Maria Crawford: Candidate Profile

Back to Central Unit District 301 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: ElginWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Central Unit District 301 School Board Age: 49Family: Husband Pat, daughter GraceOccupation: Substitute TeacherEducation: Regina Dominican High School - Wilmette, IL B.S. Ornamental Horticulture - University of Illinois - Urbana, ILCivic involvement: Voter in most all past local elections/ Paul Harris Fellow - Elgin Breakfast Rotary Club/ 10 year member -Elgin Garden Club (which partners with Elgin Parks Rec, Boys Girls Club, AAUW)/Girl Scout leader 2011-2013/ neighborhood adjacent roadway litter removal 15 years/ Used book sale chairperson HBT grade school 2008-2010Elected offices held: No public office held.Market Day Chair person 2009-2011Programs Committee chair, Recording Secretary, Ways and Means, Conservation Committee Chair - 2 year terms for Elgin Garden ClubQuestions 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 a parent of a 301 student, a taxpayer to this district, have worked as a substitute in 301 for preschool through high school. Many changes have taken place, more are sure to come. I would like an opportunity to use my 3 different perspectives to be involved in the future of the district to find a balance for everyone involved.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 is a heavy emphasis on measuring academic progress. Particularly at the elementary levels, too much so. Teaching is shifting towards learning curriculum to show progress on tests, and much is being sacrificed in the process. Implementation of the new core standards PARC testing and their results has turned into a numbers game and students are losing on daily enrichment activities more creative learning paths. I have witnessed first hand how testing is a constant rigor and believe it is overdone.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 boards makes decisions based on recommendations and reports, but in my 10 years of working in the district I have never seen or heard of them actively coming to observe the real life classroom activities implications of their decisions. I would like to see that data is not the primary sometimes seemingly only source for determining how effective programs curriculum are for students teachers.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?Our district recently passed a referendum which supported the construction of a new field house at the high school, additional classroom space, air conditioning, along with other improvements. Some issues that will have to be addressed in the not too distant future are the limited size of the H.S. auditorium, a 100 year plus aged grade school, an aging 8th grade building, plus the cost for expanding any of the 3 more modern elementary schools. Furthermore, the 1:1 device issuance throughout the student body will have continued maintenance and costs that will have to be addressed. a grant allowed for this to be brought to the district in 2015, along with extensive tech efforts to support the operations of it. Where this will lead in the next few years will need to be carefully observed and projected. Our tax base is too homeowner dependent. I would support a freeze on any tax increase for some time.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?Currently our district does not have any charter schools in the area. I am not a believer that there is only one ideal education system. It would seem worthwhile to consider alternative approaches that could partner with our district which might benefit students who may succeed with other options than a traditional public school template. Students are told to think outside of the box - so why shouldn't the instrument that they are educated within be a role model to that line of thought?What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?There are many, but I hope to discuss those with voters at the upcoming forums that are in the process of being scheduled next month.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.There are too many people that I find inspirational to name only one. But my mom is someone I've always looked up to.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My parents were European immigrants who taught me to work hard, remain grounded, and always strive to be a decent human being.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Adolescent years often are spent wishing for the future to come more quickly - if I could revisit that time I would savor every moment!What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?science always intrigued me - the wide spectrum of our planet's mysteries discoveries has kept me curious engaged yearning to know moreIf you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be Kind.