Rachel Scherrer

Let's Get to Know Each Other!

FAQ:

What experience will I bring to the Whitnall School Board?

I am a lifelong learner and a passionate, innovative educator with over 23 years of K-12 education experience, including 10 years as a literacy coach and a teacher mentor. I have a Masters in Reading, and have presented at a number of education industry conferences. I am currently a Professional Development Specialist with CESA #1 (an educational consulting organization), serving a number of school districts in Southeastern Wisconsin.

My educational practice is grounded in the current neuroscience research, and I employ a number of brain-based teaching and coaching strategies. I strongly advocate for arts integration in the content area classrooms, as there is a compelling correlation between arts integration and improvements in cognition, attention, and learning. I have delivered professional development workshops on such topics in K-12 schools, and at the college level to support current and future teachers. I also have experience working closely with Gifted and Talented (GT) students, and in the past year have facilitated two State-funded programs to help identify and engage GT students from traditionally underrepresented populations across Southeastern Wisconsin.

I know what best practices in education look like at the district, school. and classroom level.

What is my personal connection/history with the Whitnall School District?

My connection to the district is both personal and professional. I was a Whitnall parent first, as my children have attended Whitnall schools since 2016. A short time later, I became a Whitnall educator. I had the privilege to serve as a Literacy Coach in the Whitnall District for three years, leading professional development initiatives in literacy best practices, primarily focused on the high school. One of my immediate goals was to create a culture of literacy in the high school. Working in tandem with the school librarian and other stakeholders, I helped institute March Reading Madness Month and other initiatives to drive traffic to the library and get students excited about reading.

I formed strong bonds with Whitnall students in and out of the classroom. One of my passion projects was to help found a Whitnall chapter of the Lions International Leo club. This organization provides opportunities for students to give back and learn valuable leadership skills through community service projects.

As a Whitnall parent and educator, I observed the inner workings of the schools, their culture and management, and the successes and failures of district leadership. This experience has led me to seek a seat on the School Board, because I want to drive positive change for my own kids, and all students in the district.

What is the critical difference between me and the other candidates seeking this post?

I bring both an insider and outsider point of view of the Whitnall district. While I know Whitnall well, I bring much needed diversity of experience. In past teaching and instructional coaching roles, I have driven performance improvements in a number of schools in the area. In my current position as a Professional Development Specialist for CESA #1, I provide professional development to coaches and teachers throughout the region.

While the issues affecting Whitnall families are specific to our district, we can learn from trends and lessons learned from the larger educational community. I would like to help Whitnall achieve its greatest potential and open up the discourse about the challenges we all face together.

In what way has the current board (and school board members seeking re-election) failed the community?

Teacher turnover is an unfortunate legacy of the current board. In the past few years, there has been a mass exodus of qualified and respected teachers, which has left a hole. The board needs to address the district's inability to retain teachers, and establish better practices to attract and employ exceptional talent over the long term.

Our high school students also need more and better opportunities. I would like to work to expand the current offering of electives courses to include a broader selection at Whitnall High School, to be more inclusive for all students.

What do I believe about education, curriculum, and student learning?

I believe that it is critical for districts to have high-quality, board-approved materials in place for all subject areas, and adequate support and training for teachers to apply those materials effectively. I believe that teachers should be respected and given a voice when it comes to materials selection and implementation. I believe the best way to foster student achievement is to promote voice and choice in the classroom, giving students guided agency in their own development. This approach is proven to improve student engagement and performance.

What is the best piece of advice or biggest lesson learned in my professional career?

One of the biggest lessons I have learned in education is that sometimes, the best ideas come from unexpected sources. Growth is fostered in an environment where diverse perspectives can be discussed, even debated, respectfully and rationally.

What I want you to know about me is...

I am passionate about education. When I was young, every situation was an opportunity to learn and teach. In 1999, I began my teaching journey. My passion was seeking out the child who had so much potential, but for whatever reason had slipped through the cracks. Whitnall has many of these students among its ranks that need the district to see them and serve them better.

It is important for all voices to be heard. I strongly believe that we are better together, and that all stakeholders' viewpoints matter and should be given credence. I make decisions carefully, even though I am assertive in expressing my own viewpoint. I want to make sure we all have a voice in the direction of the district.

Beyond the classroom and education, I love spending time with my family. Both my husband and I lost all four of our parents during the first five years of our marriage. Even though that was an extremely tough period in our lives, it made us even stronger in our commitment to the importance of family. We are proud of our kids, and enjoy watching their classroom achievements and attending their various band concerts, art shows, cross country meets, dance team competitions, and soccer, basketball, and volleyball games.