Therese Sizer
Therese Sizer was an at-large representative on the West Bend School Board in Wisconsin. First elected to the board on April 3, 2012, she won a second term in the general election on April 7, 2015.
Sizer resigned in March 2017 because of a new nepotism policy passed by the school board. In a statement she read at her final board meeting, Sizer indicated that she believed the new policy would force her to recuse herself from most school board votes because her daughter was an employee of the district.[1] In May 2017, the board appointed Tim Stellmacher to fill the remainder of Sizer's term.[2]
Biography
Sizer is a senior attorney at West Bend Mutual Insurance Company and member of the Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Washington County Bar Associations. She earned her J.D. from Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa.[3]
Sizer indicated on a 2012 candidate survey that she was serving as a board member for West Bend Friends of Sculpture and West Bend Swim Club in addition to being a division leader for United Way of Washington County and a volunteer attorney for Wills for Heroes. She also listed herself as a board member and the former president of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter Society (CPCU), as well as the committee chair of its Milwaukee chapter.[4]
Elections
2015
Two at-large board seats were up for election on April 7, 2015. Incumbents Vinney Pheng and Therese Sizer sought re-election against challenger Monte Schmiege. Sizer and Schmiege won the election defeating Pheng.
Results
| West Bend School District, At-Large General Election, 3-year term, 2015 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Monty Schmiege |
35.9% | 3,702 | |
| Nonpartisan | Therese Sizer Incumbent |
32.5% | 3,355 | |
| Nonpartisan | Vinney Pheng Incumbent | 31.6% | 3,264 | |
| Total Votes | 10,321 | |||
| Source: West Bend Community Television, "School Board April 13 2015: Clerk's Report: Canvass Report from April 7 Spring election," April 14, 2015 | ||||
Funding
Sizer reported no contributions or expenditures to the West Bend School District in this election. She filed as exempt from campaign finance reporting.[5]
Endorsements
Sizer received no official endorsements in this election.
2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Vinney Pheng |
29.4% | 5,307 | |
| Nonpartisan | Therese Sizer |
26.5% | 4,777 | |
| Nonpartisan | Kris Beaver Incumbent | 26.1% | 4,708 | |
| Nonpartisan | Carl W. Knepel | 17.7% | 3,189 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.4% | 78 | |
| Total Votes | 18,059 | |||
| Source: Washington County Clerk, "April 3, 2012, Spring Election," April 3, 2012 | ||||
Campaign themes
2015
The West Bend Current interview
The West Bend Current interviewed all three candidates in the 2015 election. The questions and Sizer's responses are below:
| “ | What is your view of Common Core and what would you do about it?
That’s actually a more complex question than you think. Common Core standards are just academic standards, that’s all that they are. I’ve read the standards; they’re available for you to read online, too. They’re not all that lengthy, although as the years progress they become more complex in math and English. I don’t think that it’s wrong to have standards; in fact we always have. When I was in high school, we took Iowa Basic Schools Tests. Those were standardized tests back then. So that the schools could measure, how much are we getting across, are we being successful in teaching what we think we’re teaching? I don’t view Common Core standards as any different than that. What becomes complex is that now we have regulation that’s tied to the success rate on those standards, and that’s really where the problems set in. How do we track how well we’re doing with meeting standards? How do we track how much information our students are really comprehending if we don’t measure? And if we do measure, and the only way to do that is through assessments and quizzes and tests, then how much is too much? Because I think the general sense is that there’s too much associated with us trying to track our success. But by the same token, politicians are imposing sanctions and tying funding directly to that success and directly to those measurements. So how do wrap our arms around the need to track what we’re teaching, the need to comply, and yet the very important need to take care of our students and not impose upon them any more duress than necessary to accomplish those tasks. So it really is a lot of issues all bundled into one when someone says Common Core. Frankly, whatever set of standards is put forth, we’re going to have those same issues as long as we’re tying those things together. Whether it’s Common Core, whether it’s Iowa Basic Skills, whether it’s Nevada Basic Skills; whatever the standardized threshold for learning is, we’re going to still have struggles with how we track how well we’re doing. And frankly that is one of the complex issues that this board has to deal with going forward. We have to measure all of those needs and we have to come to a resolution of what is best for our students. At the end of the day that is all we’re trying to do.[6] |
” |
| —Therese Sizer (2015)[7] | ||
| “ | What is your stance on the amount of standardized testing and is there any action you would take on that?
We have a lot of demands on a school district from outside sources. How do we meet those demands? And by demands, I mean all of the compliance requirements at the state. There is legislation currently being discussed that’s tied to performance on standardized tests. College acceptability and college scholarships are tied to success on standardized tests. Those are all things that are tied to what we need to accomplish. So what my response is, is how can we juggle all of those needs and come to a resolution that’s really in the best interest of our students? And I think it’s really difficult to do, it’s difficult to wrap your arms around. And until you’ve sat in hours and hours of curriculum meetings and read hours and hours of articles, it’s kind of difficult to see how huge that task is. I do believe that the seven school board members currently sitting are working diligently to reconcile all of those concerns.[8][6] |
” |
| “ | What do you see as a possible solution for the recent tension between high school students and administration?
