Edward Dorff

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Edward Dorff

Prior offices

Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education At-large

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Military

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Personal

Profession

Educator

Contact

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Edward Dorff was a member of the Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education At-large in Wisconsin. He assumed office in 2015.

Dorff ran for re-election to the Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education At-large in Wisconsin. He won in the general election on April 3, 2018.

Biography

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Dorff served in the United States Marine Corps. He retired after 34 years from the Green Bay Public School District. He previously worked as a police officer. Dorff has been associated with the Wisconsin School Safety Coordinator's Association and the ALICE Training Institute.

Elections

2018

See also: Green Bay Area Public School District elections (2018)

Three of the seven seats on the Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education in Wisconsin were up for at-large general election on April 3, 2018. Two of the at-large seats were up for three-year terms and one seat was up for a one-year term. Incumbents Andrew Becker, Edward Dorff, and Rhonda Sitnikau defeated challengers Paul Boucher, Jason Davies, and Eric Duncan. Dorff won election to the one-year term because he won with the lowest number of votes.

General election

General election for Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education At-large (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Green Bay Area Public School District Board of Education At-large on April 3, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Rhonda Sitnikau (Nonpartisan)	23.9	9,182
✔		Andrew Becker (Nonpartisan)	21.6	8,317
✔		Edward Dorff (Nonpartisan)	17.8	6,834
		Eric Duncan (Nonpartisan)	13.7	5,267
		Jason Davies (Nonpartisan)	13.0	4,996
		Paul Boucher (Nonpartisan)	10.1	3,888

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 38,484
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2015

See also: Green Bay Area Public School District elections (2015)

The general election on April 7, 2015, in the Green Bay Area Public School District featured two at-large seats up for election. Incumbent Andrew Becker and newcomer Edward Dorff sought election unopposed, since incumbent Mary Frantz opted not to file for re-election.

Results

Incumbent Andrew Becker and newcomer Edward Dorff were elected without opposition.

Funding

Candidates were only required to file campaign finance reports if they did one of the following:

• accepted contributions, made disbursements or incurred obligations in an aggregate amount of more than $1,000 in a calendar year
• accepted more than $100 from a single source in the calendar year, except contributions made by candidates to their own campaigns

Endorsements

Dorff received no official endorsements in this election.

Campaign themes

2018

Green Bay Press Gazette survey

Dorff participated in the following survey conducted by the Green Bay Press Gazette. The questions provided by the Green Bay Press Gazette are bolded, and Dorff's responses follow below:

“	Relevant experience: Incumbent School Board member; School Principal in Green Bay Area Public Schools (Elmore, Howe, East High School); Twice recognized as a “Leader in Urban Education,” by the Wallace Foundation, Education Director at Lincoln Hills School. Educator since 1978 having taught at elementary, secondary, college, and graduate school levels. Former police officer. Veteran – United States Marine Corps. Why are you running for office? To continue serving the students, staff, families, and community who depend upon the Green Bay Area Public Schools. It is critical to continue the important work I’ve done to address issues of school safety and security, satisfaction with the working and learning conditions in our schools, and community input and communication. Are you satisfied with the district’s response to student behavior and discipline issues at Washington Middle School? Why or why not? Not entirely. There are many parts of the district’s response that have not been communicated to the public well. I believe we are on the right path in expecting to see more than just increased enforcement of the rules. We must see a dramatic change in the ways the students, parents, and teachers feel about Washington Middle School, and other district schools. Negative behaviors must be addressed immediately and significantly reduced. When Ms. Wescott decided to bring the issues at Washington to public view, I was the one she contacted, because she believed I would be the best person to make sure that changes would be made. What do you consider to be the key issue or issues in this race and what would you do to address them? Public schools are the heart of a community. I believe that it is critically important for people in our community to look at the Green Bay Area Public School District with confidence and approval. I know that most families with kids in school say they are generally happy with their children’s schools, and as a School Board member I want to see this for the entire district. I believe these issues must be addressed in the Green Bay Area Public School District: 1. The evaluation for the Superintendent must be revised and that individual must be held accountable for student achievement, behavior, and public satisfaction. I have taken the lead on this initiative. 2. School Board procedures must be changed, and greater levels of public input and participation must be allowed. I have requested we adopt a process, like City Council’s committee structure, and I will insist that it finally be put in place. 3. Student learning and behavior for all students must be improved. We have classrooms and schools demonstrating success in academics and behavior, and I will be firm in expecting that these positive examples be looked to as models to follow. What makes you the best qualified candidate to hold this office? I am the best qualified candidate for several reasons starting with my background of dedicated public service as a Marine, a police officer, and an educator. I am invested in the Green Bay Area Public Schools as a parent, grandparent, community member and taxpayer. My ongoing knowledge and experience as a professional consultant in school safety and security are assets to the schools and community. I have established significant trust and confidence with hundreds of families, school staff, and community members over the years I’ve served the Green Bay Area School District. Since my first day on the School Board I have called for more openness, clarity and accountability. Until very recently, I was the only member of the School Board to vote, “No,” on motions before the Board. I’ve said that any initiative, including any new administrative position must have a direct, measurable benefit on student learning. I have a deep understanding of the workings of a school district because I was an educator for more than thirty years. I keep a close watch on all major parts of Board and District operations and ask questions of administration and staff. I don’t do this to second-guess the professional staff, but I am firm in my belief that to govern effectively, Board members must know what is happening on a day-to-day level. Supporting learning in the classroom means supporting teachers. This is my top priority. I believe that the School Board must be responsive and accountable to the entire community. Whether or not we have kids or grandkids in schools, we all have a stake in public education.	”
—Edward Dorff, 2018

