I've received many messages of support since launching my website, but many of the people who reach out do not live in High School District C (see the map here). Because Missoula County residents can only vote for trustees in their own district of residence, and because this website is seeing a lot of traffic, I decided to reach out to other trustee candidates registered to run in the 2022 trustee election in order to provide an opportunity for them to provide a statement on their views. My hope is to aggregate these statements into one place, and to classify candidates as pro-science or anti-science. Information on the methodology for doing this is provided below.

Disclaimer

The information provided below is not intended as an endorsement of any particular candidate. All of the information provided below consists of statements directly from each candidate, or links or references to external articles or websites which include a candidate's statements, unless otherwise indicated. This information is provided in order to help you make an informed choice in the school board election and select pro-science candidates, but it is also provided without warranty or guarantee as to accuracy. Please research each candidate further and/or contact the candidates directly in order to fully inform yourself on the candidate's positions on issues which are important to you.

If you are a candidate on this page and I have listed any factually incorrect information about you, feel free to contact me and I will correct it if proof is provided.

Jump to a Candidate

If you're looking for information on someone in particular, you can jump to them by clicking on their name here. Candidates are listed alphabetically by last name.

👍🏻 Pro-Science

Nathan Gibson

✅ Pro-Science + Educator Union Endorsed (MEA/MMCEO)

Wilena Old Person Ann Wake Arlene Walker-Andrews Meg Whicher Keegan Witt Rob Woelich (Me)

❓ Unknown/No Response

Nathan Gibson

👎🏻 Anti-Science

Michael Gehl Amy Livesay Taylor Ramos Karen Sherman Jill Taber Beth Wanberg

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By District

Elementary District (City of Missoula)

Nathan Gibson Amy Livesay Wilena Old Person Jill Taber Beth Wanberg Meg Whicher Keegan Witt

High School District A (Lolo, Woodman, De Smet)

Karen Sherman Ann Wake

High School District B (Target Range and Bonner)

Taylor Ramos Arlene Walker-Andrews

High School District C (Hellgate Elementary)

Michael Gehl Rob Woelich (Me)

The following candidates are known to hold pro-science views, or have provided statements in support of science-based policies, curriculum, and decision-making.

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👍🏻 Nathan Gibson Elementary District

Nathan is running for the MCPS Elementary District. I reached out to Nathan on February 12, 2022 with the questionnaire email above. He replied with the responses below, as well as that he is a microbiologist and works as a research scientist at the University of Montana.

Nathan provided the following responses to my questions:

Why are you running for the school board? What are some of your priorities if you win?

I'm running for school board because young people are our future, and I don't think we're investing in them enough. There's a lot of controversy recently around schools and curriculum that is turning education into a political battleground, and it feels like we've lost sight of what should be the highest priority; the education and wellbeing of our future generations and the community.

What do you think about following current scientific recommendations - for school curriculum, response to COVID-19, or anything else which ties into "following the science"?

We have experts for a reason and we should listen to them. Parents are great advocates for their children, and they should have a voice when making these decisions, but ultimately the weight of consideration should go towards education and health experts. Not only do they have expertise and access to data to better provide advice, but we need to be looking at what is best for the 'whole'.

How do you plan to respond to county residents and parents who are unreasonable in their statements and opinions, and who demand actions which are not in the best interests of all students, teachers, or our community?

Let them make their demands and statements of opinions. They deserve to be heard, but we need to be able to recognize the difference between what is reasonable and what isn't, and what is emotionally charged versus was is data-driven and viable, and we need to keep in mind that the loudest voices don't always speak for the majority.

How do you think we can best address the growing "anti-science" sentiment in our country, including the draw of fringe groups such as "Q" which are entrapping loved ones and others who used to be logical, reasonable people?

The best we can do, especially in regards to a role in education, is look to the future. I believe critical thinking and the ability to differentiate facts and truth from opinions and propaganda are some of the most important skills that we can teach in schools. If we focus on that we'll be setting up the future for success.

Nathan also answered questions for the Missoulian in April.

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✅ Educator Union Endorsed (MEA/MMCEO)

The pro-science candidates below are all "educator endorsed" by the Missoula Education Association (MEA) and the Merged Missoula Classified Employees Organization (MMCEO), the unions representing the majority of the faculty and staff in Missoula-area schools.

