Six candidates tout what they would bring to Maine Township Dist. 207 school board
Six people running for the Maine Township High School District 207 board are touting their experiences and what they would bring if elected to the board.
The field of candidates includes a longtime incumbent, two other incumbents who were recently appointed to the board, and three political newcomers.
Five of the six live in Park Ridge. All are parents of students who either currently go, or formerly went, to Maine South High School.
Three spots are open on the board, each for a four-year term.
Sean Sullivan is seeking his third term after serving on the board for eight years. The vice president of business services at Triton College, Sullivan said "education runs through my veins" since a number of family members are teachers.
He said voters should choose him if they like the direction the school district is going.
"I think especially when you're dealing with grades 9 through 12, when we look at the remedial learning that we're finding going into colleges, that having this age group improve is one of the most important things we can do for our society," Sullivan said.
Paula Meyer Besler was appointed to the board last April following the resignation of longtime board member Donna Pellar, who stepped down after 19 years when she moved out of the district. Besler, the director of community and health relations at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, said there's synergy between her work at the hospital and in education, since she believes education is a social determinant of health.
As manager of the hospital's cultural health initiatives program, Besler says she's worked to improve health disparities in immigrant populations. She said the school district should continue to make education "culturally competent" for all students.
Pablo Morales was appointed to the board last August after Eric Leys, a 13-year board member, stepped down when he took a job out of state. Morales, the senior manager of implementations, products and services for Walgreens, said he wants to ensure that District 207 maintains a "world class education, world class teachers, and being fiscally responsible."
Being of Hispanic descent, Morales said he brings a "unique perspective," since 20 percent of the district is Hispanic.
Chimanlal Patel, of Niles, says he would represent the growing immigrant population of the district. Born in a small village in India, Patel said education was a priority from day one, having graduated from college, then going on to earn an MBA, and now working as the financial controller at Flowserve Corp.
He wants additional support for students who need it, from language needs to special education, and social services to health services.
Jill Dolan, who runs an online clothing sales company, said she was pleased with the education her children received in elementary school, but when they got to Maine South, "things started to change."
"They don't feel they're learning anything. I don't know why they're not being challenged," Dolan said.
She said some teachers are "wonderful," but others aren't doing a good job.
She also said she thinks the district is spending too much in some areas since it plans to run a deficit in the next budget.
Teri Collins, as executive director of the Maine Community Youth Assistance Foundation, a nonprofit that focuses on drug and alcohol prevention, said she has her finger on the pulse of what's going on at the three Maine high schools.
"I'm in the schools all the time, working with kids," Collins said. "I see the issues that come along with adolescence."
A chemist by training and holder of six patents, Collins said she's worked on both the nonprofit and corporate sides.
"I know how to do data, how to work with numbers. I'm really good at solving problems," she said. "One of the things I've found through my career is that you can waste a lot of money if you don't ask the right questions."