2015

Ballotpedia survey responses

Dorff participated in Ballotpedia's 2015 survey of school board candidates. The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:

“	Re-establish trust in the district, internally and externally. Validate the history, experience, and dedication of the staff, families, and community members who have invested so much in the district. Bring those who are closest to the actual work to the decision-making table.	”
—Edward Dorff (2015)

Ranking the issues

The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the school district, with 1 being the most important and 7 being the least important. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important:

Education policy
Click here to learn more about education policy in Wisconsin.
Education on the ballot

Issue importance ranking
Candidate's ranking	Issue
1	Closing the achievement gap
2	Expanding career-technical education
3	Improving education for special needs students
4	Improving college readiness
5	Expanding arts education
6	Balancing or maintaining the district's budget
7	Expanding school choice options

Positions on the issues

The candidate was asked to answer 10 questions from Ballotpedia regarding significant issues in education and the school district. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column of the following table:

Question	Response
What is your stance on implementing Common Core standards?	"They should be implemented."
Should your district approve the creation of new charter schools?	"There are too many variables to consider to answer yes or no."
Should the state give money to private schools through a voucher system?	"No."
Are standardized tests an accurate metric of student achievement?	"No."
How can the district ensure equal opportunities for high and low achieving students?	"Student data, known strengths, interests and challenges, along with community needs demands have to drive staffing, curriculum, and resource allocation decisions."
How should expulsion be used in the district?	"Expulsion cases must be viewed on a case-by-case basis rather than the district having an overarching policy."
If a school is failing in your district, what steps should the school board take to help the students in that school?	"I refuse to accept the notion of a, "failing school." In my experience, the schools serving the populations that are termed under performing have not received the support they need to do all they must to help kids achieve academically. I fully subscribe to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory, and know that kids whose basic physiological, safety, and belonging needs are unmet cannot achieve the moral, cognitive, creative, and problem-solving levels of self-actualization and fulfillment that are intended to be the results of academic achievement. School boards must develop an understanding and appreciation of what the teachers and principals already know in working with kids from challenged backgrounds, and then implement policies and practices to help in that regard."
Do you support merit pay for teachers?	"Yes."
How should the district handle underperforming teachers?	"Set up a mentorship program for the underperforming teacher with a more experienced teacher in the district."
How would you work to improve community-school board relations?	"Get into the schools frequently, attend community meetings and events, make my availability for contact through email and phone calls known and updated regularly. Speak to community interest groups and address the concerns they raise."

See also

• Green Bay Area Public School District, Wisconsin
• Green Bay Area Public School District elections (2018)
• Green Bay Area Public School District elections (2015)
• Green Bay Area Public School District elections (2014)

External links

Suggest a link

• Green Bay Area Public School District