Stephanie Duckmann: 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: Des PlainesWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Des Plaines Elementary District 62 School Board Age: 52Family: Husband: Mark DuckmannSons: James Duckmann Crosley DuckmannOccupation: TeacherEducation: BA Political ScienceNorthwestern UniversityIllinois Teaching CertificateCivic involvement: Have been on the District 62 school board for 12 years.Was on the Cumberland PTO for 4 years previous to the school board.Elected offices held: School Board President past 2 years.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 running firstly, because I am passionate about public education and making sure all students have access to a good education. We live in a state where funding for public schools is at a risk and I would like to continue to work on keeping quality schools despite the difficulties. There isn't a day when I don't think about our students and their education and how we can improve what we do.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?Using standardized tests that the state requires is always a challenging task. I believe that a measure of a student's growth is an important way to gage whether the student is making progress. We use the Measures of Academic Progress with our students and this shows growth and where to target instruction. It is important to get students working at grade level and beyond and I support using interventions to work with those students who aren't there yet.If you were on the board during the hiring of Superintendent Floyd Williams, did you fully support the hiring of Williams, despite past misconduct allegations leveled against him at his last job? If you were not on the board, what is your view of the board's decision?Dr. Williams is a strong instructional leader who emerged as the top selection after reviewing many applicants and conducting various extensive interviews with members of the Board of Education. He was candid throughout the process regarding his entire professional background in education and was unanimously approved to lead District 62.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?Any district will have budget issues if they spend more than they can levy and get from the state government. We must continue to spend wisely and use our resources in an effective manner. We should encourage our state legislatures to come up with a plan that collects money fairly and distributes the money in an equitable way. If reductions are necessary, there is not one program that I would target, but would try to reduce expenses across the board.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?My goal is always to work on how we can make our schools the best for all students and maintain fair and democratic schools. If parents chose to send their children to private schools, I don't believe it should be at the detriment of our public schools. It is the job of school boards and administrators to keep public schools at a competitive level to decrease the desire for a voucher system. State money should be put into systems that are held accountable and have equal access by all.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Finding a good funding formula that is fair to all districts and doesn't tax property owners beyond their means.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Malala Yousafzai who inspires many in her pursuit of an education and reminds us of the importance of having access to learning for all.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?To make sure everyone is included and feels respected.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I don't tend to dwell on the past but would rather focus on the future.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Math-I liked having to work through problems which helps with problem solving all kinds of issues.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Find something you are passionate about and figure out how to make that your career.