 5,688 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jo Ann Taube Incumbent | 22.3% | 5,423 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.2% | 43 | |
| Total Votes | 24,358 | |||
| Source: Kenosha County Clerk, "Spring Election," April 1, 2014 | ||||
Primary
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Jo Ann Taube Incumbent |
19.7% | 1,917 | |
| Nonpartisan | Gary J. Kunich |
18.7% | 1,826 | |
| Nonpartisan | Mike Falkofske |
18.1% | 1,764 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dan Wade |
17.3% | 1,688 | |
| Nonpartisan | Robert Nuzzo Incumbent | 13% | 1,271 | |
| Nonpartisan | Michael Kehoe | 12.9% | 1,255 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.2% | 21 | |
| Total Votes | 9,742 | |||
| Source: Kenosha County Clerk, "Spring Primary Election," accessed February 18, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Wade reported $6,498.72 in contributions and $3,334.33 in expenditures to the school board secretary in his March 24, 2014, pre-election report, leaving his campaign with $3,164.39 on hand.[8]
Endorsements
Wade received the endorsement of the Kenosha News for the general election on April 1, 2014.[9]
Campaign themes
2017
Wade highlighted the following issues on his campaign website:
| “ | Where I stand on the issues:
The current CBA: The CBA should not have been approved as the district and Board were warned about the legality of it. Any hint of illegality is a red-flag to slow down and not make rash decisions that may hurt tax-payers, students, or staff. I will not put our schools and the community on the hook for preventable lawsuits. Teacher union (KEA): I get asked this one a lot. I fully support all professionals choosing an association that fits their needs. I am opposed to forcing anyone to belong to a union that does not wish to belong to one. That being said, the KEA is no longer a bargaining agent in KUSD and should not be treated as such until the staff of KUSD vote to make them so. Hiring of a new Superintendent: While I believe that a new Superintendent will be hired before the School Board elections, I would like to see a Superintendent that has been "home-grown." Every school district is unique and it takes someone with experience in the community and the schools to lead KUSD in the direction of greatness. I am looking for integrity, knowledge, and a true visionary spirit to do whatever it takes to make sure KUSD is a top-notch district. This person should work with all members of the district, without worrying about any special interest group(S). Classroom sizes: My grandchildren are students in KUSD and classroom sizes are of great concern to me. Teachers have one of the hardest job and it is made even more difficult when their classrooms are over-crowded. We often hear that there is not enough money spent on education. Simply put: we spend quite a bit on education, but we are not spending it wisely. It is time that we look at where we are allocating funds and start making sure that we are not wasting money on programs or positions that are ineffective. I am all for spending money on what is most effective for students. |
” |
| —Dan Wade (2017)[11] | ||
2014
Wade explained his reasons for running in 2014 in an interview with the Kenosha Area Business Alliance:
| “ |
What are your qualifications to serve on the KUSD School Board? Born and raised in Kenosha, Educated in KUSD, 35 years’ experience in Law Enforcement, 20 years’ experience in Administration level duties and responsibilities. 10 years as Chief of Police including: budget preparation, negotiations with union, communication with public and various city entities. I have a strong passion to provide the best possible future for the youth of our community. How is KUSD preparing students for future opportunities in higher education? How are they (or, how can they better prepare) preparing students for future, high-demand careers? Students must be afforded specialized training in to fit the needs of an ever-changing economy. KUSD must encourage training to provide better verbal skills to students. Social media, although a great tool, seems to have replaced good communications skills. What is the role of the school board in terms of working with the Superintendent and the administration? The School Board should be strong advocates for KUSD, not micromanage. We must work with the Superintendent, be a sounding board for new ideas, use teachers and school staff as a resource, and foster a positive work environment for all. KUSD has strong, professional people in place and they need to be able to do their jobs without interference. Given the financial realities facing education, where should KUSD invest its precious resources? Hiring and retaining the best qualified teachers and staff. Eliminate budget waste. Sell idea to public that KUSD is the best system in Wisconsin, and then make the necessary adjustments to ensure that we truly are. What are the top three attributes KUSD must have in order to attract and retain businesses in our community? How is KUSD performing in this regard? 1. Provide a more varied curriculum for students. Let’s prepare students to fill the career needs of the businesses in Kenosha. Far too often our best and brightest leave, taking their desired sill sets with them. 2. Achieve higher graduation levels. Businesses only want to exist in a community that is successful and a beacon of growth. A city is only as success as the students, and we must be sure to educate ALL students. Anything short of 100% success is unacceptable. 3. Hire and retain the best teachers available for KUSD. KUSD is doing average job at these and needs to improve. When focusing on theses improvements, strong consideration should be given for students with special needs to find their niche in life. Would you favor or oppose moving teacher compensation towards a merit-based and away from seniority-based system? I am strongly in favor of merit-based compensation. Seniority-based system allows less than adequate teachers to “coast” through their careers and lessens the opportunity for new eager teachers. Better pay doesn’t make better teachers. How can the community - and specifically the business community - support KUSD and its success? Encourage employees/parents to become more involved with schools and provide tutoring experience in their areas of expertise. Businesses could “adopt” schools for extra programs and help them achieve their goals. Business community needs to be a strong advocate for KUSD and ultimately their children and grandchildren attending our schools.[10] |
” |
| —Kenosha Area Business Alliance, (2014)[12] | ||
See also
- Kenosha Unified School District, Wisconsin
- Kenosha Unified School District elections (2017)
- Kenosha Unified School District elections (2014)
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ KABA News, "Get educated on the issues that affect Kenosha County’s future workforce," accessed February 3, 2014
- ↑ Facebook, "Dan Wade for KUSD Board," March 27, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kenosha Unified School District, "Meeting Minutes," accessed February 13, 2017
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Stacy Busby, Kenosha Unified Executive Assistant/School Board Secretary," January 6, 2017
- ↑ Kenosha County Clerk, "Current Election Results: Spring General Election 4/4/2017," accessed April 4, 2017
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Stacy Busby, Executive Assistant/School Board Secretary, Kenosha Unified School District" March 29, 2017
- ↑ Kenosha Education Association, "KEA Endorsements," February 17, 2017
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through e-mail from Stacy Busby on March 25, 2014.
- ↑ Kenosha News, "Falkofske, Wade for Unified School Board," March 30, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Dan Wade for KUSD Board, "About," accessed March 14, 2017
- ↑ Kenosha Area Business Alliance, "Seven questions from the business community for the 2014 Kenosha Unified School Board Candidates," February 5, 2014
| Kenosha Unified School District elections in 2017 | |
| Kenosha County, Wisconsin | |
| Election date: | April 4, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Gary Kunich • Incumbent, Dan Wade • Zak Jakobs • Mary Braun Modder |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
| 2014 Kenosha Unified School District Elections | |
| Kenosha, Wisconsin | |
| Election date: | April 1, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Mike Falkofske • Gary J. Kunich • Jo Ann Taube • Dan Wade Candidates defeated in the primary: • Michael Kehoe • Robert Nuzzo |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
