Elected APril 1, 2025

Proven non-partisan Leadership you can trust

Why I Ran

I am passionate about the ability of education to transform lives and communities. Education is the key to social mobility, economic prosperity, a strong democracy, and the future of Oshkosh. Since I began my professional career 20 years ago I have been on the front lines of efforts to advance the quality and accessibility of education as a reform advocate, a researcher and speaker, university instructor, and a parent. In 2013 I completed my dissertation, The Problem of the American School Board, that concluded the role of a school board is to maximize student achievement. Since 2013 I have developed and conducted school board trainings, authored numerous academic studies on connecting school board governance to student outcomes, worked with education reform advocates across ideologies to improve student performance in Wisconsin, and worked to increase transparency in education finance.

While I believe my background and unique knowledge of school board governance and education finance will be an asset to the Oshkosh Area School District (OASD) board, my desire to serve is more personal. I am the proud parent of two OASD students attending Oshkosh North and Vel Phillips. I am deeply entrenched in the Oshkosh community and its future. The continued success of our community demands a strong OASD. My experience on the Oshkosh Common Council and work at UWO will give me an ability to build bridges between OASD and the City and UWO in order to tackle the district’s and the community’s greatest challenges.

If elected I will bring a commitment to the 4 E’s of good governance in everything I do.

Effective: My top priority will be increasing educational outcomes for OASD students. The best way to do this is to create a data-driven culture where the elected members of the school board, the public, and the superintendent are aligned in our use of metrics, goals, and means of accountability when goals are not met. A school board member does not teach students. But, members can create a governing dynamic where the superintendent knows community expectations and can translate them into positive change.

Efficient: All OASD residents make a financial investment in Oshkosh schools. I take the responsibility of managing that investment seriously, and will fight to make sure every taxpayer knows how and why their money is being spent, and what they are getting for their investment. This means more transparency, more communication, and more proactive outreach to demystify education finance.

Equitable: A school district needs to meet the needs of all students it serves. The racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps in OASD are unacceptably high. I am encouraged by the district’s, and the current board’s, commitment to addressing these gaps. The proof will be in the numbers, and I pledge to be a constructive voice in setting clear expectations, and providing necessary support to district staff, to address gaps. Most important, I am not afraid to pivot when existing strategies are not working.

Economical: I will be cognizant of the overall fiscal burden placed on OASD residents when considering budgeting decisions. I will bring my extensive background in education finance and public budgeting to ensure OASD is fiscally responsible in meeting the needs of students while recognizing financial realities. I will also utilize my background in state education policy to advocate for state funding reform that can benefit both OASD students and taxpayers.

Core Tenets of my Platform

Improving Student Achievement

The number one goal of a school board is to improve educational outcomes. Everything I do will stem from that core belief.

Financial Responsibility

All OASD residents own a share in OASD. I will work to ensure that investment is respected through responsible budgeting practices informed by fiscal realities.

Proactive Transparency

Transparency is not just following state reporting guidelines. I will work to improve communication between the district and parents and taxpayers so that everyone knows what OASD is doing, why they are doing it, and whether they are doing it well.

Good Governance

Translating the work of a school board to educational success requires a high-functioning school board that can give clear guidance to the superintendent. I will use research supported and practice proven methods to be a productive member of the OASD governance team.

A District that Works for All

OASD's racial and socio-economic achievement gaps are unacceptably high. I will take a data-driven approach that establishes the challenges we face, sets clear goals, and tracks progress. However, data need to be supplemented by the lived experiences of our parents and students, the people whom we are tasked with serving. This means listening!

Non-Partisan

I have never been inside the local Democratic or Republican headquarters. I have spent plenty of time in OASD schools for my kids’ basketball games, choir and band concerts, family nights, and parent teacher conferences. I care about OASD first and foremost and will not seek nor accept any assistance, financial or otherwise, from any partisan political party in my pursuit of this non-partisan position.

What You Need to Know About My Campaign

Who Am I?

My name is Michael Ford and I live in Oshkosh with my wife of 19 years, Allyson, and my two sons, Charlie and John. Our kids attend Oshkosh North and Vel Phillips, and Ally and I both work here in Oshkosh. Since 2013 I have taught Public Budgeting and Financial Management, State and Local Government, Analytic Methods, public-private partnerships, and other classes in UW Oshkosh’s Masters of Public Administration program. I also serve as the Director of the Whitburn Center for Governance and Policy Research, a non-partisan research center dedicated to improving government in Wisconsin. Prior to working at UWO I worked as an education reform advocate in Milwaukee, as the research director of the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.

When I am not working you can find me taking advantage of all the Oshkosh area has to offer. That may be running the trail at Menominee Park, fishing from the shoreline or through the ice on Lake Winnebago, playing tennis at the Y, strumming my guitar and singing off-key at church, trying my best not to make errors in summer league softball, or just spending quality time with family and friends. I have a passion for public service and education governance, and yes, I sometimes read budgets for fun. If you have any questions about me please shoot me an e-mail at mford3482@gmail.com.

What Are My Community Ties?

I have deep community ties that put me in position to serve as an effective bridge between the values of OASD parents and taxpayers and our school district. I currently serve or have served in the following capacities:

Former Two-Term Member of the Oshkosh Common Council
Former Member of the City of Oshkosh Plan Commission
Former Member of the City of Oshkosh Committee on Aging
Board member of Clarity Care Inc.
Former President of the Miller's Bay Neighborhood Association.
Former Member of Oshkosh Area United Way’s Fiscal Health Evaluation Committee
Member of the City of Oshkosh Board of Review
Member of the First Congregational Church of Oshkosh.

What Are My Formal Qualifications?

My formal education includes a Ph.D. in Urban Studies, which involved extensive training in public budgeting, analytic methods, and the specific of governance. In my current position I teach a variety of courses relevant to local government.

I have dedicated much of my career to issues of K-12 education. As a professor I conducted the largest study of school board governance in the United States, published over a dozen peer-reviewed articles related to connecting school board governance to student outcomes, and have had the pleasure of sharing my work in invited talks at Harvard, UW-Madison, and elsewhere. My work at the Whitburn Center has been utilized by school boards in Wisconsin and beyond, and I am frequently asked to provide expertise on school board governance to media and policymakers.

In 2021 I was appointed to the Act 89 School District and School Financial Information Transparency Advisory Board to assist the Department of Public Instruction in the development of a dashboard to give Wisconsin residents clear education finance data across sectors (Public, Charter, and Voucher).

A detailed summary of my professional experience can be viewed at www.michaelrford.com.

How Can I Learn More, or Get Involved?

Please reach out to me at mford3482@gmail.com, or view my full resume at www.michaelrford.com, or follow me on X at @fordm10 .

Michael Ford Oshkosh Area School District Board Member