Dave Rudolph
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Dave Rudolph is an at-large representative on the School District of La Crosse school board in Wisconsin. First elected in 2008, Rudolph won a new term in the at-large general election on April 4, 2017.
Rudolph participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 school board candidate survey. Click here to read his responses.
Elections
2017
Three seats on the School District of La Crosse Board of Education were up for at-large general election on April 4, 2017. In their bids for re-election to the board, incumbents Dave Rudolph and Connie Troyanek ran against challengers Allen Pruitt and Laurie Cooper Stoll.[1] Rudolph and Troyanek won re-election, and Stoll won the other seat on the ballot.[2]
Results
| School District of La Crosse, At-Large General Election, 3-year terms, 2017 |
||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Laurie Cooper Stoll |
28.65% | 5,346 |
| Connie Troyanek Incumbent |
28.63% | 5,341 |
| Dave Rudolph Incumbent |
24.08% | 4,493 |
| Allen Pruitt | 18.08% | 3,374 |
| Write-in votes | 0.56% | 104 |
| Total Votes | 18,658 | |
| Source: La Crosse County Clerk, "Municipal Summary," accessed May 2, 2017 | ||
Funding
Rudolph reported no contributions or expenditures to the School District of La Crosse in the election.[3]
Endorsements
Rudolph was endorsed by the Wisconsin AFL-CIO and the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans.[4][5]
2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Connie Troyanek Incumbent |
34.2% | 4,314 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dave Rudolph Incumbent |
32.5% | 4,102 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dave Rudolph Incumbent |
32.4% | 4,086 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 1% | 121 | |
| Total Votes | 12,623 | |||
| Source: La Crosse County Clerk, "2014 Spring Election," accessed July 29, 2015 | ||||
Campaign themes
2017
Ballotpedia survey responses
Dave Rudolph participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of school board candidates.[6] In response to the question "What do you hope to achieve if elected to the school board?" the candidate stated on February 26, 2017:
| “ | Ihope to continue to assure that each and every student receives the best education possible.[7][8] | ” |
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues based on how they should be prioritized by the school board, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. Each ranking could only be used once.
| Education policy |
|---|
 |
Click here to learn more about education policy in Wisconsin. |
| Education on the ballot |
| Issue importance ranking | |
|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking | Issue |
| Closing the achievement gap | |
| Improving post-secondary readiness | |
| Improving education for special needs students | |
| Balancing or maintaining the district's budget | |
| Expanding arts education | |
| Improving relations with teachers | |
| Expanding school choice options | |
| “ | Student progress is the highest priority.[8] | ” |
| —Dave Rudolph (February 26, 2017) | ||
Positions on the issues
The candidate was asked to answer eight questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are highlighted in blue and followed by the candidate's responses. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions. The candidate was also provided space to elaborate on their answers to the multiple choice questions.
| Should new charter schools be approved in your district? (Not all school boards are empowered to approve charter schools. In those cases, the candidate was directed to answer the question as if the school board were able to do so.) |
|---|
| Yes. |
| Which statement best describes the ideal relationship between the state government and the school board? The state should always defer to school board decisions, defer to school board decisions in most cases, be involved in the district routinely or only intervene in severe cases of misconduct or mismanagement. |
| The state should always defer to school board decisions. |
| Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement? |
| No. Student achievement can't be measured by any one standard. There are too many variables. Standardized testing provides an important measurable. |
| How should the district handle underperforming teachers? Terminate their contract before any damage is done to students, offer additional training options, put them on a probationary period while they seek to improve or set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district? |
| Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district. |
| Should teachers receive merit pay? |
| No. I fear how merit pay would be determined . Would it always be fair? |
| Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system or scholarship program? |
| No. Private schools are not held to the same standards as public schools. |
| How should expulsion be used in the district? |
| Just as our district does it now. School administrators make expulsion referrals and the school board hears the case with the candidate for expulsion able to defend their action and present their case. |
| What's the most important factor for success in the classroom: student-teacher ratio, the curriculum, teachers, parent involvement or school administration? |
| Teachers All of the above are important, but quality teaching is the most significant factor in my opinion. |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ School District of La Crosse, "Board of Education: School Board Election," accessed January 4, 2017
- ↑ La Crosse County Clerk, "Unofficial Summary," accessed April 5, 2017
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Judy Stangl, School District of La Crosse" March 28, 2017
- ↑ Wisconsin AFL-CIO, "Spring Election Endorsed Candidates," March 9, 2017
- ↑ Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans, "WIARA Spring Election Endorsements," March 17, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia School Board Candidate Survey, 2017, "Dave Rudolph's responses," February 26, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
| School District of La Crosse elections in 2017 | |
| La Crosse County, Wisconsin | |
| Election date: | April 4, 2017 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Dave Rudolph • Incumbent, Connie Troyanek • Allen Pruitt • Laurie Cooper Stoll |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Additional elections on the ballot • Key deadlines |
