Candidate Profile: Michael Petko For PWC School Board

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, VA — Michael Petko is hoping to represent the Neabsco district on the Prince William County School Board. He is running for the seat being vacated by incumbent Diane Raulston.

Petko is running against Padreus Pratter in November's general election.

Patch sent the following questionnaire to Pratter and Petko to help voters make an informed choice when they cast their ballot on Election Day.

Name

Micahel Petko

Age

63

Town of Residence?

Dale City

Position Sought:

School Board, Neabsco

Party affiliation

Independent

Family? Names, ages and any other pertinent details you wish to share

Wife-Naomi. I have 5 kids, 1 daughter, 4 daughter-in-laws, and 2 grandkids.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education Level

Ph.D. Education Leadership, Law/Finance

Occupation, including employer and years of experience

Senior Researcher/Policy Analyst, NEA/23yrs

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Campaign website

mike4schoolboard.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

Want to help lead PWCPS to become a 21st-Century School and bring a more open relationship with parents, teachers, and staff.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

A rogue school board setting a poor example to students. This current school board has demonstrated its unwillingness to work within state rules and guidelines, respond to parents' concerns, and work with the teaching staff and other staff. This is reflected by increasing anger from parents, teachers, and staff. Students are suffering both mentally and academically. I intend to create a more open school board and establish a committee made up of parents, teachers, staff, and students to provide a voice to these groups and offer guidance to the board in dealing with concerns. All groups need to be respected and heard. The board should represent the constituents it is elected by and not run as an autocracy.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to recent issues (i.e. the pandemic)? What if anything would you have done differently?

The pandemic is considered a Black Swan event. This means that it was unpredictable and unprecedented. No one could have predicted that our Federal government would have created a near-dictatorial environment where non-elected officials could create rules and implement these rules with the threat of punishment. We are only finding out how all governments overstepped their authority and are being held to account. School boards work under the rule of law and are responsible for state directives, which the current school board has seen to ignore in its disregard of the current VADOE's ruling on parents' rights to know what gender their children go by. We can't have a school board implement rules for students to follow and fail to follow its own rules and legal requirements. This is like a parent telling a child to "do as I say, not as I do." This is poor leadership. I believe that the board is acting more partisan than representative.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I have much more experience with public school policy issues than the other candidates both at a national and state level. I've worked in public school research and policy issues in all 50 states and have been doing that for over 23 years. I've also been involved in public education for over 30 years as a teacher and researcher. I'm concerned about how education impacts its community for both good and bad. Good schools create communities where people want to live. I want to make Prince William County a school system that is attractive to parents. What sets me apart the most is that I am not tied to a political agenda as my opponents are. I don't deal with rhetoric but facts and I let the facts lead me to the truth.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

I believe that the school board should be responsible to parents and the community and to their concerns and not to outside special interest groups. I do not believe that outside special interest groups have a right to advocate how a local school district runs. I believe that a school board should be more respectful to parents, staff, and teachers. These groups have an interest in how the children's community is educated and raised. I also believe that there are solutions to some of the social concerns that are being debated within our community where all parties can feel heard and respected. I do not believe that one person's rights should dictate how an entire community lives unless that entire community agrees. School boards are also responsible for following laws, rules and guidelines set forth by the state and not following partisan issues. That is why boards are elected as independents. It's when they forget that point that problems occur.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I think that my years of service in promoting equity and adequacy in public schools speak loudly as to my ability to handle this job.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Work hard and be honest in how you deal with others.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I have raised 5 kids through the Prince William County school system and have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have also seen enough to know that people make mistakes, but when they fail to own up to their mistakes, it creates hardship and animosity. I believe that is what we are seeing in the current school system where mistakes have been made and covered up or ignored. Worse still, they are denied. This is wrong and has to change.