Vicky Selkowe earns endorsement of entire Madison School Board in AD48 race

Remember, ForwardLookout is a multi-author blog, and we’re not all supporting the same candidates. I’m supporting Vicky Selkowe, and I thought this was pretty impressive news: in very strong Democratic field, today she announced the support of every elected member of the Madison School Board. Now, I’m biased, but more and more I’m hearing her described as ‘front-runner’, and I think that’s for good reason.

Community leader Vicky Selkowe, Democratic candidate for the 48th Assembly District, announced today that she has been endorsed by all seven elected members of the Madison School Board as well as by dozens of other local education leaders in her campaign to succeed Joe Parisi as the Representative of the 48th Assembly District.

Madison School Board Member and 48th Assembly District resident Ed Hughes stated, “I walked into the recent candidate forum at the Barrymore with an open mind and walked out persuaded that Vicky was the clear choice. Vicky has shown me she has the strength to stand on principle when that’s required, the understanding to seek productive compromise when that’s possible, and the insight and good sense to know when to do which.”

In addition to earning the endorsement of all of the current Madison Metropolitan School Board members (Maya Cole, James Howard, Ed Hughes, Lucy Mathiak, Beth Moss, Arlene Silveira, and Marjorie Passman), Vicky has received the endorsement of five former Madison School Board Members, including two former Presidents of the Board, Nan Brien and Carol Carstensen, and three former Board members Anne Arnesen, Mary Kay Baum and Ruth Robarts.

“In a crowded field of Democratic candidates in this Assembly race, it is remarkable and unprecedented that the entire Madison school board has endorsed Vicky,” said current Board member and former Board President Arlene Silveira. “Though we sometimes disagree among ourselves, it is a testament to Vicky’s leadership skills, experiences, and coalition-building ability that we all agree that Vicky is the best choice to fight for our schools and our students as the next Representative in the 48th Assembly District.”

Selkowe has also been endorsed by countless local educators, teacher activists and retired teachers who live in and/or teach students of the 48th Assembly District, including Troy Dassler, Kate Brien, Barbara Chusid, Rick Bush, Victoria Straughn and Lori Hillyer.

Troy Dassler, a resident of the 48th Assembly District and science teacher at Aldo Leopold Elementary School said, “I’m proud to be one of many local teachers supporting Vicky. Vicky is a strong leader who will be ready on day one in the Assembly to fight for Wisconsin’s children.”

“At a time when the future of our public schools is one of the most important issues facing our state, I am honored to have been endorsed by so many local education leaders,” said Selkowe. “The fact that all of our community’s elected education leaders have endorsed me, and are joined by so many teachers, is recognition that I will be the champion our schools, teachers, and kids need in these challenging times.”

The 48th Assembly District includes the City of Monona, the Village of McFarland, the Towns of Dunn and Blooming Grove, and the eastside of the City of Madison. The Democratic primary election is Tuesday, July 12th.