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Jessica Morrison: Candidate Profile

Palatine District 15 School Board

Back to Palatine District 15 School Board

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: PalatineWebsite: n/aOffice sought: Palatine District 15 School Board Age: 33Family: Married with one childOccupation: AttorneyEducation: Juris Doctor from Drake University Law School Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northern Illinois UniversityCivic involvement: Through my employer, I have been able to volunteer with many great organizations in the area. Some examples include: The Chicago Urban Debate League, Street Law, Feed My Starving Children and a soup kitchen. I am also a member of The National Association of Women LawyersElected offices held: n/aQuestions Answers How satisfied are you that your school district is adequately preparing students for the next stage in their lives? What changes, if any, do you think need to be made?My husband and I moved to Palatine as new parents. Choosing our home in a great school district was our number one priority. Students in District 15 are well prepared for the next stage in their lives. A quality education is every child's right and I am proud to live in a community that understands this. Our children are surrounded by teachers and staff who are truly focused on student achievement. Even though we have a district we can be proud of, there are always opportunities for improvement. As a board member, I will listen to the concerns of individuals on all sides of an issue and collaborate with the other board members to find the best solutions for our children, teachers, staff and taxpayers.Rate District 15's financial position. Forecasts show the district won't see a surplus until 2016-2017. Do you agree with using reserves to pay for budget deficits?District 15 has a reasonable fund balance. The unions, board and administration have reached compromises to prevent some of the financial challenges faced in other districts. The financial forecasting by this administration has been impressive. Our state continues to endure a financial crisis. We, as taxpayers, deserve more certainty in the future of educational funding. Generally, I do not agree with using reserves to pay for budget deficits. However, I will not rule out the use of reserves in special circumstances. Using reserves one year has long range ripple effects on the financial health of future years. Any decision to use reserves needs to be transparent and should only be done in limited circumstances. We should never be comfortable spending more than we have. Putting the resources of future District 15 students at risk is not an option.Architects identified nearly $156 million in capital projects needed at District 15 schools in the recent state-mandated audit. The board allocated $4.6 million this year, more than the usual $3 million a year. Do you agree with this approach or want something different?$3 million a year is not sufficient to maintain 20 aging schools; it is merely a band-aid. The Life Safety Study identified nearly $156 million in capital projects needed at our schools. Not all of these projects require immediate implementation. Some identified issues need to be fixed immediately. I am not offended at the increase in allocation this year. Child and staff safety is top priority. Our schools need to be a safe haven and not a danger zone and these necessary improvements cost money. These projects are being prioritized and the most critical projects will be funded first. I am in favor of allocating whatever amount is necessary to keep our schools safe. The board is demonstrating a reasonable solution to a problem that doesn't have any easy answers.Are all the elementary schools in District 15 treated equally, in your opinion? Explain why or why not, or where you think discrepancies lie.All District 15 elementary schools have equally high-quality staff and curriculum. There are differences in the physical conditions of the individual schools and our individual schools face different challenges. We can't ignore the variation of population in the physical locations of our schools. Those schools that have a greater concentration of children speaking English as their second language face different challenges than a school comprised of a vast majority of students speaking English at home. In 2015, we should not be using a one size fits all approach to our schools. Let's acknowledge that our schools have different challenges and customize the solutions to best meet their individual needs. I am supportive of efforts to explore special programs to address challenges. Teachers and staff in each individual school intimately understand the challenges in their school. We should be asking the teachers and staff what we can do better. I will give great deference to the Superintendent and strive to be a part of the solution.Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?I am not employed or retired from a school district. No member of my direct family is employed in any school district.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?It is important to me for the public to understand my philosophy of service. Voters should have the opportunity to learn more about the candidates than just their resumes or talking points. I want the voters to know how I will approach service on the board. First off, I am not a micro-manager. It isn't the role of the board to manage the day to day operations of our schools. As a board member I will rely on the Superintendent and the administration to adequately apprise me of the issues. I will prepare in advance of the board meeting and ask questions to gain an understanding of all sides of the issue. I will listen to the voices of our community and respect the opinions of others; especially my fellow board members. I believe the board should operate as a team. As the mother of a future District 15 student, I will do all that I can to protect and improve upon the great schools we have here in our community.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Malala Yousifazi- She survived a life threatening attack by the Taliban and now fights for all children to have the right to education.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Do what you say you are going to do. Otherwise, you will lose credibility.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would study abroad.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History- It is important to know where we came from to avoid prior downfalls.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Treat others how you would like to be treated.