Elect Samuel M. Roth for NJSD Board

     As reported by wsaw.com 's coverage of a public hearing, State Senator of Wisconsin District 19 , covering a portion of NJSD , Rachael Cabral-Guevara authored Senate Bill 611  which "would allow teachers to remove students from classrooms if they disrupt class for more than 10 minutes and notify other students’ parents about the incidents. The bill would also protect teachers from being terminated for enforcing classroom rules."  Folks opposing the bill point out that it would be ripe for abuse where special needs children may be removed from classrooms.       Below I share my process about how I consume this information.  The questions below are mostly asked, and minimally answered, in this blog post.  Rather than seeking a "strident support for" or "strong opposition to" perspective on the bill, I want to use these questions related to this article to explore my own understandings, and perspectives. How should I think about ...

     Today I ordered a 1000 flyers of my campaign literature.  It should come in by Monday, and I will have that in hand to start canvassing later in the week.     I designed it with the help of a friend at Canva.com and, for a first attempt at creating political signage, I'm happy with where I landed.  I asked for a bit of feedback, and only got commentary about the ideal size (I landed on 8.5in x 11in) and that the URL was too long (I acknowledge the feedback, but will move ahead with this blog URL since it is free of charge).       The front of the flyer I aimed to make readable from across the room and really home in on visually what I want taken away by the viewer:   Vote   Samuel M.  Roth   for   NJSD School Board     I also put my picture to humanize me (though I wish to be judged on my ideas and behaviors instead my looks) and a QR code to this blog (to get folks to read about, and ma...

     I believe reliably good-faith sources of information to debate and base decisions is not a want, but a necessity for a functioning democratic society.  If truth is oxygen to democracy, then education is the lungs.       In furtherance of that belief, I've provided some sources below which I believe you can trust as good-faith representations  of the candidates seeking your vote on April 7th, 2026.      In alphabetical order by last name, here are the candidates reported by the Post Crescent as running for NJSD Board seats and sources for you to learn more about them. Official / candidate-maintained sources of information: Blanton, Christian Facebook: Christian Blanton for Neenah School Board Hanby, Tom I've reached out to him via email, and will meet him for a one-on-one meeting after the school board meeting on February 17th, 2026.  I don't believe he has much of an online presence, but if you'd like to contact him...

Today I was contacted by the Democratic Party offering to support my campaign.        From my brief phone call, if I were to accept I could expect the following: I would be responsible to do some canvassing with the other Democratic Party supported candidates on the ballot.   In April beyond the school board seat, I believe my ballot will have... State Supreme Court Neenah Alderman for District 1 Neenah City Mayor I'd have access to their data about voting and survey response records for different households.   My literature and signage's distribution would be supported by their volunteer canvassers.  My literature would be included with the rest of other supported candidate's literature.  They could cover some costs of getting my literature and signage printed/produced.     As a first-time candidate, I had spoken with other former school board candidates, and I knew what to expect could be materially offered by a party....

      On Tuesday, January 13th, 2026 I attended the school board meeting and made a public comment.  Wow, I say "um" quite a bit in my public speaking, and I sound nervous.  Looking beyond my delivery, the content of the relevant portions of the meeting for this blogpost (i.e my comment and the discussion about summer school program) is provided in this audio recording .  Summarizing my reflection below, I still need to understand budgeting better.  I'm somehow not quite grasping exactly how some programs are financially considered "in the black" if we don't have a straightforward revenue minus cost model.   The Comment:      I pointed out that the City of Neenah was providing a Citizens Academy  for adults aged over 18 to learn about how local government works.  I talked about how I thought it was worth exploring a synergy where the curriculum developed by the city could be collaboratively adapted to a local civics...

    I can't say that I ever truly expected that I might be a public figure.  It still feels quite out-of-character for me to consider that I should be working on selling myself.       But here I am!  I could throw the campaigning to the wind at this point (and effectively snub the folks who signed my nomination papers) but there is no changing what I've done: my name will be on the Spring 2026 electoral ballot for school board.         I have so much I need to learn... {gulp}

  A friend asked me this in an SMS exchange:      What positions are you running on for the board?  I know I've heard people complain about spending transparency in regards to the new HS. I also was disappointed more money wasnt given to the middle school for upgrades. I think we are a bit concerned about magnet and other services provided to students that excel in school being given less funding due to DEI guidance. I'm also concerned about student mental health and what the board could do there. My Response:     As a board member, I would like to make sure that constituents can get a clear understanding of what has transpired in NJSD that has led to certain spending decisions.  While board members do have influence over deciding whether to take something to referendum, there is a story behind what has led the board to make that decision.  And all constituents should have a reliable, forthright and good faith source of facts to debate upon. ...

Who Am I?        My name is Samuel M. Roth, and I am a husband and a father of two daughters who attend NJSD.  I've lived in Neenah, Wisconsin since 2019, previously living in St. Louis, Missouri.      My professional career has had me hold positions in Service Operations, Marketing and Data Analytics for varied industries including Life Sciences, Consumer Packaged Goods and Language Training.       In my spare time I like taking my dog to the dog park, playing pickleball, reading, watching football, playing music (piano and choir), and playing video and board games.            But my career and hobbies don't really tell you, a potential voter, who I am that is relevant to why you should vote for me.  Below I lay out my philosophical hopes for our public school district. Who Am I, that I want you to remember when you consider whether to vote for me?     I'm just a normal neighbo...