Judith Weinstock: Candidate Profile

Back to Glenbard Township High School District 87 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: Glen EllynWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Glenbard Township High School District 87 School Board Age: 65Family: married with two adult children, two grandchildren and a new granddaughter due in MayOccupation: retired high school teacherEducation: BA in Education and English from the University of Illinois, Champaign_Urbana MA in Educational Administration from the University of Illinois, Champaign-UrbanaCivic involvement: League of Women Voters Glen EllynElected offices held: Board member for Glenbard High School District 87Questions 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?As an English teacher at Glenbard West, my entire career was devoted to education. Post-retirement, I missed the opportunity I had to impact my students' lives. As a board member I can still help students by making District 87 solvent, educationally sound and innovative.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?District 87 emphasizes measuring student growth for success. Formative evaluations are administered during the semester, students have the option of retaking tests to show improvement, and the summative final exam is given to all students who take the same class in the district. This gives us a clear baseline for measurement and allows students to learn from their mistakes. it's a good, fair system, based on best practice.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?Teachers, not the Board of Education, should be the drivers in setting and creating curriculum for students. Teachers are the ones who deliver this content, they have the most familiarity with students' needs, and they know what has worked before. They are the subject specialists. The Board sets policy, but it should not be creating curriculum. That being said, the one change I would like to see would be to reinstate some of technical classes like Autos, Electronics, etc., that have been eliminated over time.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?Glenbard is a good steward of public funds. We remain solvent despite the budget impasse at the state level. However, under the new budget proposals, Glenbard is slated to lose millions of dollars as the state attempts to equalize its school funding. The solution should not be to take dollars away from any district, but rather, find new monies to support education as it should be supported. Dont rob Peter to pay Paul.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?Charter schools compete for the same resources as public schools. However, they do not have to follow state mandates or state regulations, they do not have to accept ALL students or even hire certified teachers. Research shows that they do not outperform public schools. The Glenbard schools are highly rated and certainly offer a more comprehensive education than any charter school could. Vouchers' impact on Glenbard would likely be financial as tax dollars could be funneled away from public education. As a board member, I would challenge legislators and persuade them against instating vouchers. We need to commit first to public education before even considering a voucher system.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?While a college degree is important, it is not the path for everyone. Sometimes we lose sight of those other career paths. In DuPage County, six-figure jobs go unfilled because no one is trained to do them. The Technical Center of DuPage can train welders, EMT's, etc. Students need to be made aware of these opportunities as well as college. College is not for everybody.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Senator Elizabeth Warren continues to lead the charge for fairness and equality.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Never give upIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?My fantasy do-over would be to live in the Grenadine Islands and snorkel all day.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English was my favorite subject and inspired me to become an English teacher.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Love one another.