Please vote for me on April 7th!
PROVIDING CONTINUED ACADEMIC SUCCESS THROUGH PROVEN EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Hello and Welcome to Bette Koenig for the Waukesha School Board!
My name is Bette Koenig and I am seeking reelection to the Waukesha School Board. I have spent the past three years providing my time, educational experience and wisdom to the Waukesha community that I have called home for over 25 years. As a former SDW teacher, a parent of three waukesha graduates and a community member, my voice within the Waukesha School Board has been invaluable and highly respected, and my commitment to the academic success of the students within our community has been unwavering.
Meet Bette Koenig
Dedicated Educator
With over 32 years of teaching experience, I have dedicated my life to education at the elementary, middle and collegiate levels. My extensive background enables me to support the needs of students and teachers alike, while remaining fiscally responsible to the Waukesha Community.
MEASURABLE IMPACT AND PROVEN SUCCESS FOR THE WAUKESHA SCHOOL
As an incumbent SDW School Board member with three years of experience, I have dedicated hundreds of hours to reviewing, evaluating, and approving dozens of rigorous, effective curricula across all grade levels and subject areas. This commitment—shared by the current SDW Board—has helped make the School District of Waukesha the highest-ranked district among the ten largest school districts in Wisconsin for the 2024–2025 school year. I am excited to continue this momentum as we continue to strengthen academic excellence for Waukesha students.
My Background
Wife, Mother, Educator, Mentor
My husband and I moved to Waukesha from Milwaukee twenty-two years ago. Prior to that move, I spent ten years as an elementary education teacher with Milwaukee Public Schools, where I taught at a bilingual school on the city’s south side and regularly used my Spanish language skills. During my time with MPS, I served on several district committees, coached the dance team, welcomed our first two children, and earned my Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction.
In 2000, our family relocated to Waukesha when I accepted a teaching position at what was then White Rock Elementary, Waukesha’s bilingual elementary school. There, I continued using my Spanish language skills while teaching in a transitional Spanish-to-English third-grade classroom. After the birth of our third child, I moved to Hawthorne Elementary to teach fifth grade and return to my beloved intermediate grades.
In 2010, when sixth grade transitioned to the middle schools, I moved with my students and began the next chapter of my career as a sixth-grade Literacy and Social Studies teacher at Butler Middle School. I spent the final ten years of my Waukesha teaching career there, retiring at the conclusion of the 2019–2020 school year.
Throughout my career, I raised three wonderful children and remained deeply involved in our community. I volunteered at my church teaching ESL classes to Spanish-speaking neighbors and taught Vacation Bible School during the summers. I also served as an adjunct Professor of Education at Wisconsin Lutheran College, where I taught graduate-level education courses. In addition, I shared my instructional expertise as a presenter at numerous Wisconsin educational conferences and staff development sessions, including SDW’s Waukesha One Conferences.
I currently serve on the Wisconsin Lutheran College Teacher Advisory Board and have had the privilege of mentoring more than ten student teachers. In 2015, I was honored to receive the Wisconsin Council of Teachers of English Pre-Service Educator Mentor Award—one of the proudest moments of my career.
Today, I continue my commitment to supporting young people as a Youth Career Planner and Independent Living Coordinator for Waukesha County. In this role, I mentor, advise, and assist youth ages 16–24 with career exploration, job readiness and skill development, employment placement, postsecondary education, and credential attainment. This second career has provided me with valuable, real-world insight into what our high school students face after graduation as they begin their adult lives. It reinforces the importance of strong academic foundations, practical skill development, and clear pathways to career and college success—priorities I bring to my work on the School Board.
Throughout my life and career, I have maintained a deep passion for learning and made it my mission to pass that same joy and excitement on to the students I was privileged to teach. Each day, I worked to ensure every student felt valued, supported, and capable of success—while also holding them to high standards because I believed in their potential to achieve great things.
Our Waukesha children are our most valuable investment. They represent the future of our community and the legacy we leave behind. By running for the Waukesha School Board and serving as a Board Member for the past three years, I made a conscious decision to continue investing my time, experience, and leadership in their future.
Every child in the School District of Waukesha deserves a strong, structured, and high-quality educational experience that prepares them to become successful, thriving adults. I am excited to continue this important work and would be honored to earn your vote on April 7th.
Why I choose to serve on the Waukesha School Board
Like most educators, my career goal has always been to be a highly competent and effective teacher—one who excels at educating and mentoring students. When I arrived in Waukesha, I was excited to join the Waukesha School District, which I had researched as a high-achieving district known for strong academics, traditional curriculum, and student success. Over time, however, I observed shifts in district focus and curriculum. While some new initiatives appeared beneficial, others did not seem to support students academically.
The fundamental responsibility of any school district is to prepare students to enter adulthood well-educated and equipped to succeed in the career path they choose. During my 32+ years as an educator, I witnessed non-academic distractions increasingly take time away from instruction. Many of these involved socially and emotionally charged issues that diverted focus from academic learning. Experience has taught me that “bright and shiny” educational trends do not always outperform strong, proven instructional methods—and that popular social topics can unintentionally distract from learning and create division among students.
These experiences led me to run for the Waukesha School Board. They also guide the work I have done as a Board member, contributing to the School District of Waukesha becoming the highest-performing district among the ten largest school districts in Wisconsin for the 2024–2025 school year. The role of the School Board—elected community members representing all stakeholders—is to carefully evaluate curriculum, eliminate distractions, refocus on academics, and realign priorities with fundamental educational principles and standards.
I support modernization and innovation in education, but never at the expense of core values or the true purpose of our schools: educating children and equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in adulthood. Throughout my three-year tenure on the Board, I have participated in meaningful, data-driven decisions that have resulted in measurable academic growth and student achievement across the district. I am committed to continuing this work for every student in every school building.
I am running for reelection to the Waukesha School Board because I have the experience, educational background, and commitment to keep our district on its successful academic path. I will continue to prioritize student achievement while respecting our community’s expectation of fiscal responsibility. My goal is to ensure that every Waukesha student receives a focused, high-quality education—one that prepares them to go anywhere and accomplish anything. I respectfully ask for your support and your vote in April 7th!
Please VOTE Bette Koenig for the Waukesha School Board!
Please VOTE Bette Koenig for the Waukesha School Board!
Please VOTE Bette Koenig for the Waukesha School Board!
Please VOTE Bette Koenig for the Waukesha School Board!
Please VOTE Bette Koenig for the Waukesha School Board!
Please VOTE Bette Koenig for the Waukesha School Board!
Contact Me
Questions or Comments
Send me a message or ask me a question using this form. I will do my best to get back to you soon!
Bette Koenig for the Waukesha School Board
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