Activist Toolkit

1. What motivates you to seek this office? What skills, experiences, and perspectives would you bring to the School Board, and why would those contributions be valuable to District 90?

My husband and I moved our family to River Forest in 2008, before our eldest child started kindergarten, for the excellent school system. During our time in the district my children have experienced a supportive learning environment with amazing teachers. We have four children with various learning styles who have all been educated in District 90 Schools. Our eldest is currently a senior in high school. We have a sophomore in high school, and two children at Roosevelt Middle School in the sixth and eighth grades. 

I was fortunate enough to be educated in a public school system that ignited my love for learning. That desire for learning had been a constant factor in my growth and development as a child and continues to fuel my ambitions as an adult. I am motivated to seek re-election to continue to serve the District 90 community by advocating for our mission and vision so all children can experience a love for learning. The skills that I bring include my consistent, compassionate, collaborative, and dedicated service to the District. The unique experiences and perspectives I bring are as a wife, mother, physician, mentor, medical educator, career advisor, community member, and incumbent board member. These contributions will be valuable to District 90 as they will help inform how we support a love for learning for all children. 

2. What steps will you take to improve and expand community engagement with the District and the School Board?  What is your view on how to involve stakeholders (i.e., District employees, parents, students, community members) in the District’s decision-making processes?

Over the last year we have seen a profound increase in community engagement thanks to the use of the Zoom platform. I would continue to use this platform moving forward in an effort to continue this engagement. Stakeholder participation could also be increased by expanding the opportunities for participation on committees, advisories, and focus groups in the District’s decision-making process. This represents a way to improve student empowerment by increasing student voice and choice.

3. Who or what is your role model for your approach to governing?

The model for governing as a school board member that I follow is the policy governance model. This means that as a board we work together to support our mission, realize our vision, and accomplish our goals. We do this as a team that works collaboratively to support policies that advance our strategic plan.

4. Give an example of a time when you worked to understand a situation or view different from your own.  What helped you to move through that process?  What hindered you as you moved through the process?

Some of the most difficult decisions we make occur during our closed sessions. To prepare for those sessions I educate myself around the topic, listen to my fellow board members’ and administrators’ point of view. I ask clarifying questions to increase my understanding of the different points of view and try to see things from the other person’s position. I work to make sure that our work aligns with our mission and vision.

5. What do you feel are the three biggest issues facing District 90, and how do you intend to address them? How will you prioritize among competing priorities? 

This past year has been traumatic for our students, parents, and community as a whole because of the COVID19 pandemic. One pressing issue will be navigating our collective recovery while continuing best practices around safety and social-emotional well-being. This will be addressed by increasing social support and encouraging student, teacher, parent, and community voices to help guide this recovery. Another issue is that we must continue to examine ways to improve equity by refining resource allocation to support students in their academic growth. Finally, the idea of establishing a full-day kindergarten option has been an ongoing community concern. We will actively examine options that could benefit our community. 

I would prioritize trauma recovery in order to improve the health of our students, staff, and parents. The newly formed Social Emotional Advisory Panel will lead the charge on this initiative. I would then address equity in education and explore a full-day kindergarten option in partnership with our administrative team and community stakeholders. Much of the work regarding equity has been addressed by the Inclusive Advisory Board and the Board of Education’s Equity Committee. This work should continue.

6. What do you believe has been the most significant action taken by D90 in recent years, and why? Do you believe the Board acted appropriately?

District 90’s work with the National Equity Project has been instrumental in elevating the sense of belonging that students, staff, and parents experience. This work was appropriately supported by the board. The gains that were made before this year will serve us well as we continue to address issues of systemic racism that have received national attention. We have seen how inequitable practices influence and inhabit myriad spaces. District 90’s vision for equity is clearly articulated: “To ensure that every student feels empowered to achieve to his or her full potential, we commit to provide equitable opportunities for all learners, grow an inclusive school community, and demonstrate we value diversity.” In collaboration with the National Equity Project our district has obtained tools to further this vision. I am excited to continue this work to create a truly diverse inclusive community that creates critical thinkers that are prepared to contribute to the global community.

7. How would you grade the District’s progress with respect to accessibility in recent years? What more work is needed? Please address both physical structures and virtual/information processes.

The District strives to maintain our facilities and websites so they can be accessible to all of our stakeholders. We have ADA compliant buildings and encourage our stakeholders to report any concerns that they have so they can be addressed promptly. 

8. How can the District best assess the extent to which it is providing a quality education to the children of River Forest?

The District can best assess the extent to which it is providing a quality education by evaluating our educational environment to determine whether it is supporting critical thinking and providing building blocks to develop a growth mindset. In addition, the quality of our education delivery should be evaluated by conducting formative assessments of our learners and use those results to actively inform instruction design. 

9. If you could create a brand new elementary public school district from scratch, what would it look like?

I would start with a bold school district motto:  “By Any Means Necessary - Equipping Children for a Lifetime of Success.” I would create a school that delivers education via active learning models and is facilitated by a diverse staff in an inclusive and resource-rich environment. School courses and subject matter would be integrated around student interest to improve mastery. Much of the learning would be project-based to teach children how to work and learn   collaboratively with a team. Children would learn through play, when appropriate, and have a full selection of art, music, and sport classes that would be open and accessible to all children. My school district would run year-round with intermittent two-week breaks through the year. Teachers would be empowered to use their gifts and skills to meet the needs of every child.

