Erin Johannesen: 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: Arlington HeightsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Arlington Heights District 25 School Board Age: 48Family: Children Grace (17), Tom (15), and Caroline (14)Occupation: HomemakerEducation: BS, Northern Illinois University MBA, DePaul UniversityConversational Spanish Certificate, Harper CollegeCivic involvement: Arlington Heights District 25 School Board and NSSEO Governing Board since 2014Elected offices held: Arlington Heights District 25 School Board SecretaryQuestions 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?My three children benefited from the excellent educational foundation provided by District 25. My desire to give back to the community that has been our home for their whole lives resulted in my joining the school board in 2014. I'm running again as I'd like to continue to serve my community and to build on all that has been accomplished thus far. In addition, I have had the privilege of representing District 25 on the governing board of the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization for the past couple years. This cooperative impacts the lives of many incredible children and their supportive families with inspiring optimism, creativity, and resourcefulness. Getting to know the NSSEO administration and staff and being introduced to and helping to support these special families has made serving on this board a very rewarding experience.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?Because the state has recently changed its school testing methods, and no reliable data is currently available, there exists an increased importance on the various measures District 25 uses to evaluate student aptitude, achievement, and growth. The district's teachers use these measures to design instruction and evaluate curriculum. The board of education continually reviews district-wide trends in student achievement and growth and assesses the impact that our instructional programs have on student learning. I believe the process for measuring student success should continue to be addressed as a team, where together, the teachers, board, and administration utilize a balanced approach to ensure that testing results drive instruction, but that the classroom emphasis is on instruction and not on testing.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?The board of education determines the goals and philosophies of the district and ensures that the curriculum is in line with those objectives while also meeting the requirements of the state of Illinois and District 214 high schools. In addition, the board ensures that the superintendent's central office is staffed by experts in the field, open-minded individuals who work with students, teachers, parents, and other community members in evaluating and testing programs. I believe that the board should continue to set high level objectives while partnering with teachers and administrators to regularly review student growth and achievement, ensuring our district continues to offer programs that create well-rounded students prepared for the rigor of high school and beyond. Thus far, our district has seen great success, as D214 high schools report that our students are well-prepared for their transition to secondary education.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?For many years, District 25 has been in a position of excellent financial health, including maintaining the highest possible bond rating. We have, therefore, successfully financed additions to four of our schools through bond sales. The district's five year budget projections show that our fund balances will level off and perhaps even decrease over time, and receipt of state funding is always in question. Therefore, it is critical that the board of education continues to closely monitor the district's finances and to ensure that funds are utilized to make the biggest possible impact on the classroom.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 growing, thriving public school district in Arlington Heights draws young families to town, as well as talented teachers and staff, and provides an excellent educational foundation for children. The nine D25 schools and the village's fine private schools have a large, positive impact on the community, and the district encourages community member involvement in its schools, while regularly finding new ways to be involved in community activity. D25 nurtures its relationships with village officials, private schools, school neighbors, and local businesses. As a result, the whole community is invested in the growth and education of our students. If a voucher system were imposed on the state, this sense of community could be altered dramatically, and the quality of public education might suffer. As such, it would be more important than ever that the board of education work to continually find ways to bring families, local organizations, and individual community members together, to ensure that students have access to the best possible education the village can provide.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?District 25 has an excellent spirit of collaboration and positivity. As a result, the teachers' association, board of education, and central office staff successfully negotiated a new four-year contract in 2016. The atmosphere in the schools is lively and optimistic. Arlington Heights maintains its "destination district" status, for both families and employees. Time and again, it has been proven that open communication and active collaboration are keys to a healthy and thriving school district. I am proud of how our district strives to maintain an open, respectful, and inclusive atmosphere, and I will work hard to ensure this cooperative spirit continues.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Mellnda GatesWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My parents encouraged me to be fiscally responsible. Beginning with my first job (a paper route), I maintained a log of income and expenses.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would spend less time worrying about things outside of my control.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I'm grateful for the impact literature had on my vocabulary and communication skills and for all the worlds and ideas to which I was exposed.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?It's tough to top the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."