South Tama County School Board Candidate: Beth Wiese

District 4 (vote for one)

Age: 50

Residence: Montour

Profession: Family Functional Therapist

Education: B.S. from UNI and M.S. from UNO (Omaha)

Family: Married for 20 years to David Wiese. I grew up in Gladbrook, Iowa and Dave grew up in

Montour, Iowa. We have 4 children, Sydney lives in Montour with her family, Matthew attends

MCC, Molly is a senior at STC, and Daniel is a sophomore at STC.

What motivated you to run for this office?

I wanted to get involved and be a voice for the parents and students in our community. I am a concerned parent, who has children in the district. We are rooted in Montour, so I have a vested interest in the future of our schools.

What qualities and behaviors should school board members exhibit?

I believe community leaders should be approachable, reliable, responsible, and organized. We should be good listeners and take our jobs seriously, as community members are counting on us to make the best decisions for our district.

What do you see as the primary roles and responsibilities for the position you are running for?

School board members are elected to hold the Superintendent responsible and accountable for a myriad of decisions related to the school district. I believe we should be fiscally focused, responsible, and transparent on how the district spends taxpayers dollars. As a school board body, we will come to decisions based on what is within our financial means and what is best suited for our community, parents, and students.

How would you handle requests if approached by an individual? Special interest group?

I would listen and suggest that the person or group take their requests to the person closest to the situation, whether it be staff or administration. I would suggest that they email administration and other board members to express their requests. I would pass along any concerns to the board, if not resolved prior.

What do you feel are the three most important issues the school board will face during your (anticipated) term as a school board member? How do you plan to address those issues?

1. Staff shortages – I would brainstorm with community members and the school board members to try and bring effective incentive programs to our staff. Our location might be a deterrent for applicants, so how can we make STC more appealing? Whether it be more money, paying a portion of their college loan, or coaching opportunities.

2. Curriculum – We just hired a new coordinator, so there may be changes that have been implemented in our district. I would keep communicating with staff and students to make sure they are learning, while also looking at present and future test scores.

3. Middle school – We would keep in close contact with the middle school task force and also talk to community members about how they would like to see the new middle school come to fruition. Monetary responsibility will be a major focus, as taxpayers want to see that their hard earned money going to a good cause, that will help our community grow and benefit our students.

Why should people vote for you on November 2, 2021?

I will show up and be involved. I enjoy doing my own research and feel like I have knowledge to offer the district, previously being a part of the staff for 5 years. I would like to see more parent involvement in district decisions. This is our community, so I will encourage everyone to have a voice.