Candidate Profile: Mushir Hassan for Elmbrook School District

BROOKFIELD, WI—The 2021 election is heating up in Wisconsin and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Voters will also decide the outcome of state representative, senate seats and local government and school boards.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Mushir Hassan, a current Elmbrook School Board member-at-large, tells Patch why he should retain his seat on the board.

Age (as of Election Day)

51

Position Sought

Elmbrook School District School Board Member At-Large

Party Affiliation

Family

Married to Orusa Mozaffar, PharmD, 4 daughters in Elmbrook Schools, senior and sophomore at BCHS, 7th grade at WHMS, and 5th grade at Swanson

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

no

Education

BS Biomedical Engineering Northwestern University, MD Northwestern University

Occupation

internal medicine physician and VP Medical Affairs/Chief Medical Officer Elmbrook Hospital

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Elmbrook School Board, At large member

Campaign website

Facebook: Mushir Hassan for Elmbrook School Board

Why are you seeking elective office?

to serve the community in ensuring that our school district remains best in class.

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

Coming out of the pandemic and ensuring that our students receive the educational, social, and emotional support they need to succeed.

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

I have a positive and collaborative leadership style to help facilitate change for the better. I have a track record of offering solutions and results.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Incumbent. I do note that my challenger has never attended a board meeting in person.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I think our school district response has been exemplary and a state leader. It has been in keeping with CDC and DHS guidelines with appropriate latitude taken to ensure as much social interaction for our students as possible. It has also been compliant with our liability insurers directives. This ensures that by following CDC/DHS guidance, we are not leaving the taxpayer at risk with a cancelled liability policy due to non compliance.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My interest is ensuring that each student learner is provided the necessary resources and opportunities to succeed in our system and beyond. This involves prudent use of resources and staff to best educate our learners. This also requires engaged and motivated staff who view our district as a destination district with a collaborative approach from the board and administrative team.

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

I have led the district pandemic response as chair of the medical advisory board. This has also involved being a resource for staff as questions about safe return to the workplace arose.
I have been a strong proponent of early childhood education and feel that our addition of 4K will better prepare our youngest learners with literacy and numeracy skills along with an important source of structure as they too come out of a pandemic year.

I have also been engaged as a district volunteer for 20 years in different capacities to better understand at a grass roots level how education is delivered to our students. Most recently, I have been a LAUNCH coach for students looking to learn real world industry experience as part of their high school curriculum. I applaud our district for being innovative in better preparing our students for post graduation options.

As a taxpayer, I have also been pleased with previous board work to keep our AAA bond rating and the health care cost savings realized due to our internal wellness center, saving millions that could be better spent on in person education.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Smile before you speak and people can see it in your eyes.

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

I have a long track record of leadership experience working with a variety of stakeholders to achieve concrete goals in a collaborative manner. This is instrumental in fulfilling the role of a board member.