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👍🏻 Wilena Old Person Current Trustee Elementary District MEA/MMCEO Endorsed

Wilena is a current MCPS Elementary District trustee. She has historically voted in favor of science-based policies and decisions, such as continuing mask mandates when it was appropriate. I reached out to her on February 12, 2022 with the questionnaire email above, and will update this section if I receive a response. Wilena also answered questions for the Missoulian in April.

Wilena, Meg and Keegan share a common platform and views, and they all appreciate the role that science, logic and reason play in the school system and in the curriculum.

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👍🏻 Ann Wake Current Trustee High School District A MEA/MMCEO Endorsed

Ann is a current MCPS High School District A trustee, and has a background in education. She could be classified as pro-science based on her history as a trustee.

I reached out to Ann on March 6, 2022 with the questionnaire email above. Ann declined to answer any of my questions, citing the avoidance of politics. Ann did answer questions for the Missoulian in April, though.

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👍🏻 Arlene Walker-Andrews Current Trustee High School District B MEA/MMCEO Endorsed

Arlene is a current MCPS High School District B trustee. She was appointed in 2021, and is running for election to maintain the seat.

I met with Arlene in January 2022 to discuss running for the MCPS school board, and to share thoughts and plans. Arlene is pro-science with a background in education, though she also recognizes the need to consider all available information when making policy decisions. I reached out to her on February 12, 2022 with the questionnaire email above, and she responded that she is working on a response. I have also been in frequent contact with Arlene, and she has a great deal of experience and insight into public education and the related issues.

Arlene answered questions for the Missoulian in April.

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👍🏻 Meg Whicher Elementary District MEA/MMCEO Endorsed

Meg is running for the MCPS Elementary District. Wilena, Meg and Keegan share a common platform and views, and they all appreciate the role that science, logic and reason play in the school system and in the curriculum.

I reached out to Meg on February 12, 2022 with the questionnaire email above, and have not yet received a reply. I will update this section if I receive a response. I have received other correspondence from Meg since then, and have worked to collaborate with her and Keegan where able.

Meg's website can be found at https://megwhicher.squarespace.com . Meg also answered questions for the Missoulian in April.

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👍🏻 Keegan Witt Elementary District MEA/MMCEO Endorsed

Keegan is running for the MCPS Elementary District. I reached out to Keegan on February 12, 2022 with the questionnaire email above. I have also spoken with Keegan quite a bit since that time. Wilena, Meg and Keegan share a common platform and views, and they all appreciate the role that science, logic and reason play in the school system and in the curriculum.

Keegan's website can be found at https://Keegan4MCPS.com .

Keegan provided the following responses to my questions:

Why are you running for the school board? What are some of your priorities if you win?

I decided to run for school board to keep moving Missoula schools forward and provide financial expertise to the board. Schools and other governmental entities have the most complex accounting rules out there. My understanding is currently there are no fiscal experts on the board and I believe it is part of good governance to have a trustee with deeper knowledge of accounting and budgeting. Another reason being I was concerned the school board could become politicized. I want to keep the board away from the political and cultural issues of the day. My priorities are to keep Missoula schools a safe place for all students to learn and to grow. The board's role is to set the direction of the schools and I want to help them implement the strategic plan the board approved on September 28, 2021. Overall it is about governance and now hiring a good superintendent, since Rob is resigning, to help carry out the vision the board places in front of them.

What do you think about following current scientific recommendations - for school curriculum, response to COVID-19, or anything else which ties into "following the science"?

The scientific method takes a hypothesis and tests it before drawing conclusions and rethinking the hypothesis. This process from the outside at times can look like you don't know what you are doing while it is actually the opposite. In practice with COVID-19 it has led to changing recommendations as they learn more about the virus. The virus itself is not stagnant during this time and mutates causing different symptoms and varying levels of contagiousness and severity. As I am an accountant and not a virologist I do not claim to be an expert in the area and I defer to those who are experts and doing the actual research and as such will follow their recommendations. It is important to point out that reading a "news" article on facebook does not count as doing research. Research on this and any area is done by following the scientific method. In general we should trust experts in their field as they studied it and when there is a consensus among those experts we really need to listen to them. This does not make them infallible however their research and opinions should be valued and respected as they are more likely correct.

How do you plan to respond to county residents and parents who are unreasonable in their statements and opinions, and who demand actions which are not in the best interests of all students, teachers, or our community?