That’s kind of multi-faceted too, isn’t it? I don’t think from the standpoint of administrators, that there is any obstacle that cannot be overcome. And at the same time, I’ve lived awhile. Students became dissatisfied with things when I was a kid. Our responses were not dissimilar. I remember “protests” out in the parking lot. I remember those things happening. They become scarier to us now because of what happens in other communities. But those reactions of students to rebel against authority or against rules, that isn’t actually new. Our worries are very real to us about not wanting it to escalate to something that is just absolutely not acceptable. But the sentiments, the feelings that all of you students have, that’s not new, and frankly it’s not unreasonable to be frustrated. It is unreasonable to not express that in a productive way. And I’m not attacking just students there, adults too sometimes forget that the best way to persuade is not to shout. If you really are trying to persuade someone of something, then you first must find a way to speak so that they want to listen. Pretty much screaming down the hall isn’t the way to go if you’re trying to persuade anyone of anything. So there’s not a quick answer to that. A quick answer might be to disallow that frustration, which you can’t do. A quick answer might be, well, don’t make the rules, which you can’t do. And sometimes rules are made for adults that we don’t like but we need to pick and choose which issues we want to bring up and want to try to argue against. When you’re in the workplace, you will have decisions made by people who supervise you, or by vice presidents of a company, or by your manager, your boss that you don’t necessarily agree with. And learning to be able to address those disagreements in a productive way and perhaps having the opportunity to persuade your boss, your vice president, or whomever, that there is a better way to go, that’s a skill. And that’s something students are learning how to do. That’s a skill y’all need to learn a little bit. And I needed to learn it, and I continue to try to learn it. So none of that is bad. People overreact because Channel 6 likes to fly their helicopters up here, but to be honest, those emotions and those reactions to rules, to treatments, that’s not uncommon and it really isn’t wrong. The way they tried to persuade somebody of their views, that was not productive. So my answer to you is, I don’t have a quick answer for that. Because I don’t necessarily want to discourage students from disagreeing. They just should find a better way to persuade.[6] |
” |
| —Therese Sizer (2015)[9] | ||
2012
Eagle Forum of Wisconsin survey
Sizer participated in the Eagle Forum of Wisconsin Washington County Chapter's 2012 candidate survey, in which she described her reason for running as:
| “ | I enjoyed a good education, and my children benefitted from a good education in the West Bend Public School District. The School District offered to my children the opportunities that my husband and I believe are critical to develop a the well rounded citizen in our Country. The Community, school boards, teachers and administrators made that possible. Now, I believe it is my turn to do my part to make sure that our schools remain strong, our community remains strong and we all work together for that common goal. My background in the law, business and education uniquely qualifies me to give back to the community in this way.
As a school board member, I hope to collaberate with all of our partners in education: families, teachers, staff, administrators and the community at large. I will make it a priority to consider all points of view so that we maintain strong schools and a strong community in a fiscally responsible way. I will encourage open communication between our partners in education and concerned community members that fosters trust and collaberation.[6] |
” |
| —Therese Sizer, (2012)[4] | ||
In response to the question "Are you willing to overrule decisions made by district management?" Sizer stated, "I cannot speculate on what management decisions this question may be referencing. If the question is whether the board should be able to review decisions made by management, my answer is yes."[4]
Budget issues
Sizer described her philosophy for balancing the budget, saying,
| “ | My experience has taught me that whether in business, or in the business of education, challenges will always be present. Funding for schools has always been a challenge, and always will be so. The key to the fiscal success of any organization is collaboration and planning. My philosophy, therefore, is that the school board must be capable of strategic thinking, willing to consider the various points of view and be capable of applying sound fiduciary principles in order to be fiscally responsible. It is not just the "difficult times" that require attention in balancing each years budget, but planning for future years, as well. Without forward planning in the budget process, the community runs the certain risk of presenting an unacceptable bill to itself in the future.[6] | ” |
| —Therese Sizer, (2012)[4] | ||
Decision making process
Sizer laid out her decision making process as follows:
| “ | I evaluate proposals for the their value or utility and balance that against their costs. I examine challenges for possible solutions while performing the same kind of cost-utility analysis. If a new idea solution has been implemented, it is also critical to monitor the relative success of that plan to determine whether the results achieved are satisfactory and still make sense from a cost-utility analysis.[6] | ” |
| —Therese Sizer, (2012)[4] | ||
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Therese + Sizer + West + Bend + School + District"
See also
- West Bend School District, Wisconsin
- West Bend School District elections (2015)
- Hot tub Gatorade, turnout in Peoria and the Wisconsin state...
- Wisconsin school districts 2014 review
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Washington County Insider, "Therese Sizer resigns from West Bend School Board. New principal named for West Bend High Schools," March 20, 2017
- ↑ Washington County Insider, "Tim Stellmacher selected to fill 1-year term on the West Bend School Board," May 24, 2017
- ↑ Claims & Litigation Management Alliance, "Ms. Therese Sizer," accessed February 6, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Eagle Forum of Wisconsin/Washington County Chapter, "WEST BEND SCHOOL DISTRICT 2012 CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE," March 14, 2012
- ↑ Margaret Koenig, "Email correspondence with Deb Roensch, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent, West Bend School District," August 25, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ The West Bend Current, "Full Transcripts: Board Candidates on Common Core," March 22, 2015
- ↑ The West Bend Current, "Full Transcripts: Board Candidates on Testing," March 22, 2015
- ↑ The West Bend Current, "Full Transcripts: Board Candidates on Tension at WBHS," March 22, 2015
| 2015 West Bend School District Elections | |
| Washington County, Wisconsin | |
| Election date: | April 7, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Vinney Pheng • Incumbent, Therese Sizer • Monte Schmiege |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
