Joe Polasek announces write-in campaign for School Board election

On October 1^st, we publish a piece including reader submitted questions and answers from five candidates running for open seats on the Portland Public schools Board of Education.  You can find that piece HERE.

Since then, Joe Polasek has announced that he will be running as a write-in candidate for the election. 

To allow readers to learn a bit about Polasek, we posed the same set of 16 questions to him as we did to the other five candidates.  Below you can see the questions and his responses.

1.  Can you please tell us about your employment and professional experience?

After a brief stint in sports radio, I was hired by the state of Michigan. I spent a year at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services before moving to the Michigan Department of Education. I will have worked at the MDE for 15 years as of Veterans Day this year, and as the state’s E-Rate Coordinator for the past 11 years. 

2.  What is your educational background?  Please include high school, college, graduate schools and/or technical schools attended and degrees/certificates received.

I graduated from Vicksburg High School and eventually received a Bachelor's in Broadcast and Cinematic Arts from Central Michigan University in 2010.

3.  Have you served on the board of any other companies or nonprofit organizations? If so, what were those companies/organizations and when were you in those roles?

I currently serve on two nonprofit boards- one national, one local. I am the Treasurer for the State E-Rate Coordinators Alliance (SECA). We are a national organization representing applicants' interests with the federal program office. I am also a Trustee of the Portland Foundation for Public Education (PFPE). It’s been a joy to work with my fellow board members to support teachers and students in our school district. 

4.  Why are you running for the school board? 

Simply put? I got mad. When the Beacon posted candidates’ answers to these very questions, I was shocked. I couldn’t believe that anyone running for any elected office, let alone a school board position, would decide they didn’t need to answer questions from the public they claim to represent. Instead, three candidates posted nearly identical AI-crafted responses that, if turned in for a grade, would have earned each of them an F. Following that debacle, the community has been inundated with mailers, text messages, and robocalls. The amount of money being spent to elect these three candidates in a school board election, a non-partisan position, is staggering. Someone is trying to buy an election for candidates who couldn’t even be bothered to respond to questions about their candidacy. So, as I said, I got mad. Then I decided to do something about it. As of 10/13/2026, I am recognized as a write-in candidate for the School Board at Portland Public Schools. 

5.  How will you plan to support effect positive change to the educational framework for teachers and students at PPS?

The first step is to understand the challenges our schools are facing. I applaud district leadership for the various working groups and committees that have been created to address issues and take feedback. I appreciate the district’s data-driven approach to identifying and applying solutions, but teachers and staff can’t do it alone. Remember, our district staff is not just focused on academic progress, but also on the safety, security, and well-being of each student. The best way to support teachers is for parents to take an active interest in their students’ attendance, engagement, and academic performance. Whatever the policy, whatever the program, we must always ask one fundamental question: How will this improve outcomes for our kids? 

6.  What are two critical areas of district operations that you feel deserve intense focus?

The district must focus on two broad areas in need of support: facilities and staffing. 

Thankfully, our community has approved a much-needed millage to update HVAC at Oakwood Elementary and bring the high school auditorium, a community space, into the 21st Century. There is more work to do, and the district is once again working with community members to craft a bond request for repairs and improvements to all district buildings. The district should be applauded for its commitment to transparency and community input as plans are being developed for further improvements. For those who don’t know, the per-pupil foundation allowance that districts receive from the state has restrictions on use for capital projects (building improvements, for example). The district has stretched its funding through reductions in state allocation, through the pandemic, and through record inflation. Crafting a bond proposal that meets district needs while carefully stewarding taxpayer funds will be a major district priority in the coming year. 

When I mention staffing, I’m talking about employees with direct contact with students. Studies have shown that smaller class sizes and direct interventions, led by instructional staff armed with relevant data, improve student outcomes and spur student engagement. Pressing our state legislature to fully fund our schools would go a long way to reducing class sizes and improving student outcomes, but if there are additional creative ways to add staff, the district should be exploring them.  

7.  What role, if any, should religion play in public school education?

There are state and federal laws that keep our public schools secular and ban schools from promoting a specific religion. That doesn’t mean that our schools don’t teach about organized religion and its role in history, in literature, in art, and in music. In her response to these questions, Angela Shinaver noted that Michigan law allows students to be released for up to two hours a week for religious instruction. That’s a good way to adhere to the laws governing public schools while granting students access to religious instruction and an avenue I wasn’t aware of. I grew up going to a religious elementary school, and so I know options exist for an education featuring religious instruction, nowhere closer than here in town at Portland St. Patrick’s.  

8.  School boards govern through policy, budgets, and evaluating the superintendent, not managing day-to-day operations. Can you give an example of an issue where a board member should step back and defer to professional educators?

This might be the toughest part of the job- acting with restraint while allowing for careful and thoughtful responses. Our teachers are experts in their particular field of study. I wouldn’t presume to know more about how a tool, an application, a book, or a curriculum would impact student outcomes. I would hope that teachers and/or district staff would make recommendations based upon available data and goals for student outcomes. That’s not the job of a school board member. Now, does that mean I wouldn’t do my own research and come up with questions? Of course not.  Nor would I simply rubber-stamp what is presented.  The board should always take input from staff, knowing that they have both subject-matter expertise and the best intentions for our students. Every decision should put students first. 

9.  How would you plan to evaluate whether district resources are being distributed equitably to serve struggling students, including special education and at-risk populations, alongside high achievers?

