Student growth, achievement key goals for District 73 candidates
Candidates for the Hawthorn Elementary District 73 school board agree the budget is in good shape and students are well prepared for high school, but there is room for improvement and challenges ahead.
Five candidates are running for four, 4-year board seats for the Vernon Hills-based district. Incumbents Jeffrey Bard, a director of environmental health and safety, and Jayson Tran, an engineer for research and development, are joined on the ballot by Robin Cleek, a lawyer and current stay-at-home mom, Jamie DiCarlo, director of student services at District 70 in Morton Grove, and, Sonali Patil, a pharmacist and researcher and current stay-at-home mom.
New school boundaries and a full-day kindergarten will start in 2015-16 and there are continuing changes in student assessment and testing. The following views are from Daily Herald endorsement interviews and questionnaires and other public sources.
Bard, the board president, is seeking a third term. The strategic plan implemented in 2014 has a high expectation for growth and achievement, he said, and challenges will include implementing new learning standards and updating and integrating technology into the curriculum.
With the school boundary changes, it will be important to ensure a smooth transition in coming years to meet "academic, social and emotional needs" of students, Bard added.
He said the board has balanced budgets while increasing spending on curriculum and offering the full-day kindergarten, which will be key in preparing students starting their education.
Cleek served on the reorganization committee. She said her goal is to improve the quality of education and ensure each child reaches their potential. This involves giving teachers the "resources and flexibility" to meet those needs, she said, and would promote collaboration and open communication between teachers and the administration.
She said she is committed to seeing the strategic plan implemented. Feedback and a way to implement suggestions is important, she added.
Cleek contends the district "has a problem retaining teachers," which is disruptive and costly. She suggested a plan to improve retention is needed.
DiCarlo has been an educator for 14 years, including 11 in a dual language school. She said students should experience a "rigorous curriculum" that prepares them for high school and a career. A 1-to-1 technology initiative should be explored, she added.
She said it is critical for teachers to have adequate training and the board should focus long-range planning around teacher support and professional development in the areas of Common Core standards and PARCC assessment.
Improving the quality of education and meeting students' needs in a fiscally responsible manner was a goal for Patil, who served on the strategic planning committee.
She said she was satisfied in the way District 73 is preparing students for high school but suggested feedback be sought from high school teachers and administrators on how that could be improved.
Tran has served on the board for six years. He said his goal is to make District 73 a place that challenges students, is a good place to work, allows for staff innovation and is fiscally sound. Long-range goals of the strategic plan include: having students meet or exceed individual growth targets in five years; providing "joyful and challenging" learning in a supportive professional environment that features collaboration; and, ensuring a stable fiscal situation to provide required resources, personnel, facilities, programs and technology.
"I don't want to see it sitting on the shelf as just a document," he said. Determining how the district will be successful with Common Core requirements will be a key, he added.