My name is Eric Brooks. I have spent my adult life advocating for students, families, and conservative values. I am an educator at heart. From my time working in childcare, to my experience in the classroom, to my years as a grassroots activist, I have always fought to ensure that every student, regardless of their background, receives the best education possible and is able to reach their full potential. 

For years, I had the opportunity to work with and support students with disabilities, students with significant behavioral challenges, and students experiencing mental health issues. These experiences taught me the importance of patience, empathy, and effective communication. In my time as an educator, I had the privilege of working alongside a lot of great teachers and I saw first-hand what can happen when we come together to deliver results for students–but I also saw a lot of opportunities where the system falls short and where we need to constantly strive for growth.

The COVID-19 pandemic irreparably changed public education. I watched my students struggle with the challenges of virtual learning, slowly losing their passion for school. I remember the desperation from parents who felt like they were out of options and were about to give up. I felt the anxiety that many teachers felt not knowing if students were okay when they didn’t sign onto their Zoom meeting for weeks. I knew that the system was failing our students, and I felt powerless because I knew that there was only so much that I could do to change it. 

I made the difficult decision to leave the classroom and focus instead on affecting education policy. I worked closely with parents and advocates to organize and take back control of their children’s education. I’ve stood side by side with parents to ensure that their voices are heard and respected and that schools are focused on education, not indoctrination. In Madison, I worked closely with policy makers, stakeholders and parents to help craft bipartisan legislation to transform the way that we teach reading in Wisconsin. The world of education is constantly changing–we need to be willing to be innovative and creative so that we can meet the needs of every child.

Over the last three years, the Waukesha School Board has become a leader in Southeast Wisconsin for K-12 education. We are already starting to see the results of the bold leadership of the current board, but we need to keep that momentum going. I’m running to continue the successes that we’ve seen over the last three years, while also looking toward the future so that we can continue to meet the needs of an ever-changing student population, dynamic job marketplace and challenges in the classroom that didn’t exist until recent years. 

I look forward to having the opportunity to earn the trust of the Waukesha community and earn your vote on April 2nd. I believe that my time in the classroom, my experience working on education policy, and my years as a tireless advocate for children and families will help me serve our community effectively and deliver an Education that Empowers Everyone. 

My Priorities–Education that Empowers Everyone 

A quality education is the key that opens the door to success and opportunity. When our students thrive, our community thrives. But we can’t treat education as a one-size-fits-all approach. What success looks like for one student may be very different for another. We need to make sure that we are meeting kids and families where they are at and providing them with multiple pathways to success. 

Education should lift up everyone. We have to empower students, parents, and educators to create a product that can help serve as the foundation for a strong community. 

I’m running to:

• Ensure that parents ALWAYS have a voice in their child’s education

• Drive academic achievement to make sure that our students are college and career ready

• Improve behaviors in the classroom

• Hold the line for taxpayers and continue Waukesha’s tradition of fiscal responsibility