I believe that a needs analysis should be conducted independently for both schools and the Transition Center. This will help identify and prioritize what the district works on. People are our most valuable asset and the district’s greatest strength. I believe we have the necessary talent within the district, and along with parent and community support, we can achieve great things together.

A better understanding of how our curriculum impacts graduates should be obtained by canvassing our most recent graduates, along with those who have graduated up to 25 years ago. By understanding what has worked for our graduates, we’ll be better able to help students and parents make great curriculum choices while in D86 that will facilitate the best college/career outcomes. 

Board Effectiveness and Collaboration

I am running independently for a position on the board. I’m not running against anyone or with anyone. I  expect to work collaboratively with whoever is elected and the three returning Board Members. I  believe that the effectiveness of the Board requires the most attention. I am trained and experienced in organizational effectiveness and can lead our team through a process to improve  collaboration and results. 

District Legal Fees

From what I’ve seen in the Finance Committee and BOE meetings, the district is financially in good shape. More attention to detail, especially reviewing the data by building, needs to be paid so that gaps can be identified and addressed before things get out of control. There’s lots of data shared at the meetings, but very few questions. For example, a discussion regarding the $670,000 that  the district had spent in legal fees in the most recently completed fiscal year, there was very little penetration of why spending was so high and out-of-line with other districts. Through my attendance at meetings, I learned that most districts our size spend around $100,000 or less in legal fees annually.  D86 spent over $130,000 in legal fees associated with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests in one year alone! However, very little was shared about the nature of the FOIA requests or any trends associated with the nearly $700k spend. I agreed with the board’s decision to switch law firms because the relationship with the previous firm had been contentious. 

Weapons Detection

When the Board decided to deploy a Weapons Detection System (WDS) at Hinsdale South in response to a weapon being found there, I expressed my concern that with similar protocol at Central (kids walk around with their backpacks on throughout the day without an entry point check), why was the WDS only being deployed at South, when Central has the same risk? Shortly thereafter, random WDS was implemented at Central. 

"Work ON the system, not IN the system"