Richard Wierzba
Non-Partisan | Missouri
Candidate Profile*
Insufficient Information
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Richard Wierzba
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2023
Election
School Board
Race
Rockwood School District Board of Education – At Large
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Bradley University, Peoria, IL, partial, 1997-1988
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, left to start business, Jan '90 - Fall -92
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Holly Jones
SELECTED FINANCIAL SOURCE DOCUMENTS
OTHER INFORMATION
QUESTIONNAIRE*
*Additional information was received after the evaluation was assigned and was not considered in the Panel Evaluations, therefore it is for additional educational purposes only.
RIGHT TO LIFE
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should be a resource for instruction or services in the school.
Disagree
I don't know why schools would interact with these organizations. Teachers should teach what is required by the state of Missouri and parents, or other adult family members, should handle the rest.
Human life begins at conception and deserves legal protection at every stage until natural death.
Strongly Agree
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
School districts should be able to use taxpayer money for lobbying the state legislature.
Disagree
What is your position on government funding of public education from Pre-K through college?
The question should read "taxpayer" funding of public education, because that's really where the money comes from. I understand the need for our tax dollars to fund public schools K-12. Our society is going through some changes after Covid and after colleges have become so expensive. Given that college is not for everyone, I don't think everyone (taxpayers/government) should fund it.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
At school, students should be able to speak freely and civilly about matters of conscience and faith, including Christianity.
Agree
Free speech is important. Note: In public schools, I don't think these topics should replace or influence what teachers teach or how they meet Missouri's learning standards.
School districts should not discriminate against individuals, organizations or small businesses because of their belief that marriage is only a union of one man and one woman.
Agree
EDUCATION
What is the function of the local school board?
School boards oversee their respective superintendents, they approve spending, they make policies, and ensure that policies are followed. All of this should be done with the goal of improving or achieving academic excellence and done so in a way that includes parent input and reflects community values.
Who should have the authority to set curriculum and determine resources used in those curricula?
School districts should continue to set curriculum that meets Missouri's learning standards. School principals should approve all lesson plans and all resources or materials used in daily lessons. Parents are given the opportunity to offer input for the curriculum in our district, but, curriculum is mostly what skills the students will learn. Parents seem to rarely have input regarding resources and daily lesson materials. This is, in part, because parents don't know about them early enough. I intend to advocate that at least two weeks before each semester begins, teachers should post online what resources, books, and materials will be used in class and if changes are needed, they need to be communicated to the building principal for approval and to the parents so they have an opportunity to be involved in what they're children are learning or raise questions if needed. Don't get me wrong--we have wonderful teachers and I understand that they need flexibility to choose the best ways to reach their individual students. Unfortunately, we've had some instances where the teachers weren't aware of certain objectionable content in resources they used. So, having all of that approved first by their building principal can help avoid that.
When should parents be restricted from speaking in school board meetings?
When they break rules, break laws, or otherwise don't follow district policy.
Please list in order the following priorities in relation to the role of a K-12 public school (omitting any that do not apply): Mathematics, Information Technology, Science, Political Activism, Personal Finances, Gender Identity, Physical Fitness, American History, Critical Race Theory, Language Arts, Art & Music, Vocational Learning, Sexuality, Foreign Language, Social Emotional Learning
Language Arts, American History, Mathematics, Science, Personal Finances, Information Technology, Vocational Learning, Physical Fitness, Foreign Language, Art & Music
Which more closely matches your view of America's founding principles? A) Liberty and equality. B) Slavery and racism.
Liberty and equality.
What does "equity in education" mean to you?
It means we give students what they need to achieve success, whether that's various levels of challenge in core academics or tutoring.
Written parental consent (opt-in) must be obtained before students are taught courses such as Comprehensive Sex Ed (CSE) or Social Emotional Learning (SEL).
Strongly Agree
The loss of local control in education is too high a price to pay in exchange for federal dollars.
Strongly Agree
Parents are the ultimate authority in their child’s education and should be able to freely pursue whatever educational options they deem best for their child.
Strongly Agree
School boards are accountable to parents and taxpayers.
Strongly Agree
Do you believe students should have access to materials that graphically depict and describe sexual acts?
No
All print and digital material available or presented to students should be easily accessible for public review.
Strongly Agree
VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
God, country, family. Without a safe and free country our families will be living in tyranny and we can't let that happen.
I support allowing public high school students to participate in athletic competition based on the gender with which they identify instead of biological sex.
Strongly Disagree
No school official should be involved in the sexual transitioning of a student, including the use of alternative names and pronouns.
Strongly Agree
Therapy to help children turn from unwanted same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria should be banned.
Disagree
No healthcare diagnosis or treatment, whether mental, reproductive, or otherwise, should be given to a child without first receiving written consent from the parent.
Agree
Exceptions would include abusive situations.
Who is responsible for teaching sexual education to children, and what is the appropriate age when it should be taught?
The parents are responsible and the appropriate age depends on the child's puberty and maturity. That said, school classes that are limited to how bodies work and explanations of puberty can certainly be appropriate. Beyond those topics, at school, it becomes difficult to establish an appropriate age because children develop at different rates.
If you support the teaching of Sex Ed, please answer the following question: Sexual education should include these topics (list all that apply and add your own, if needed) -- Physical and emotional health outcomes; contraceptive methods; consent; abstinence; sexual orientation and gender identity; human anatomy/the reproductive system; abortion methods and side effects; stages of pregnancy and fetal development; sex acts and pleasures of sex
Human anatomy/the reproductive system, and in certain classes, the stages of pregnancy and fetal development.
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Disagree
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No.
A candidate's personal moral values are relevant when considering a candidacy for elective office.
Neutral
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Very Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Vic Porcelli Show. March 15, Marc Cox radio Thursday, March 16. Candidate profiles in the 4 Rockwood high school newspapers, and the local newspapers, The Eureka Leader and the West News magazine.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about you?
We have too much emphasis on race and gender in our schools today. It's a distraction from our kids' education. ALL kids deserve an environment to learn in that is free from divisive politics and messages that can limit how they see themselves or others, or limit how successful they think they can be.
2ND AMENDMENT
Teachers who are licensed to carry should be allowed to carry guns at school.
Agree
OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Under what circumstances (if any) should schools be allowed to require vaccinations?
I think the way schools operated before COVID worked well. I don't think COVID vaccines should be required.
I support mask mandates.
Strongly Disagree
All official open meetings should be live streamed, recorded, and have transcripts available online for public access.
Agree
All votes should be roll call votes and recorded in meeting minutes.
Agree
