5 Watertown School Board members resign since December

Five members of the Watertown School Board have resigned within six months. The reasons for the abrupt departures range from political infighting to inexperienced board members.

The latest resignations come from Diana Johnson and Charity Chandler, who both resigned on June 25, citing continued disrespect from fellow board members and an “authoritarian” style of leadership. 

“Our students, teachers and administrators deserve someone who is ready for an educational culture war, as that’s the environment that has been created,” Chandler wrote in her resignation letter.

“Those who suggest they want transparency, yet are less than transparent, those who claim to want to increase academic success and achievement yet have spent little to no time discussing the topic instead focusing on one-sided values-driven agendas, are what the community has chosen,” Chandler said.

Johnson’s letter is similar, saying she hopes stepping away from the board will send a message to the community to find their “inner voice.” 

“Additionally, I am hoping the board will realize that they will need to listen to ALL voices (written, verbal, and nonverbal) in the community…not just whom they perceive voted for them,” Johnson wrote. 

Two weeks earlier, board member Mike Higgins resigned on June 9. Other board members who have resigned include Tina Johnson, who stepped down Dec. 13, 2024, and Fred Jandt, who left the board effective April 2.

Johnson, Jandt and Higgins did not give specific reasons for their resignations in their letters other than to say they wanted to spend more time with their families.

The eight-member Watertown School Board shifted politically to a more conservative ideology after the April 2024 election. 

Superintendent Jarred Burke believes the turnover is happening in part because inexperienced board members are not “gelling,” rather than because of political and culture war issues between members.

Burke said School Board President Craig Wortman has three years of experience, while most of the other board members have one year or less.

“And whenever you have that, if you don’t have enough mentorship, it leads to difficulties,” Burke said.

Julie Marsh, an expert in K-12 education policy and governance at the University of Southern California, said recent surveys show more than half of school board members are surprised at how much work goes into the job and how politically challenging the role is.

Marsh said school boards have always been politicized by both parties. But starting during the COVID-19 pandemic, school boards increasingly shifted to focusing on hot button issues including mask mandates, critical race theory, book banning, transgender rights and now diversity, equity and inclusion.

In November 2024, the Watertown board approved a “Gender Support Plan,” shifting to one of the most restrictive policies for transgender students in the state at the time.  

In April, Watertown was also one of a handful of Wisconsin school districts to comply with the Trump administration’s DEI demands, despite the Wisconsin the Department of Public Instruction advising schools not to. 

Watertown is located halfway between Madison and Milwaukee in Jefferson and Dodge counties. It has a population of about 23,000 people. The school district has about 3,200 students, according to DPI.

Wendy Otto-Pliska is a parent of two Watertown high school students and has been attending school board meetings for several years. She said there are members of the community who are supportive of the direction the school board has taken the district. 

But Otto-Pliska said board members whose opinion differs from the majority of the board are often dismissed and talked over. 

And, Otto-Pliska believes, the issues being discussed are not relevant to the needs of the district. 

“We are going into the upcoming school year with a $7 to $9 million deficit, which I think many parents and the school board members who resigned would agree is a priority,’ Otto-Pliska said. “We have to figure out how we’re paying for things. We have to figure out what we’re cutting. And instead, the school board has focused on passing a new dress code.” 

Burke said the board is concentrating on fiscal issues in committees. He said the board is also in the process of reviewing all its policies.

“Whenever we have change over like this, it gives us an opportunity to reflect and an opportunity for others in the community to put their names in the hat, to try to serve,” Burke said. “We’re going to do that by focusing on our strategic plan.”

On Monday, the school board voted unanimously to replace Higgins with Julaine Appling. Appling is a former teacher and previously served on the Watertown School Board. She is president emeritus of the Wisconsin Family Council.