Marissa Grossenbach: Candidate Profile

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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: LincolnshireWebsite: https://www.facebook.com/GrossenbachD103/Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrossenbachD103/Office sought: Lincolnshire-Prairie View District 103 School Board Age: 39Family: Husband, Scott. Children, Aria (8), Lennon (6) and Oscar (4).Occupation: stay at home parentEducation: BS in Business AdministrationCivic involvement: I am the Board President of a local non-profit organization serving families in Illinois and Wisconsin. I am a regular volunteer in the classroom and with the PTO. I also volunteer with the Lincolnshire Sports Association, Lincolnshire Swim Club, and Gymnastics Spot. I am a member of 100 Women Who Care, North Suburban Chicago and the Lincolnshire Village Club.Elected offices held: Board President, Non-Profit Mothers' Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes (2014-present)Questions Answers Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?I am interested in increasing my service to the community. Over the past few years, as my children have begun school, I found that I wanted to be more actively involved in the business and administration of the school district. In 2015, I began attending school board meetings and became educated on the challenges the board is working to solve. I am motivated to continue the progress the school district has made and help shape the future of the district. D103 is an extremely diverse district and we have the ability to embrace and celebrate each other inside and outside the classroom. I'm sure the challenges of the position are great and I hope to work with dedicated staff and fellow board members to do what is best for our community.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?In a K-8 school district, the measurement of progress differs by grade level. At the lower grades, progress is measured without rigorous testing, and the teachers are given the tools the assess progress. I believe these assessments are working well with limited disruption, but rather integration, into he school day. All grade levels have been transitioning to the new common core curriculum and have been able to successfully deliver high quality results for the district. The challenge now is to maintain this high level. We need to ensure we are supporting our teachers, providing the resources needed, the space needed and the ears to listen so that we can adjust our practices as necessary. By having the 5-year strategic plan in place, we must continue to complete these goals and reach out to the community to gauge their success or failure.How big a role do you think the board of education should play in setting the curriculum for students and what ideas do you have for changes to the current curriculum?As I am not an educator myself, I would ask that teachers and school administration provide feedback on curriculum. The school board can provide governance and some directional support as well as fiscal boundaries.What budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax or fee increases?The greatest concern the district has regarding budget is the possibility of a 2 year property tax freeze. If that freeze takes place, I would work with the board and administration to ensure that minimal impact is experiences, however cuts may be necessary. In general, I do not support any tax or free increases. However, any request for increase must be reviewed for its merit weighed against the financial burden it would assume. There is no way to make a blanket statement regarding increases. Each one should be reviewed, analyzed and discussed before an appropriate decision can be made.What role can and should school choice play in your district? If Congress or the state approves a voucher system or other means giving students broader choices among public and private schools, how will that affect your district? What is the appropriate response for the board of education of a public school system?Implementation of a school choice option could cause significant issues for the district, but more importantly for the students. When any governing body believes that diverting students from their local school is necessary and appropriate, we must first look at the root causes of this request. Why is the school not working for the student? What might we be able to do to rectify the situation? Is switching schools the only choice that provides better outcomes? With implementation of a school choice option, funding dollars for the local school would be allocated elsewhere. Often, increasing funding, can improve the situation for a student. Perhaps the student needs more individualized instruction, enrichment services or social support. With decreased funding, the ripple effect is amplified. Students that chose to stay in their local school, may see programs cut as funding diminishes. I am not opposed to all forms of school choice. However, when an alternate option is selected, the receiving school should be required to follow the same accountability measures as it's public peers, which is something that is not occurring for many school choice programs today.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Candidate did not respond.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Warren Buffet. He uses his immense power for good.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I was given the freedom to define my own path and make numerous mistakes along the way.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?My life has had it's ups and downs, but I wouldn't change a thing. Haven't you seen Back to the Future?What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I loved drama class in high school. I think preparing dramatic monologues helped with self confidence and public speaking, both very critical life skills.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?I started giving them this advice a few years ago: "Do your best, have fun, and listen to your teacher/coach/parent!"