Lippitt, Ron - Walled Lake Consolidated School District
Are you an incumbent?
Yes
Brief Intro of Candidate
My wife Denise and I moved to the Walled Lake School District 20 years ago specifically on the strength of its public school system. Our three daughters have thrived in Walled Lake Schools, including our youngest who is an upcoming Junior at Walled Lake Northern. As such, I feel tremendous commitment to our district in reinforcing our teachers’ ability to effectively educate our community’s children – just as my own family has benefitted. This is why I sought (and was selected for) appointment on the Walled Lake School Board this past May, serving through December of 2024.
I hope to ensure board stability and sensibility when it comes to decisions across a wide array of policies, advocacies, and budgets – particularly those decisions which impact the safety, inclusion, health, and educational opportunities for all students in the district.
I am also a passionate advocate for our teachers and staff, working closely with our administration, superintendent, and unions to strengthen the ability to recruit, retain, and support our employees. Especially our teachers
Endorsements
MEA/WLEA, Noah Arbit, John Bernia
Top financials Contributors
Website and social media links
At the moment, we are self-funded.
class4walledlake.com ; Class4WalledLake (on Facebook)
How would you engage and include parents, caregivers, community members and students in decision-making in your district around things like curriculum, budgeting and district policy?
Having an open mind to the concerns, criticisms, and the ideas of others is an important aspect to board service. As such, I will work closely with our Superintendent, his cabinet and staff to gather district data and discuss the community issues and outreach his team handles regularly. Separately, I will eagerly seek out the input of our community through their involvement in PTSA, school meetings, comments at board meetings, school events, and other opportunities to learn from our community about the issues which affect them. These are inputs for me to consider as I make the choices I make with regard to all responsibilities of board service, including budget, curriculum, and policy.
What are your thoughts on school discipline and the way it is exercised in your school district? What are your thoughts on restorative practices?
I'm against any strategies related to school discipline which harm the long-term social, emotional, or academic well-being of our students. This most especially includes any manner of physical discipline such as corporal punishment. And for this reason, I believe Walled Lake Schools (and their teachers) do an excellent job of managing discipline through positive strategies designed to uplift students with a focus on safety and continuity.
Regarding restorative practices, this is a widely accepted strategy for conflict resolution ensuring all parties feel "heard" through conflict and ultimate resolution. As such, I am an advocate for this method and would support its use throughout the district.
What are your thoughts on how to improve student mental health
First allow me to express my belief that managing/improving student mental health is one of the largest challenges facing public school systems today. Since Covid, the mental health needs of students have dramatically increased. At the same time, teachers/staff have limited bandwidth to support these changes. Because of this, I feel equipping staff with the tools, training, facilities, and para-professionals necessary to support these changes is critical. Our schools often become a "last refuge" for students who cannot find the support they need at home. This means our schools find themselves as the last, best hope for struggling students with mental health issues. In the end, it comes down to budget and the strategy/planning of school boards and superintendents with the appetite to manage this growing challenge.
What are your thoughts on ways to improve Black student achievement in your district and in Michigan schools overall?
Ensuring black student achievement is critical to Walled Lake Schools' long term planning. This requires strong engagement with the community, our teachers/staff, and experts across the state/country to allow us to access the tools and knowledge we'll need to adjust our strategy. In the end, we must account for the bias or flaws which impact student achievement or cause gaps. Timely access to data, in particular, will allow the superintendent to make recommendations to curriculums or policy which might support these goals. As a Board member, it's my role to support our superintendent with any changes he/she may recommend which would meet our goal of creating college/career tracking and scholastic success for our black students.
What are your thoughts on how to ensure that all students and their families, regardless of race, gender identity, sexuality, disability, religion, income status, etc., feel safe and included in your district?
My campaign, and that of my slate-mates, is built on the fundamental belief that all students at Walled Lake Schools must feel supported, healthy, and safe at all times. Further, I believe in the strength of organizational practices like DEI and programs which support marginalized communities (e.g. LGBTQIA+) to create the opportunities our students will need. Lastly, I support student access to self-affirming care and support from our teachers and staff such that they never feel excluded, misunderstood, or "less" than the rest of our students.
What are your thoughts on how to recruit and retain staff, particularly staff of color, in your district with regard to pay, benefits, and working conditions?
I believe in the power of unions and collective bargaining to support our teachers with contracts which make sense for them in our district. This most particularly would engage the important tasks of ensuring appropriate compensation, benefits, and safe working conditions. That being said, Walled Lake Schools would be served well by implementing a talent acquisition strategy which guaranteed the inclusion of diverse slates of talent which more closely align with the district's diverse footprint. Put simply, the Board should work with the Superintendent to ensure we have staff coming to our schools who more closely look like the communities they serve and the students they have the privilege to teach in Walled Lake Schools.