Director Bob Michaelson, SCCSD

10/26/2025

There are seven candidates running for the Sioux City Community School District

10/24/2025

Thank you, KSCJ, for the opportunity to have a discussion in an untimed forum.

In this interview, you can hear my thoughts on staying in your lane, conflicts of interest, and transparency, as well as my concerns about our last two board meetings. Thanks for listening!

News, weather, and interviews from the biggest newsmakers from coast to coast with Mark Hahn.

10/12/2025

Who else is looking for a sign? Follow the link to give me your name and address. https://forms.gle/ii4S2i6MVeub7hzF8

Thanks for your support!

10/05/2025

Education has been my career and passion for over four decades. Our district has made great strides in the past few years, but there is always more to be done.

Our cabinet and staff have done incredible work during a contentious time in education. We are confidently moving in the right direction:

- Reading instruction has returned to the middle schools.
- ELL programming has improved significantly with new curriculum resources and the addition of over 30 ELL teachers.
- Staff continues to strengthen support for special-needs students.
- Cell phone policy and behavior protocols have been instituted and supported.
- The middle school model is back in place, fostering academic and social-emotional growth.

What comes next is up to the staff. I believe it is a mistake for any board or community member to pretend that they “know better” than our experts who are doing the work every day. The agenda items that I have championed were supported solely because they were what the majority of staff said they needed for students to thrive.

We need leadership that is for something. It’s easy to be critical or look for things you don’t like, but that mindset is counterproductive and divisive.

In all we do, in all we say, we either make the world better or we don’t. The focus needs to stay on students and staff, and the result will undeniably make our community stronger. With your vote, I will continue to make every effort, every day, to make Sioux City a better place for our students, staff, and ultimately for our community.

09/05/2025

Bobby Michaelson is running again for Sioux City School Board, Dan Greenwell may too

12/07/2024

I was publicly scolded at our last board meeting. During a previous work session, I mentioned the possibility of expanding our ELL (English Language Learners) program or bringing back our newcomer center. My words (33:31 of the video below) were taken out of context to the point where it was suggested that I wanted to take our schools back to a time before Brown vs. Board of Education.

People who have never spoken to me publicly questioned my integrity and desire to help staff and students, so I want to be clear about my intentions. For the record, here is an excerpt from the transcript of the work session:

“…THAT PUTS KIDS IN POSITION TO HEAL AND PUTS KIDS IN A POSITION TO BE BETTER, RIGHT? NOT TO JUST CONTAIN THEM UNTIL THEY MOVE ON TO THE NEXT LEVEL, NOT TO CONTAIN THEM UNTIL THEY GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL, BUT ACTUALLY PUT THEM IN A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN THRIVE.”

Our English Language Learners account for almost a quarter of our student enrollment. Sioux City is increasingly diverse, serving kids from all over the world, with all levels of ability. Many of our new students have never been in a school before, and a large percentage speak zero English.

It's important to remember that we are not just talking about Spanish-speaking students. We have kids speaking dozens of different languages, many of them isolated by their inability to communicate with anyone else in their school building.

How can we better support an eighth grader who doesn’t speak English in a Writing class? How can we expect a high schooler to explain their knowledge of Biology concepts? These are questions that keep teachers up at night, and they need help.

Since I began this, everything that I have brought forward to the board and to leadership has been requested by staff members. I'm advocating for these children, advocating for the concerns of our teachers, and advocating for the future of our community.

What I’m suggesting would probably look different at every level. Elementary, middle, and high school students have different needs. I don’t dictate what we do, or how we do it. I’m just saying that we need to do more.

The reality is that I am one/seventh the boss of the superintendent, and only one of seven votes on agenda items. Where that is concerned, please check board voting records. I have fully supported ELL staffing, funding, and services at every turn, and I will continue to do so.

We need to put our teachers and students in a position to be successful, and we need to support the administrative team trying to do just that.

IN TERMS OF WHAT TYPES OF IMPACT HAS YOUR PAST INTERACTION WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DISTRICT STAFF MEMBER A SCHOOL STAFF MEMBER HAD HAD ON YOU, AND HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THE DISTRICT? YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN AS THE VERY POSITIVE 11%.

01/29/2022

Yes!! ❤️

12/09/2021

Contrary to widespread misinformation, the Sioux City School Board has not proposed that Counselors, Co-teachers, Interventionists, Librarians, or other teachers of students be added to the sub pool. In fact, we haven’t even had a chance to discuss upcoming agenda items yet.

It sickens me that this misinformation was so widespread, and that it caused such unnecessary distress. This is not the way to improve morale.

My goal is to increase support for teachers, principals, and building staff. I want to decrease your workload, not take you away from your students.

We have millions of dollars worth of highly-qualified teachers who never get to work with students. Let’s take our best players off the bench and get them back in the game during this subbing crisis, shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest of the team.

I’m not going to hide my intent, and I’m not coming at anybody sideways. We have to be willing to work together.

Thank you to all of you who reached out to verify the facts and attempted to reassure your colleagues. You’re the reason this will all work out.

11/01/2021

Three months ago, nobody cared what I thought about vaccines and masks. However, I am now tasked with developing a political stance on a medical issue during an unprecedented time in history.

Here’s the thing, I’m a retired teacher who runs a bar. I have zero medical background, so what I think is simply my opinion.

As a potential school board member, I recognize that my opinions are no longer private. It’s imperative that people in positions of leadership are honest and direct. Being coy or misleading about my beliefs would not be fair to you, and it’s simply not my style.

I am not running for school board to impose mandates or force my beliefs on others. I am running for school board to assist in guiding the education of your children. I don’t think, hope, or wish that I can do that. I know that I can do that.

I believe that a school board making medical decisions is absurd at best. At a time when we should be focused on educational matters, we, as a community, are fixated on vaccines and masks in an educational forum.

What makes this so gut-wrenching is that nobody knows the right course. The landscape is ever-changing, making it difficult for me to firmly “plant my flag.”

Our local Covid positivity rates are decreasing, and vaccines will soon be available for children ages 5-11. Personally, I believe in vaccines. Yet I would not support a vaccine mandate.

I hope that I am never asked to vote on a mask mandate. If put in this position, I would vote according to the recommendations of our local health department and local doctors. They are the experts in our community and I feel confident that they would guide us to the right decision.

On Tuesday you vote. Know that if you elect me, you can always expect this level of consideration and candor. We should be able to have these discussions without threats and personal attacks.

We are the Sioux City Community School District. The word Community is at the very center of our title and should be at the heart of everything we do. Community means everybody, and our common ground is that we want our children to be safe and in school so they can learn.

Regardless of Tuesday’s results, I implore you to “keep your eye on the ball” no matter what you think of my stance on masks and vaccines. We cannot let these decisions divide us as a community or distract us from providing the best possible education for our children.

10/31/2021

Since the reporting deadline, my campaign has written two more check for billboards and radio ads.

All remaining money will be donated to the Little Yellow Dog Charitable Organization to help local children.

Thank you for all your input and support!

Michaelson’s campaign received donations of $4,045. Shaun Broyhill has the most self-loaned funding.

10/28/2021

Make your voice heard by voting in the November 2nd school board election. Your colleagues have assessed the candidates running and recommend Bob Michaelson for School Board.

Find out more about recommended candidates and how to cast your ballot on ISEA’s School Election Toolkit: https://isea.org/political-action-elections/school-election-toolkit/