Pressler, Mason - Bay City Public Schools
Are you an incumbent?
No
Brief Intro of Candidate
I’m a 2024 graduate of the district, also working for the district as a Game Manager. I served 6 years in Student Government and was the Senior class vice-president this past year as well as the student liaison to the BOE several times. I’ve been very active in district activities, with deep involvement in athletics and serving as one of just a few students on the Bay City Central Redesign Task Force a couple years back.
My day job is in landscaping and I also do campaign work on the side, I’m currently the CM of a city commission campaign here in Bay City and the Field Director for a City Council Campaign in Saginaw. I plan on staying in town and attending Delta Community College in the Fall.
My politics are deeply rooted in community and people, particularly working class folks. Growing up in Bay City I’ve watched people struggle far too much, these issues are most visible and most effectively dealt with at the School District level, which is what pushed me to run for BOE. I firmly believe cycles are broken through education and sustainable communities are built on a strong foundation of robust public schools.
Endorsements
Endorsed by: GenZ for change Pending: Run for something, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund Planning on: MEA/BCEA
Top financials Contributors
Website and social media links
Ive only had two $100 donations and none over that. I haven’t yet received financial support from any PACs
Facebook: Mason Pressler (page) Twitter: Press4BC
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?
I am a talker, I’m engaged and visible in the community and on social media, people know how to reach me and I’m constantly extending my network.
Furthermore I’d like to see more discussion and engagement. We need to restructure how our meetings run and move them so they aren’t at the same times on the same days as City Commission meetings. I would push for more committees with parents, teachers, students and community stakeholders.
What are your thoughts on school discipline and the way it is exercised in your school district? What are your thoughts on restorative practices?
Our district is in a catch 22, we have had an uptick in disciplinary issues that need to be addressed but also have an outdated system of punitive punishment in our buildings, that need to change.
I am most certainly in favor of a more just and sustainable approach to classroom and schoolhouse discipline.
What are your thoughts on how to improve student mental health
We need more mental health professionals in schools, point blank period.
We need to secure state and federal grant funding to pay for this or be willing to lobby the state government to amend budgets to include funding for mental health services in schools.
What are your thoughts on ways to improve Black student achievement in your district and in Michigan schools overall?
Systemic racism and the wealth gap are great examples of the cycles we need to break, public schools are the perfect place to start that process.
We should have DEI programs in schools, but not just to check a box, we need real comprehensive approaches to dealing with racism in schools and a genuine effort to combat the student achieve gap between black and white students.
Part of this includes cultivating an accepting culture in our buildings. We have two very different cultures between our two high schools in BCPS, and it’s not acceptable. We have one school with a healthy and accepting culture, and another that makes national news for our students flying confederate flags across from district buildings. The board shouldn’t stand for this.
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?
Just having a willingness to say the word “racism” would be a start, for some reason leaders in our district are scared to admit there is a problem, which would be the first step in addressing it.
When I was given death threats as a gay student in the district, administrators didn’t even reply to my email. We can’t let this kind of hatred go unaddressed and unpunished.
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?
It starts with building a culture, we already have a great foundation at Bay City Central, now we have to build upon that and bring it to Bay City Western as well.
I want to be a voice for change and for the future on that board.