Get to know the Winooski School Board candidates | Allison Burlock
Four candidates are running for seats on the Winooski School Board. Allison Burlock is running to serve the remainder of a 3-year term while Tori Cleiland is running for a two-year term, both are uncontested. Kamal Dahal and David Wallace are in a race to serve a 3-year term.
These interviews have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Allison Burlock
Q: What’s your age, profession, work, and education background?
I'm 36 years old. I have a bachelor's in Health Policy Studies from the University of Chicago, and a Master's of Science in biostatistics from the University of Michigan. I'm also an MBA student at Champlain College currently due to finish in August. I work as the manager of quality and data analytics at the University of Vermont Health Network (home, health, and hospice). So I spend my time combining my policy analysis and systems perspective with data analytics. I worked for a large hospital system out in Michigan, for an insurance provider, and at home health and hospice. I found that I really prefer to work for a health care provider where I'm really working with people who are providing care or services. And just to sneak this in, that's kind of why I am interested in the school board. I find it’s work that enables teachers to do their best work with students, so it's kind of a kin to clinicians and patients. So that's part of the reason why I'm interested in the school board.
Q: What made you want to run for school board?
I feel like we've got a lot of good things going with a school board and I would love to see them through. I'm also fascinated by the policy work that the school is doing and the advocacy they're doing on a statewide level, and really the good work that the teachers, support staff, and district staff do for the students in the community. I come to the school board with the best intentions for Winooski. Like I said in my email, I grew up and went to public school and found it to be a really awesome experience and feel I’ve been a successful adult. So I want to pass that along to other students.
Q: What is the board doing to foster anti-racism in school in response to student protests last year, and should the board continue this work?
We need to be investing in looking for more people of color for positions, etc. But ultimately, that is the responsibility of the district. I am behind pushing those things forward, listening to the students, and taking their experiences seriously.
Q: Are you in favor of keeping the mask mandate in Winooski schools?
I find it to be a very sensitive subject. I think that ultimately as a school board, we need to rely on the expertise of the people doing the work in the school and the Department of Health. So I'm in favor of keeping our students safe however the administration of the school feels that is best achieved. I feel that we are all doing the best we can in this time and if the options are masked and have students in school, that is potentially preferable to not in school.
Q: The board is proposing a budget of about $21 million for the school district—meaning a massive increase in spending per pupil. What should the school be investing in with this money?
Pre K; so getting students into the school system earlier. I think we have some opportunity for that. Also, support for our English language learners in terms of staffing. The program in the school district with English language learners is just amazing. They're doing such tough work with really tight resources. I would love to see the ability to bolster those resources. There are liaisons who speak the languages of our students and liaise between the school and families, and especially if through COVID they've been doing an extreme amount of work. But I've recognized how crucial they are to the success of the students. So that's where I would love to see some money.
