1. What do you believe is the role of the school board member?
The role of a school board member is to represent the voice of the community responsibly. A school board needs to be able to develop policies and a budget that encompass the student body, staff, and community’s needs while being fiscally responsible.
2. What do you see as the most pressing challenges facing the district and how will you address them?
A few of the most pressing challenges our district faces are disproportionate funding, teacher turnover, and lack of continuity throughout our buildings. Staff in our buildings need to be trained on grant writing. Too often there are funds available to us and they go unclaimed. I believe Peotone is used as a stepping stone for new teachers. Teachers stay for three years to build their resume and then they move on to better districts. We need to support teachers better, so they want to stay. Starting with better pay is only part of the solution. We ask our teachers to do too much without recognition and acknowledgement. We need to champion our teachers. Lack of continuity in our buildings can be addressed by allowing our staff to get together on institute days and plan together.
3. How would you work to engage families and the community and ensure all voices are heard?
To ensure all voices are heard I would develop a parent led focus group. This group would act to represent the voice of families. Monthly meetings would occur. I would also want a summary of each meeting to be presented at each school board meeting. Once we identify the issues, we can work to develop solutions.
4. How will you promote inclusivity?
The first step in promoting inclusivity is to identify where the bias is. We can’t fix what we don’t know is broken. I would develop an anonymous questionnaire for students, staff, and families to first find out where we need to start.
5. What is your plan to address teacher shortages and retention?
Teacher shortages and retention are problems in our district. I would start by paying a decent wage. I would also increase the pay for extracurriculars. I was only a school administrator for three years, but the teachers that were under me always felt respected, valued, and heard. Having an open door where teachers know they can go to be heard is key in having teachers want to stay. The school board needs to be present in buildings. Having a more hands on board will allow staff and families to recognize that we are here to support the district.
6. How would you balance issues concerning safety, discipline, educator, and student mental wellness?
The first thing I would investigate as a school board member would be to research the benefits of AI and security cameras. There are other districts that have state of the art AI detection cameras to ensure student and staff safety. Discipline should be kept at the building levels and handled by the building administration. If a parent brings an issue to the school board, then the board should do their due diligence and investigate. Teacher burnout is real, especially at this time of year. We can only throw pizza and trinkets at teachers for so long. Addressing burnout goes hand in hand with hiring the right kind of administration. Our administrators need to be in classrooms and hallways. Sitting inside their office looking at a computer is not what I like to see when it comes to building admin. Teachers don’t want pizza bought for lunch or another institute day learning about how to combat teacher burnout…they want self-care gift cards, their class to be covered from time to time, and to be appreciated. Students need to be taught it is ok to feel overwhelmed. Students could utilize a teacher mentor they can meet with to make a connection. Students need to feel like they belong.
7. What is your philosophy on the role of technology and digital resources in the classroom?
I think technology is great when it comes to education, but sometimes all we need is paper and pencil. Some teachers utilize websites, such as teacher pay teachers, as their complete lesson. Resources such as TPT should be used to supplement the lesson, not be the foundation of it. I think technology should serve as a tool, not the all-encompassing delivery of a lesson. Technology allows us to develop an entire new way to collaborate if used correctly.
8. How would you address the need for updated school sports fields?
First and foremost, we need a football field at our high school, a paved track and baseball/softball fields that we own. We can also start with a better concession stand at home games. I am bias, but the Peotone Blue Demons do a phenomenal job with their concession stand. If you haven’t had the chance to eat at one of their home games, you should definitely check it out. We can start this process by identifying where all of these new fields should go, making sure we are able to build there, and then take bids on developing and building what we need.
9. How should school funding be allocated to best serve the needs of students and educators?
Funding is a tricky topic to attack because I know when funds are raised for a specific reason, they must only be used for that reason. As far as money provided by the district, I think each department should develop a budget and present it based on their current and projected needs. The community has shown how they rally to the needs that are vocalized when it comes to our small town.
10. Would you support a “phones away for the day” policy? Locking up students’ phones in lockers or magnetized bags?
I believe a commonsense approach to phones is what needs to happen. When I was a school administrator, managing phones took on a life of its own. If the expectations are not followed there needs to be a clear path of graduated consequences that require parent involvement. Magnetized bags, in my opinion, are a ridiculous option.