Elect Samuel M. Roth for NJSD Board

Stay warm in this snowstorm! Earlier this week on Thursday, March 12th, 2026 I participated in the League of Women Voters (LWV) Candidate Forum.   League of Women Voters Before writing about the forum itself, I want to share a few thoughts about the LWV. It is remarkable that an organization born out of the  political energy surrounding the 19th Amendment and women's suffrage  continues, more than a century later, to provide meaningful, nonpartisan platforms where candidates can be heard. Even today—over 100 years after its passage—the 19th Amendment’s guarantee of women’s right to vote is  openly opposed by some . In that sense, the organizations and institutions that emerged from the suffrage movement must still carry forward the attention and civic energy that gave rise to them. Institutions like the LWV form part of the scaffolding that supports a free democratic society. We should understand their history, take pride in their work, and actively strengthen a...

  Referendums and Public School Funding Last week’s NJSD Board Meeting was wrenching as Superintendent Harrison proposed freezing annual salary increases for administrative staff . How many people living within the NJSD boundaries would willingly accept their employer freezing their salary while inflation continues to rise? Why would district leadership propose something so personally painful? The answer is simple: they are trying to close a budget gap. And freezing administrative salary increases is only a small part of the picture. Those savings amount to pennies compared to the $1.3 million in cuts proposed through reductions in staff — including more than a 10% reduction in Special Education support positions . At the same time, the Appleton Area School District has placed an operational referendum on the ballot asking voters to approve $15 million per year for the next four years. At last Thursday’s League of Women Voters candidate forum, candidates were asked what happens aft...

    Today I got to speak with Principal Russell about what makes Taft Elementary distinct.        I’m committed to meeting with each principal to hear their perspective and develop a firsthand understanding of the character and culture of every school. So far, I’ve met with Principal Koenecke at Alliance Charter and Principal Russell at Taft Elementary. I aim to keep these conversations open and conversational, giving principals the space to share what they most want me to understand.      That said, I also recognize it’s a two-way dialogue, and there are a couple of questions I plan to ask consistently at each school: “My goal in visiting each school during this campaign is to understand its identity and carry that impression with me if elected. With that in mind, what would you most want me to see and know as a potential board member?” “As a potential board member, what should I keep in mind when considering policy decisions that come ...

      I'm really proud to be running alongside and against ?  Chris Blanton and Becky Kwiatkowski.  I do believe that both of these candidates have an authentic desire to do what is best for all of our students.  It was fun meeting up with them to buy a bunch of boxes of cereal for the Horace Mann Cereal Box Challenge .     Behind the enjoyment of meeting up with my running mates, doing something good and taking some funny photos is an uncomfortable reality that our schools interact with daily:   Students show up everyday hungry.        When I mention 'security' in my campaign, I think about how food insecurity is a deterrent to our children becoming the literate and prepared adults of our future.  As a community, to give our kids the best education possible means to have them in the best condition to learn.  When our school district is reliably the place where a hungry child knows they can get a snack ...

     I believe that holding an elected position comes with the responsibility to understand myself as a vessel of the community's ideas.  Of course, I am me, and not a completely empty vessel which is why I aim to be transparent with who I am and how I think about decisions .     In Neenah, we want our community to be safe, and clean, with successful businesses and affordable pleasant residences 1 .   As a school board member, I feel responsible for contributing to those goals:  our school district is the engine for developing the literacy and skills required of tomorrow's adults to steward our values.        Today I canvassed a few homes with my Old English Sheepdog, ClairB.A.i.R. I set out hoping for conversations—real ones. I wanted to ask people what a great school district looks like to them. I wanted to talk about ideals, and how our district measures up to them. Mostly, I wanted to hear someone’s perspective on...

      Today I got the following message from the Post Crescent:     I had been wondering if my colorful analogy would make it to the paper.  I didn't intend to sexualize our students-- though in retrospect, I can see how contextually someone may quickly jump to a quite uncharitable interpretation of my meaning.  To be clear, my aim was to use some attention-getting language to illustrate how averages create surreal distortions.  The language I used are terms I would expect my daughter (11 years old) would know from her school, of which I would use to discuss with her without embarrassment.       I responded to the Post-Crescent:     My response above, which has been run through AI for tightening up the verbiage, has some tell-tale AI slop in it.  As I re-read it, I hear a lot of repetition, and I notice how AI likes to produce a punchy last sentence to paragraphs.  Nonetheless, I stand by those sentiments as...

       I recently met with Superintendent Harrison to introduce myself and hear his perspective on the district. One topic we discussed was what effective communication between schools and caregivers should look like.      I shared a common experience as a parent: receiving forwarded emails from teachers about school updates. My reaction is often mixed. On one hand, I’m disappointed when the message lacks context or added value. On the other, I notice the late hour it’s sent and recognize a teacher working hard to meet the needs of many students and families. It left me wondering how teachers could reasonably do more than they already are—and what a receptive, engaged parent community should look like in return.      That question resurfaced later that day during a conversation with a parent at the Jerry Finch Winnebago County Dog Park. We were talking about communication in general, sparked by her wish for a simple app to signal when do...