10. How do you define racial equity? Have recent events and discussions in the larger community informed or changed your thinking? 

Racial equity is realized when everyone has the same access to resources and all policies and systems that further inequities and disparities are dismantled. Inequitable educational funding models, disinvestment in communities, and perpetuation of negative stereotypes of various racial and ethnic groups in media outlets must end.   Recent events have strengthened my resolve for change.

11. How do you plan to solicit feedback from people who may be experiencing District 90 in a different way than you? What barriers do you believe may exist in this process?

I plan to solicit feedback through conversations, written communication, and District town hall meetings. I maintain an open mind, respect perspectives different from my own, and welcome feedback. The School Board represents the entirety of the District and all feedback is important when making decisions. 

There are several barriers to hearing from all stakeholders. Some are practical such as families being busy and not able to attend School Board meetings. Some barriers are philosophical in that some people may feel that their feedback is not genuinely considered. One lesson we have learned from the pandemic is that virtual platforms such as Zoom have increased School Board accessibility to many. As School Board members we have an obligation to consider all perspectives from the members of our community.

12. Special education is mandated by federal law. How will you set up structures to ensure ongoing concerns of families engaged with special education are addressed? What do you believe are the biggest issues facing families and children with special needs, and how will you work to see their needs are met?

District 90 has done a great job of being responsive to the needs of families engaged in special education. As a board we will continue to provide these services while addressing concerns of families. One of the biggest issues facing families with children who have special needs is the educational growth gap. I will continue to support the work of the Special Education Advisory Committee, encourage parents to participate on the committee, assess the District’s progress in reducing the educational gap, and propose ideas for improvement based on that assessment.

13. What is the state of the District’s finances? What changes, if any, would you make to the District’s budget?

District 90 has a AAA bond rating, the highest possible rating. This represents our School Board’s commitment to fiscal responsibility. Almost eighty percent of the operating fund expenditures cover salaries and benefits. Twenty percent covers all other expenditures including services, supplies, and capital outlay. Unfortunately, the District is currently in deficit spending. I will continue to look for areas where expenditures can be decreased while using bonds to cover expenses. I will also work with the Board to explore ways to bring additional revenue into the District. 

14. The District 90 mission is “to inspire a love of learning and ensure educational excellence for every child.” How do you define educational excellence, and what should be the role of the District in accomplishing this mission? [For incumbents: What actions have you taken in office to achieve it?]

Educational excellence is defined as every child being confident in their ability to use a critical thinking framework to solve problems. These problems can be academic or social emotional. As an incumbent, I have chaired the District 90’s Education Committee which expanded the use of formative student assessments and adopted the use of Standard Based Grading. Formative assessments have been used to direct education delivery in real-time and enhance student learning. Standards Based Grading has been used to more accurately evaluate learning and mastery of skills. 

15. What is your position on providing a full-day kindergarten option in the district? What do you see as the primary benefits and challenges to providing full-day kindergarten? 

I support providing a full-day kindergarten option in the district. I think the benefits are numerous including providing kindergarteners increased time to learn and play with classmates, increased opportunity to develop social skills, opportunity for learning difficulties to be identified early, and fewer disruptive transitions during the day. The biggest challenge to full-day kindergarten is the financial burden. There would necessarily be an increase in cost for the teachers and the facilities.

16. School districts across the US have taken steps to address inequities in their districts. Please give an example of inequity in District 90 and how you propose to address it.

An example of inequity in District 90 is seen when comparing summative assessment results of student subgroups—ethnicity, IEP, English language learner—in our community. When examining the assessments, we see variability in achievement and growth across subgroups in reading and math. I will address this by working in collaboration with other Board members to support the work of the Education Equity Committee along with the Inclusion and Advisory Board. I will vote for policies that aim to correct these inequities. 

17. Are there any policy considerations you would recommend going forward as a result of the pandemic? Acknowledging the negative impact the pandemic has had, have there been any structural or cultural changes as a result of the pandemic that you think may be beneficial to the District going forward?

One of the most significant changes resulting from the pandemic is how the School Board conducts meetings—we began using the virtual Zoom platform. This change allowed for greater access to the School Board by the stakeholders as evidenced by greater community participation in School Board meetings. This increased participation provided invaluable input while the School Board deliberated, debated, and made difficult decisions. In order to maintain accessibility and participation, I will recommend that the School Board continues to use the virtual platform.

18. What is your understanding of the Board’s past work on gender inclusivity? Do you support gender inclusivity? Please explain. 

The Board commissioned an ad hoc Gender Inclusiveness Committee to support equal opportunity and inclusion for transgender and gender expansive students. I have supported gender inclusivity while on the board by voting for policies and procedures that accommodate transgender and gender expansive students. 

19. Educational and business leaders have begun to use a "cradle-to-career" framework when talking about education. Please discuss the role of D90 within the "cradle-to-career" framework.

District 90 joined the Oak Park River Forest Community Foundation’s Success for All Youth (SAY) initiative seven years ago to support “cradle-to-career” efforts. As a SAY partner, District 90 focuses on social and emotional development of students to foster a sense of belonging and to develop self-efficacy and executive functioning skills. The District focuses on cognitive and academic skills, such as competency in literary and math skills, to prepare them for both career and non-career life activities. Finally, the District has provided access to mental and behavioral health services. This work is done in collaboration with community partners.

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[The above answers were supplied on 2/19/21.]