Matt Jacobs: Candidate Profile

Back to Hawthorn District 73 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: Vernon HillsWebsite: www.facebook.com/mattjacobsvhTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: mattjacobsvhOffice sought: Hawthorn District 73 School Board Age: 41Family: Married to wife, Abra, for 12 years. We moved into Hawthorn District 73 in 2007 (Mundelein), and then moved to the Deerpath neighborhood in 2013. We have two children, four and half year old twin boys, Colin and Ryan. They are currently enrolled at the Little Learners Center with the Vernon Hills Park District, and will be entering Kindergarten at Aspen Elementary in the Fall of 2017.Occupation: Quality Assurance Analyst - WR Berkley Ins. Co. (4yrs); Insurance Industry (18 yrs)Education: BS - Business Adminstration - DeVry Univ.Civic involvement: Volunteered to umpire Vernon Hills Park District Girls softball when moved into the area (2007).I am in a local band that has donated time to multiple charity shows in support of the local group BFC Babes (Breast Cancer Awareness), and we have played Carmel High School's Street Scenes the past 4 years.Elected offices held: Secretary - Lakewood Village Mundelein Association Board (2012-2013)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?When the district's Educational Facilities Master Plan options were shared with the community in Fall 2016, I engaged in numerous discussions on social media. Those discussions within the community, led me to realize there were more questions than answers. I found the data being presented was perplexing many of us not entrenched in the daily workings of the district, and I felt after reviewing that data, that the current situation and the solutions presented, were extremely reactionary. Student population growth numbers in the district have been there for some time, whether it was shown through surveys, or financial reports. In the last year, it suddenly became a hot button issue, and felt as if the growth caught everyone by surprise. I've now attended a number of School Board meetings, and both the meetings with the Vernon Hills Park District in regards to the Kindergarten Center at the Sullivan Community Center. I believe I have a great opportunity to provide a fresh set of eyes to board. My children begin kindergarten in the district this fall, so I have no preconceived expectations of the current Board, the Superintendent, or the faculty. Everyone, including myself, is at square one. Although I feel the options presented by the Board for the Educational Facilities Master Plan for referendum this coming April are adequate, I believe we can do better. We still have time to meet the upcoming student population growth needs, and create a plan that meets those needs over the next few years.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?From the research I have done, and discussions I have had with parents, I feel the process for measuring student success is adequate within the District. We just went to our first Intro to Kindergarten meeting and I was pleased with the presentation on how each child is graded on their own merits, and development over the course of the school year. Whether that be at a low level of understanding concepts to a child that has already mastered concepts and is ahead of the curve when entering a grade level. That being said there is always room for improvement, and new ways of achieving goals at all levels. With the PARCC assessment test results being a fairly new metric, I don't want to put too much weight behind them, yet. However, I was rather surprised to see that as a whole, our district scored only 53% Ready for Next Level. For comparison, I attended elementary and juniir high school in Northbrook's District 30 which achieved 77% Ready for the Next Level. District 30 continually ranks high in state and national surveys. I'd like to examine how they, and other higher scoring districts, achieved their results, and how we can get there as well.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?Clearly the curriculum within the District has been set for some time, and is in adherence with state requirements and Common Core standards. What I love about Hawthorn, is the desire to develop students with a strong understanding of the arts, math, science, and language arts but also a focus on awareness of each child's place in their school and community.With trade skills slowly dwindling in the workforce, I would like to examine ways to implement some of those skills back into the curriculum. I thoroughly enjoyed those opportunities when I attended school, and the need for more skilled labor is there. We should afford all learning opportunities to our children.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?First and foremost, is the District's need for additional room for the potential student population growth as the new developments in Vernon Hills are built, as well as younger families moving into existing neighborhoods. We also have the superintendent and teacher contracts coming up for renewal in the next couple of years. We are currently paying off the last few years on the past referendum, and the cost to the taxpayer will increase over the next few years as it reaches it's end. Increasing taxes (via another referendum for more space) during this time may be a hardship for some of those in the District, no matter how small the increase is. Increases must be thought out carefully, as we have a small window where the increase will be on top of what still needs to be paid off. We have other potential referendums for District 128 (Vernon Hills High School) that could also bring a tax increase. We need to see the entire picture, not just what is proposed for the elementary district. We can also look to other area districts that are facing similar growth issues, such as Aptakisic-Tripp District 102.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?The District already allows a choice for parents to enroll their student at the School of Dual Language. I think it's a great opportunity for those that want their children to be educated in a dual language immersion program, especially at an early age. We have excellent schools within Vernon Hills, so I don't really see much of a roll for a voucher system to allow choice as we're seeing a significant increase in families moving into the area just to attend our schools. As the voucher system is clearly getting a lot of national attention lately, I will say that I'm a firm believer in the public school system, and that it provides a well-developed foundation that's available to everyone. If public funds are available for parents to choose to send children to private schools, we undermine the public school system.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Two additional concerns of mine are student-to-teacher ratios, and the lack of aides throughout the district. The District has had to cut programs and staffing to achieve better financial stability in recent years. We have a student population growth issue, and that is going to require additional staff. I believe it is time to revisit staffing and ratios. Every child needs to receive the proper attention that they deserve. Music and art played a tremendous part of my early development in grammar school, through high school. I still am active in the music scene locally, and still keep in touch with my drum instructors, junior high band instructor, and many of the people I've had the pleasure of playing with over the years. Likewise, art was a major source of fun and creativity growing up within our household, and I'm so excited to be in a district that makes sure these classes are a strong part of every day education, and want to make sure it stays that way.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I can't name one person. I gather inspiration from people all around me. I've have amazing, supportive people in my life.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Creative freedom.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I'm very happy with the course I've taken. Especially the mistakes. I would not be who I am without those mistakes.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?The arts. They've played such an important role in my life. Everything from just drawing to playing music.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Perseverance. I always think of the late Coach Jimmy Valvano's well-known quote, "Don't give up. Don't ever give up!"