Make them know they are heard and considered. Everyone has a voice and not all are based in reason however being dismissive is not helpful and raises tensions. I will ask them questions about their views, try to understand them, and look for some common ground when possible. In the end, we have to respect the decisions made even if we disagree with them. On the school board I am committed to following the decisions made whether I voted for them or not. I admit in the face of people screaming at the top of their lungs there is not much that can be done or said. They are already angry and they can speak their mind however I do not think it is productive to engage in a conversation when no respect for the other person is being shown.

How do you think we can best address the growing "anti-science" sentiment in our country, including the draw of fringe groups such as "Q" which are entrapping loved ones and others who used to be logical, reasonable people?

I wish I had a solution to this problem and if it was solved easily the issue would be dead already. Generally I believe it is on all of us to keep engaging with those who have fallen down internet rabbit holes to help them out. This is nearly impossible to do with strangers but when a loved one starts reading information being there to pose questions to get them to second guess their misplaced beliefs is crucial.

Keegan also answered questions for the Missoulian in April.

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👍🏻 Rob Woelich (Me) High School District C MEA/MMCEO Endorsed

Since this is my website, I'm not really an "other candidate" - however, it was a little odd not including my name in the list with everyone else. Please explore the rest of this website to learn more about me, as well as why I'm running for the MCPS board this year. Thanks!

The following candidates are known to hold anti-science views, or have provided statements in opposition of science-based policies, curriculum, and decision-making. I did not reach out to any of them because their views are publicly available.

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👎🏻 Michael Gehl Current Trustee High School District C

Michael Gehl is the current trustee for High School District C. He was appointed to the position in 2021. I am running against him.

Michael is affiliated with the Western Montana Liberty Coalition , which is a Missoula-based group in opposition of science-based policies. I will not link to their website here due to the disinformation they spread, but you are free to find them via Google. The group publicly posts COVID disinformation on their website (including the use of Ivermectin and "alternate" treatment protocols), advocates for "parental rights" in schools which include opting out of race-related education topics and mental health services, and affiliates with many other similar groups. They are also responsible for organizing the mask and vaccine protests on Reserve Street which occur weekly, and they oppose mask and vaccine mandates in their entirety.

More information on Michael Gehl and why he is a dangerous candidate can be found on the Why MCPS page. Of note is that he has been a disruptive force on the board, being the only one to routinely not wear a mask when it is required by district policy. He has also removed his children from the public school system to homeschool them as a result of mask mandates.

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👎🏻 Amy Livesay Elementary District

Amy Livesay is a candidate for the MCPS Elementary District.

Amy is affiliated with Michael Gehl and the Western Montana Liberty Coalition , described above. Amy maintains a blog titled Treeline Wife where she contemplates religion, and laments our "loss of freedom" and how the current administration and their party are taking over the United States with "socialism" and "communism". Beyond clearly having partisan opinions and affiliations, she opposes mask mandates and homeschools her children . She appears in many local news articles as being routinely vocal about such matters.

Amy's interesting opinions are tied to websites which push science disinformation like The Epoch Times, a website featuring anti-science articles and COVID disinformation. Amy suggests that we are all being lied to, that she knows better, and that others read disinformation sites as well:

As I mentioned in my About page, I cannot sit by and say nothing while we are actively encouraged to believe and live by lies, deception and hate all the while being bullied if we do not agree to those lies. Our children are actively and secretly being targeted through the media, the public schools, planned parenthood and other Marxist organizations. Did you know that? Maybe you do, maybe you don't. I stuck my head in the sand for a long time but no longer. It is time to wake up so here are some resources to help you with that.

Subscribe to and read The Epoch Times. It is hard to find real information. I constantly feel like the facts are being misrepresented, twisted, and used for an agenda. The Epoch Times has shed light on so many questions I have. What is Antifa, who and when did it start. What is Black Lives Matter and should I support it? (No.) Plus, it encourages me that other people of all races agree with me. Those of us who hold traditional Christian values and love America and respect it's heroes are not in the minority nor are we wrong. On top of all of that, they have great lifestyle topics on homeschooling, health, aging and more. READ IT. You will not regret it.

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👎🏻 Taylor Ramos High School District B

Taylor Ramos is a trustee candidate for High School District B.

Taylor was the Campus Coordinator of Turning Point USA at the University of Montana as recently as 2020. Turning Point USA is a nationwide political group dedicated to advancing conservative views and policies in high school and college campuses. The organization started a "School Board Watchlist" in 2021, which publishes the names and photos of school board members which voted in support of mask mandates, COVID-19 vaccinations, and certain curriculum which the organization finds objectionable. The group is similar to the Western Montana Liberty Coalition in their goals and objectives related to disrupting school systems and school boards with anti-science movements.

