League of Women Voters Questions OASD Candidates

OSHKOSH, WI—(WISS)— The five candidates competing for two seats on the Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) Board of Education gathered to express their views on several topics during a League of Women Voters of Winnebago County panel discussion on Tuesday night. 

All five candidates for OASD School Board attended the panel: Barb Herzog (the only incumbent running for re-election), Paul Molitor, Mallory Schneider Birschbach, Jefferey Watts, and Jacob Wolf. 

WISS will not cover every single question or topic from the panel discussion. But it will bring forward some of the questions and answers.

Why run for the OASD Board?

The first question from the League of Women Voters asked the candidates why they were running for the OASD Board. 

Barbara Herzog

“ Basically, I’m a community volunteer. I have degrees in education from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, as well as from UW-Madison. I’m a former teacher, principal, and central office administrator, having served in four Wisconsin school districts, and I’ve also been a member of the OSH UW Oshkosh academic staff.

“My qualifications include 12 years of service on the Oshkosh Area School District Board of Education. People tell me that I bring experience, wisdom, and a voice of reason to the board during my, my service on the board. I’ve also served on a variety of other boards where I’ve either been a member or I’ve been the president or the chair of those boards.

“And my leadership has been recognized by UW Oshkosh, the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce, and most recently, the Oshkosh Civility Project. During my board tenure, “I’ve promoted the district. Move in the direction of the science of reading and improved math instruction and curriculum to upgrade our, our student performances in those areas.

“I’ve advanced the adoption of a long-range facilities plan for the district. I’ve supported upgrades to our athletic fields for soccer and for football, as well as for track. And I’ve supported paying down our debt in order to save money for the taxpayers of Oshkosh. 

“Why am I running? Basically, I’m running for students.

“I believe that all students need to be successful, no matter what their background.”

Paul Molitor

“ I’m committed to upholding the values that strengthen this community and ensure the right future for the students here in Oshkosh. I believe in fostering education environment that respects traditional values, promotes academic excellence, and encourages personal involvement in their schools. 

“My background is probably as diverse as the student population here in Oshkosh. I started working blue-collar work at Miller Electric in Appleton a long time ago. Then I decided I’d finished my college education, got a BS in education at one time, was certified to teach high school chemistry and math. As much as people said there were gonna be a lot of jobs in that area, there weren’t.

“So I went to grad school, got a PhD in chemistry, if that matters to anybody. After that, I worked at the as a spectroscopist for about 12 years.  As my kids used to like to say. ‘What does your dad do?’ And they’d say, ‘He’s a nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopist!’ And they were all impressed anyway. 

“As a conservative, dedicated Christian, I take to heart the teachings in the Bible not only of kindness and compassion, but morality and service to others. I see this as a chance to serve others. I retired not that long ago. September actually. And,I’d like to have your support and see if we can improve things here in Oshkosh and make this a school district that’s a destination, not a place that too many people are leaving.”

Mallory Schneider Birshbach

“ I’ve resided in the City of Oshkosh most of my life. I graduated from Oshkosh West, attended Fox Valley Technical College, and eventually earned my Bachelor of Science degree from UWO, majoring in Environmental Studies. I have a diverse work experience in healthcare, banking, and insurance. My overall work experience is rich in customer service, so I am used to listening to people’s concerns and finding ways to help them.

“But my biggest passion will always be advocacy, especially pertaining to public education, special education, and anything to support and uplift others in the community. I’ve been married to my husband, Ryan for almost nine years, and we’re a proud, proud parents to our son Nolan, who is a first grader at Shapiro Stem Academy.

“I’m currently a stay-at-home parent. I’m also president of Shapiro Whirlwinds PTO, the parent-teacher organization associated with my son’s school, and I’ve held that role for several years. So why should the voters choose me? I’ve attended almost every school board meeting for the last several years. I have spoken during public forums during some of these meetings, and I’m aware of local, state, and federal issues relating to public education.

“I’m already immersed within the district. I also have no ties to partisan groups or political parties, which I take very seriously since this is a nonpartisan election. This means I’ll make the decisions best for the community, not for partisan players. I am focused on the things that actually matter: educating our students, supporting our staff, and making our community better.

“I also promise to not rubber stamp resolutions while on the board, and I will take the time to listen to feedback and learn more about resolution so I can make informed decisions. I’m already committed to this work and hope to earn your vote.

Jefferey Watts

“I’m a parent in this district with two children currently in it. My son goes to Jefferson Elementary. And my daughter, I chose to put in private school because of my experiences with the district of Oshkosh.

“I want to be transparent. I want to get more parents involved. I often wonder why Mallory and I are often the only parents who repetitively show up to board meetings. I want to engage the community. I think there are untapped resources in this community that could help with the literacy and math issues that we currently face.

“I think we have a beautiful community that wants to see everybody succeed. But I don’t think there’s a lot of community engagement. I don’t think there’s a lot of faith in the board. And I’d like to bring a different flavor, if you will, to the situation. I’m very forward. I’m very abrupt. 