In Question 6, I briefly mentioned one of the many restrictions on the use of the state’s per-pupil foundation allowance. That amount of money is meant to cover the cost of educating the average student. Spoiler Alert: According to numerous studies, the amount falls short of that mark. Let’s couple that with funding for special education populations, mostly coming from the federal government, which has seen reductions in the current administration.. While core funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has not been cut, additional targeted funding normally available through IDEA has been cut. That’s not the type of policy we need when the number of special education students has only continued to increase. All this to say- the district and the ISD staff serving our most vulnerable populations are underpaid and stretched very thin. That’s the reality, not just in Portland, but in every district in our state. Federal and state fiscal policy is not putting students first. Districts around the state are doing their best to make up the shortfall, but there are limits. Our special education and PACE staff members are doing their level best with the resources they are allocated. 

More broadly, evaluating how district resources are spent is a massive undertaking. That would require student data to be broken down and paired with a detailed budgetary analysis to study outcomes. It would require conversations with instructional staff about what they’re seeing. It would require conversations with district leadership about the availability of discretionary funding that could be moved to support any or all categories of the student body. And those are conversations that should be had, data that should be explored. But who would carry out such an analysis? Our overburdened staff? An outside firm? There are costs for each of these avenues, but the board should explore them. Personally, I believe that middling students are the area that, with targeted interventions, could see the most growth in the short term, especially with the support of concerned parents. 

10.  If a constituent approaches you with a personal complaint about a specific teacher or administrator, what step by step process would you follow?

As an elected official, the first step is to listen. I would never want a member of the community to think they weren’t being heard. However, school board members don’t have a magic wand that fixes issues. Those will need to be communicated to the correct district staff and, if needed, escalated accordingly. It is important that we follow established protocol, processes that I’m sure exist, but the specifics are unknown to me. That doesn’t mean parents and other community stakeholders don’t have a conduit to address issues and complaints. District leadership must take the time to hear from stakeholders, especially parents. Conversely, parents need to understand that sometimes the answer is simply “No”, and that may be based on state and federal law. In all cases, both parties must respect each other through the established processes. 

11.  When a group of passionate community members demands a policy change that directly conflicts with educational research or legal requirements, how will you handle the conflict?

No board member should advocate for any action that conflicts with state, federal, or local law. Ever. In the noted scenario, any board worth its salt would simply state the fact- we can’t. It’s important to address such issues of legality simply and directly. All other discussions should be taken on their merits, but all decisions should be data-driven and research-based. I’ve been known to argue passionately for or against issues from time to time, but an argument cannot be based on passion alone. 

12.  In addition to the high school, middle school, Westwood, and Oakwood, the board of education also oversees the operations of PACE.  PACE is an often-overlooked part of the district.  If elected/reelected to the board, what would you do to promote community awareness of PACE offerings?

I think that Principal Deardorff and his staff do an excellent job supporting students in their personal educational journeys. Their outcomes tell their own story, one that the distinct tells by celebrating PACE graduates, but there are likely other opportunities to share the good work of PACE’s staff and students. Any decisions about how to better promote PACE should start with conversations that include Principal Deardorff and his staff, the people who would know best how to promote the school. The communication plan would be built on those conversations. 

13.  What is your understanding of current bullying policies in the Portland Public Schools, and what if anything would you do to change those policies?

I have read the district’s handbook, and the escalation of interventions seems reasonable. I am aware of the Mental Health Advisory Board (MHAB) and am thankful for their work. The MHAB, with representatives from the school and the community, has identified opportunities and will be making a report to the Board in the near future. I believe the district has made positive changes in recent years and will continue to address opportunities as they arise. Right now, waiting for recommendations from the MHAB is the most prudent approach. 

14.  Twenty years ago, Portland High School presented two plays per school year. A decision was made to cut the plays to one per year, and they would move back to two once the funding was more balanced. This hasn’t happened.  The arts are always first to be cut when budgets are reduced. What are your thoughts on that thinking?

First, I want to address financial support for the Drama Club. In no uncertain terms, the district fully supports the Drama Club and the Spring musical. The availability of funding is not an issue. What is finite is the availability of the student body. The students are participating in sports, clubs, churches, and jobs. Rehearsals for the musical, which takes the stage in early March each year, start in late October/early November. That is by design and means that the shows we see are truly ready for primetime. Mrs. Polasek, the Drama Club Director, has worked with the district to create a middle school Drama Club director position to offer more opportunities and fill that second show slot. To date, that position remains unfilled. 

15.  What are your thoughts regarding censorship of books in the school libraries? Should parents have a say in this, or should it be entrusted to the school librarian and educators based on curriculum and changing times?

Censorship is a dirty word, one that evokes an emotional response. The district, like all school districts, has a policy and a procedure regarding the challenging of specific texts in use. Parents have a say through that process, and that should not change. That does not mean, however, that the district should pull texts without review or discussion with staff members. Objecting to a book does not mean that others shouldn’t have access to it. 

16.  Is there anything else you would like to share about your qualifications for this elected position?

It isn’t lost on me that I’m late to the party. I wasn’t moved to file until I saw what I viewed as disrespect for the community and the kids our district serves in three of the five responses to these very questions. I’d like to think that anyone who chooses to run for a local school board has kids' outcomes at the forefront of their thinking. But three of the candidates chose to ignore community questions and instead use ChatGPT to write a meandering, buzzword-filled set of paragraphs. If reading those responses made you mad, too, don’t vote for them. If those responses upset you, consider voting for me and/or another candidate. If you’re willing to vote for me, it’ll take a special effort. You’ll need to write my name, Joseph Polasek, below the other candidates on your ballot, and then fill in a circle to the left of the name. If you’re doing it right, it’ll look something like this: 

• Joseph Polasek

If you’ve managed to read this whole response, thank you. Please consider writing my name below the other candidates (with a filled-in bubble beside it) on November 3rd.