Taylor is also married to Jesse Ramos, a former Missoula City councilman. Jesse made calls for smaller government and less spending which were reasonable, but he also advocated against COVID-related mandates on the basis of anti-science positions in November 2020. Such claims included that only older people with pre-existing conditions were at risk of serious effects, that leaving it to individual choice to wear masks or isolate was a sufficient response, and that COVID restrictions were nothing more than a hidden authoritarian power grab designed to strip people of civil liberties and individual rights. He also made these claims on the basis that he had contracted COVID-19, that he had a "quick and speedy recovery" because he was young and in good health, and that the majority of cases were like his - without giving due consideration to the 250,000 people in the United States who had died at that point, what had the potential to become around a million dead a year and a half later, or what is likely to be millions of people who will live with lifelong disabilities even though they survived COVID.

Because Taylor and Jesse were engaged at the time these statements were made, and were married afterwards, it can be assumed that Taylor shares Jesse's opinions.

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👎🏻 Karen Sherman High School District A

Karen Sherman is a trustee candidate for High School District A.

Karen is affiliated with Michael Gehl, and signed onto his questionable letter of support for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen (see the Why MCPS page for more information). Aside from the letter's anti-science views, Karen has also made statements against refugees, and blames Muslim refugees for increases in crime worldwide :

"[Amarillo] is failing because of the refugees. We have 22 different languages spoken in our schools. We've got 42 languages being fielded by our 9-1-1 call centres, and crime is just through the roof. We need to exercise caution, especially for the sake of our children."

"The rape epidemic in this world is becoming pandemic. It's not confined to one location. Fifteen years ago in Norway, rape was unheard of. Now it's an epidemic. The perpetrators are 100 percent Muslim males."

She said the U.S., founded on Judeo-Christian principles of tolerance and respect, should not expect people from developing cultures to share its values.

She said expecting Muslim refugees, "who have been taught for thousands of years of violence," to come to the U.S. and assimilate to the way of life is "dangerous and foolish expectation."

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👎🏻 Jill Taber Elementary District

Jill Taber is a candidate for the MCPS Elementary District.

Jill is affiliated with Michael Gehl and the Western Montana Liberty Coalition , described above under Mr. Gehl. She has made public comments against mask mandates and other COVID restrictions, claiming that there is no science to them and insisting that as parents she and her husband know better than what the global scientific community says:

I'm beyond tired. There's no rhyme, reason, or SCIENCE to support a continued mask requirement in our schools. In 500 days, we've learned that COVID is NOT a pediatric disease (a physician friend told me this even BEFORE the pandemic), that serious cases among children are extremely rare, and that kids are NOT spreading the disease.

It didn't take a pandemic for me to know that my husband and I know what is best for our children and our family. In 500 days, EVERY family within MCPS has chosen how to best deal with COVID.

NO MASKS for 2021-2022 at MCPS. Enough is enough. If the district requires elementary age children to wear masks, telling them their presence is not welcome -- DANGEROUS -- unless they cover their face, we risk a horrendous and continued assault on their confidence as human beings. Further mask mandates for our children will further cripple their passions and abilities for learning, socializing, and maturing into young adults who can think for themselves.

Jill also has a generic campaign website which touts "common sense and dialogue", but which also conveniently omits her true feelings on science, masks, and COVID.

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👎🏻 Beth Wanberg Elementary District

Beth Wanberg is a candidate for the MCPS Elementary District. She was the last entry for 2022, filing on the final day to register for the school board election.

On Beth's Facebook page , many posts can be found which show that she holds anti-science and related positions. Beth:

• Believes that medical experts and heads of government are lying (source)
• Thinks that "ANTIFA" is out for murder and mayhem (source)
• Cheered objections to electoral vote certifications on January 6, as they happened (source)
• Still shares content which alleges, and seems to believe herself, that the 2020 election was stolen (source)

Beth also shares content from Crosspoint Community Church, the church affiliated with the Western Montana Liberty Coalition and which Michael Gehl and the other anti-science candidates are largely affiliated with. Finally, Beth signed a petition for a "full forensic audit of Missoula County and all Montana counties' 2020 general election results", and both her and her husband Gary have run for Montana House districts unsuccessfully.