Traverse City Record-Eagle

Election 2009

Related Photos

  • Lindsay VanHulle

    images_sizedimage_297005613
October 24, 2009

Candidate vows to preserve student programs

BY LINDSAY VANHULLE

Editor's note: Seventh and final installment in a series of profiles of Traverse Area Public Schools Board of Education candidates. Read the entire series in our election section at record-eagle.com/election.

TRAVERSE CITY -- For 24 years, Diane Viskochil taught foreign language in Traverse City's public schools.

For nearly a quarter-century, Viskochil watched the district evolve under prior administrations and school boards, so she considers herself knowledgeable about how it operates.

She would use that history to make decisions if elected Nov. 3 to the Traverse City school board.

Viskochil, 65, is running against incumbent Gary Appel for a partial board term, to expire Dec. 31, 2012. Appel was appointed in January to fill the seat after 2008 member-elect Amy Sutherland resigned.

The winner will be sworn in as soon as results are certified.

"It's a crucial time to be on the board," said Viskochil, who cited the economy and the district's budget as the most important issue. "The whole team -- the parents, the board, the teachers, the bus drivers, the support staff -- everyone needs to work together."

No one is at fault for financial challenges that resonate across the state, said Viskochil, who grew up in Detroit and also never anticipated the auto companies' collapse.

Viskochil said she wants to see student programs preserved when making budget cuts. Athletics and transportation are part of a "social education," she added, and also should be maintained.

Ideally, any reductions will be equally distributed among all levels of the district, Viskochil said.

"My main thing is what happens in the classroom," she said. "What happens in the classroom should be enthusiastic, exciting, safe."

Administrators and teachers shouldn't forget about parents throughout the process, she said, adding that they often are willing to support a classroom.

Parents today have many educational choices for their children, so good communication is needed to keep public education at the front of their minds, she said.

The idea of advisory boards, in which parents meet with school principals to discuss matters of local concern, would air grievances and clear up misunderstandings, Viskochil said.

Communication with all groups, including teachers, is just as important, she added. She went on strike more than once in her career, and said contract negotiations this year dragged on too long.

She doesn't know which side, if not both, merits blame.

"Each time that I have been on strike, I've found that the harmful feelings that are caused by that can outweigh the effectiveness," she said. A fast resolution will involve "enough give-and-take that it doesn't affect morale."

About the candidate

Name: Diane Viskochil

Age: 65

Residence: Traverse City

Education: Graduated from Birmingham Seaholm High School in 1961; bachelor's degree in Latin education from Michigan State University; master's degree in French from Wayne State University; educational specialist degree in school administration from Central Michigan University

Work: Retired teacher; spent 24 years as a foreign language teacher in Traverse City Area Public Schools

Family: Husband Richard, 72; no children

Text Only