Get to know the Winooski School Board candidates | Tori Cleiland

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.

Tori Cleiland

Q: What’s your age, profession, work, and education background? 

I am 52, I have been on the board since 2011, I am a high school special educator, I have a master's in education, and I am currently the chair of the board.

Q: What made you want to run for school board? 

My initial decision to run for school board was when my daughters were in preschool and anytime I told people I was putting my kids in Winooski schools, they always had either a confused look, a mean look, or questions like, “you can't put your child in that school.” Well if I can't, why are you okay with anyone putting your children in that school? So that's why I ran; to participate and to elevate everybody’s worth and dignity. 

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? 

I am most excited about continuing the anti racism work in Winooski with the community and the students. There's a lot of good energy around that and there's a lot of movement happening. I'm also really excited about really focusing on equity, which includes hiring and retaining teachers of color for representation within our building. Our students have been really clear; that is super important for them in their education and in the place that they go to school.

Q: Are you in favor of keeping the mask mandate in Winooski schools? 

I'm in favor of whatever keeps students and faculty feeling safe and being well. I think that there are other people besides me who know what's best around that, I feel like it's important to be in community and if being in community means that we need to wear masks to keep us all safe, then that's what needs to happen.

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?

What the money means is more services. More services in student support and equity. Anything that's going to support our students to get the education that they need and deserve, and equity is about students getting what each student needs.