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Vice President Candidate Karen Madsen
Candidate Statement: The "pay it forward" approach — the belief that investing a little today in order to empower others to give a little tomorrow multiplies like compound interest over time — has always been a part of my life. Ten years ago when I was a new school director, WSSDA, along with my Everett colleagues, provided the knowledge and skills I needed to climb the steep learning curve we all face. The association provided invaluable opportunities to learn. I am ready to make a substantial investment of my time and energy in our association — I hope to partially pay back what I was given, and to "pay it forward" by providing and enhancing similar opportunities for our colleagues all across the state My vision is that WSSDA will continue and enhance two fundamental goals: advocacy and support. Essential advocacy roles for our association include both giving our members a platform from which to speak as a body on issues of common concern, and educating each of us so we can speak as individuals. Representing our members in the public forum and providing accurate information about our districts are critical components of WSSDA’s work as we partner with other organizations to support public education. Supporting our members as we learn what we need to know to be effective board members is equally important. Classes, conferences, regional meetings, policy updates, communication tools, superintendent searches and board effectiveness workshops are essential components of what this association should provide. In addition, our association should highlight and share research findings relevant to the role of school directors, and perhaps even participate in that research. And of course, we need to continue to be accountable to our members for how we use our dues to accomplish these goals. As we plan these services, we need to continue to acknowledge and honor the diversity of our members: inexperienced and seasoned directors in small and large districts from rural and urban settings with growing and shrinking populations. And we need to remember the increasing richness of diversity of the students and families we serve. Every one of my many experiences in WSSDA has enriched me. I am currently:
Over the past years I have also had the opportunity to serve on the Weighted Vote Task Force, Board Task Force on Regional Meetings, Urban Issues Committee, Resolutions Committee, and the team which reviewed, revised and updated WSSDA’s policies and procedures. Working as part of a team has always been part of my life: teaming with my family to mesh schedules and support one another and with fellow teachers to improve instruction to our chemistry students; teaming with PTA colleagues to support kids and with Book Club friends to harness the power of women in our community; teaming with education advocates to pass levies and bonds and to write the Washington state science standards; teaming with another mediator to help clients work out their disputes; teaming with my friends in WSSDA Leadership class to complete our projects and with my colleagues on the WSSDA Board to govern this association. I know that no individual is as effective as a high-functioning team can be … I believe I can help nurture and grow the high-functioning team that is WSSDA’s board and staff. |
Karen Madsen has been a member of the Everett School Board for 10 years. She has served as Board President, Vice President and Legislative Representative. Madsen currently serves on the WSSDA Board of Directors as Director Area 1 Representative. Other WSSDA service includes the Student Achievement Task Force, Weighted Vote Task Force, Board’s Task Force on Regional Meetings, Urban Issues Committee and Resolutions Committee. She also represented WSSDA to the State Board of Education’s 180-Day Waiver Task Force. Madsen graduated from the Leadership WSSDA program with the class of 2006. She has been active in the Everett PTA, the Snohomish County Dispute Resolution Center, the Assistance League of Everett, and the Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER).