advertisement

Keri DeWaele: Candidate Profile

Lake Park High School District 108 School Board

Back to Lake Park High School District 108 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: RoselleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lake Park High School District 108 School Board Age: 48Family: Husband, two children: son age 17, daughter age 15Occupation: Library Associate IIEducation: B.A. Northern Illinois UniversityM.S.W. University of Illinois at ChicagoCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Lake Park High School District 108 Board of EducationQuestions 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 running for re-election. In serving four years on the Board, I have had the ability to contribute to decisions that impact the students, faculty and community. In having two children that are students in the high school, I have an added level of motivation to ensure the district is providing the best education possible. I have also been fortunate to serve with experienced fellow board members that have been instrumental in the financial and academic success of Lake Park high school. I have over ten years experience as a Master's level social worker in mental health. Therefore, I am motivated by issues that impact the health and well-being of students. I am focused on how students are faring socially and emotionally during their high school years. I believe that students need to be supported in achieving balance in their lives. Engaging in healthy self-care (sleep, nutritious diet, face-to-face social contact) while succeeding academically and in extracurricular activities can be a challenge for our adolescents. They need parents, school administrators, teachers, coaches, and mentors to encourage this balance.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?There are several processes that measure student success in district 108: ACT, Freshman on track, graduation rates, AP participation/exam scores, post secondary enrollment and post secondary remediation. Taken together, I believe gives a more accurate assessment of student success. I am not a proponent of standardized tests as I believe they cause "teaching to the test" and restrict learning, especially creativity. They also take out too much time from the classroom. I would also like to include involvement in extracurricular activities and identifying student's social-emotional and leadership skills as ways of measuring of student success.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 the Board of Education representative on Curruculum Councill, I observe how curriculum is developed, improved and renewed. The teachers who serve in this capacity have advanced experience and training in curriculum that warrant their roles as curriculum leaders. In addition, the school principal has a supervisory role in setting and maintaining curriculum. I feel comfortable as a board of education member in overseeing and approving curriculum that has been developed and reviewed by the designated school professionals. Even with dedicated professionals continually developing and enhancing curriculum, I believe the academic range in each classroom is too broad for every student to achieve their optimum level of learning. In an ideal world where there is abundant resources, there would be comprehensive curriculum for all students.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?District 108 is in very good financial shape. This is due to many years of fiscally responsible decisions made by the BOE, administration and faculty. We have a balanced budget that is projected for several years. The district has a cash fund balance that is 25% of the total budget which is considered ideal by the Illinois State School Board. Our recent audit earned the highest rating. Lake Park recently made economically advantageous decisions, such as restructuring to one principal and installing solar panels. Lake Park continues to be in the position to offer all extracurricular athletics at no cost to students. District 108 last had a referendum in 2002 and none are projected for the future. The administration and board of education are continually monitoring bills in Springfield, such as the property tax freeze and a pension cost shift that will impact Illinois schools.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?If a voucher system is approved, I would encourage the board of education to learn how the desired schools are succeeding so that Lake Park could implement similar strategies. This is a difficult issue in that the government has failed in providing some public srchools with resources which, in turn has created a competitive arena. I believe that all public schools should be funded appropriately so that students do not have to sacrifice their education based on where they live or what they can afford.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The issues that are most important to me concern students' social-emotional health during their high school experience. I was in support of physical education waivers for varsity athletes at Lake Park. I would like district 108 to expand on these measures to foster more balance in student lives.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Dr. Lynne Pangea, District 108 Superintendent. Her passion for the students at Lake Park high school is evident in all of her actions.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?To reach out, develop and maintain relationships. Loved ones in your life enhances the good and buffers the bad.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would definitely be more involved in high school! This may have led to increased interests or hobbies.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Literature. It helped me to appreciate language, other's stories and develop analytical skills. Used these as as a social worker.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?"To thine own self be true'" (Shakespeare). Life can get complicated but keeping true to you own values and beliefs can lead to contentment.