APPLETON SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE

Jason Kolpack

Facebook Page: Facebook.com/JasonKolpackForAASDSchoolBoard

Personal Statement

My name is Jason Kolpack and I believe that every student deserves a great education. I am running because I want to help ensure a safe and inclusive learning environment for every student, support and empower educators to do what they do best, and contribute to defining the policies that shape our students’ education.

I grew up in Appleton and returned to the area five years ago when my oldest child was starting school.  One of the reasons we decided to move back was because of the high quality education we knew we could secure for our boys in Appleton.

 

I am a veteran of the US Navy and have a degree in Management Information Systems from UW-Milwaukee. I currently manage a software development team and I volunteer as a member of the IT Advisory Committee at FVTC helping to ensure that the technology programs offered by the college are relevant and up to date with current industry standards and workforce needs.  I also volunteer as a basketball coach.

Do you support using COVID precautions such as wearing masks in school and requiring vaccinations of eligible students and staff? Explain

Because I believe that it is of the utmost importance to make sure that students are in person, in school, I support the use of COVID mitigation protocols to ensure this outcome.  In order to avoid inconsistencies to this approach I think that we should benchmark our protocols to recommendations such as those from the CDC, WI DHS, and WI DPI.

Do you support teaching fact-based and accurate history of events that have and continue to shape our nation? Explain

I believe that an accurate telling of historical events is absolutely essential in giving a student the tools that they need to be successful in the future. While Appleton is a very different place now than it was in the 80s and 90s, I believe that the experiences that I had growing up in Appleton did a poor job of preparing me for a life that included people of all backgrounds. It was my time in the military that really opened my eyes to the experiences of other people and I have carried that with me ever since.

I am very concerned about the politicization of CRT to support a degradation of inclusion and equity.  I would vigorously oppose any type of ban on teaching specific topics or any requirement to “teach both sides” of issues like slavery, civil rights, the holocaust, etc.

What are your thoughts about the AASD referendum that is proposed for November 2022?

I support the proposed referendum and I applaud the current administration’s foresight and fiscal responsibility. Paying down so much debt early has put the district in a strong position to be able to put this referendum forward to meet the needs of the district while still having a minimal impact on the tax burden.

There is obviously a need for a new elementary school on the north side, and reduction in class sizes in the lower grades is an important tool to reducing achievement gaps.  I am also very happy that the administration has set a goal to ensure that funds from the referendum are distributed equitably across the district.