“I know many of you saw me first in September. As you can see, as a civilian, as a citizen, or a non-elected official, you can do whatever. I can promise you, though. I will be a little less candid, a little more respectful, and I will fight for what you want and what you need. You just have to reach out to me. Talk to me. I will bring all of your issues up.

“I don’t care what they are, if they’re your issue. And the first thing I’m gonna do on the first day I have there is I’m gonna bring up a vote or a motion to freeze property tax immediately, I think.”

Jacob Wolf

“ I’m a husband, a father of three, two kids currently in the OASD, and one starting next year, and a proud member of the Oshkosh community. I’ve spent years on the sidelines coaching for the YMCA, the Oshkosh Rec Department, and the Oshkosh Fast Softball Club. 

“My day job is out in the field doing directional drilling. In my line of work, things rarely go as expected. Or exactly to plan. You have to think on your feet, solve problems in real time, and work until the job is done. I’m running for the school board because I want to bring that same blue-collar work ethic to our district. I believe a school board should function like a high-performing crew.

“We need clear communication and accountability for every dollar spent and a focus on the foundations. To me, that means prioritizing students, math, and literacy, supporting our teachers so they can focus on instruction, and ensuring a safe learning environment for all staff and students. 

“I don’t claim to have the immediate answers for every complex challenge, but I do promise this: I will listen to the community. I will study the issues from the ground up. And I will make decisions to put students and teachers first. I’m used to thinking outside the box to get projects across the finish line. And I believe that practical common-sense perspective is exactly what our board needs right now.” 

Does OASD do enough to address achievement gap

Another question posed to the candidates asked them if enough is being done to address the achievement gap for economically disadvantaged students and studnets of color in the OASD.

Barbara Herzog 

“In one word, no!” 

Herzog elaborated, “ With Act 20, there is a requirement that students who are in the, uh, lower 25% of, um, those who, who take those tests are required to have a personal reading plan. And that personal reading plan has specific components that are outlined in the law so that each student can get back to grade level. So, regardless of what group or marginalized group or subgroup they belong to, they all need that plan.

“We also need to reach out to the parents and find out where’s the disconnect in terms of what’s happening with their children in the schools in terms of performance, and what can we do together at engaging the parents in the education of their children. It’s a bigger issue than the school district can handle alone.”

Paul Molitor

“That’s one of the biggest problems the district has: the number of students who aren’t at grade level. Now you do mention, economically disadvantaged and minorities. But I don’t know why we should point out those groups. I mean, it’s a problem district-wide. And it goes past schools. It starts at home.”

Mallory Schneider Birshbach

“I’m going to say yes and no on this. And I’m speaking from a parent of a disabled child who actually was put onto a reading plan in kindergarten and has actually seen a ton of growth in the last year and had. Tested high enough to get off of that reading plan this year. So I can say for somebody who is developmentally disabled, I’m seeing some really promising gains in his reading and even in his math as well.

“I’m hoping that with the new curriculum that has been instilled for both math and reading, that will help address the issues that we have been seeing. I also say ‘No because it’s a continuous process. And again, when it comes to, you’re gonna. I’m gonna be beating the dead horse here. When it comes to things like state funding, when we don’t fully fund education the way it’s supposed to be funded, it doesn’t just affect the students who are disadvantaged, like my son, but it affects all students because we have to make up the difference for when special education is not fully funded by pulling from our general funds.”

Jefferey Watts

“ Absolutely not! I think there’s a severe difference in those who are playing, who are absent from school, who are of disadvantaged status or of minority descent, and who are not receiving the same opportunities, per se. Not because the district doesn’t wanna give them, but because they just don’t have the resources. There’s just such a language barrier, not just between the district and the kids, but the district and the parents!

“There needs to really be…a real involvement of parents. Parents are partners. And when you have parents in the district partnering, kids prosper.”

Jacob Wolf

“When we look at equity, it’s giving everyone what they need to succeed. And there are a lot of things that the Oshkosh Area School District offers, that I don’t know if they’re utilized to their full potential. We need community engagement. We need to get the word out to these families and make sure that they know of the resources available. And help them in any way possible.”

View the complete panel discussion

Other questions put to the OASD candidate panel included school vouchers, cellphone use among students, the candidates’ trust and accountability, gender inclusivity, and the best way to retain teachers and office staff.

You can view the complete OASD School Board Panel Discussion at OshkoshMedia.org or on YouTube.

You can also see the League of Women Voters panel discussion with 5 of the 8 candidates for Oshkosh Common Council at OshkoshMedia.org and on YouTube.

Information on the candidates and their positions is also available at Vote411.org.

Election Information

The primary election will be held on February 17, 2026, and the field of candidates for the OASD Board will be reduced from five to four. The runoff election will be on April 7, 2026. 

To find your polling place and for other information on the primary ballot, visit MyVote.wi.gov.

The League of Women Voters of Winnebago County will hold another OASD candidate forum before the April runoff election.