Andrea Trudeau: 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: KildeerWebsite: http://bit.ly/atrudeau95Twitter: @Andrea_TrudeauFacebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lake Zurich Unit District 95 School Board Age: 40Family: I've been married to my husband Scott for 14 years, and we have two sons--Gavin (12) who attends Middle School South and Garrett (10) who attends Isaac Fox. Our family has resided in Kildeer for over eight years now.Occupation: Library Information Specialist at Alan B. Shepard Middle School in Deerfield District 109Education: Google Educator Certification (2015)Library Information Specialist (LIS) Endorsement--National Louis University (2015)National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescence/English Language Arts (2008)Master of Science in Education in Educational Psychology/Human Learning and DevelopmentThesis"창#128;큐"Uncovering the Authentic Genius in Every Student: Portfolio Assessment and Its Ideal Use in the Classroom"National Louis University (2005)Bachelor of Arts in English Literature/Secondary Education-- Illinois Wesleyan University (1998)NBPTS Master Teacher endorsements in HS and middle school English/language arts and LIS; middle school social studies and scienceCurrently pursuing my NBPTS renewal and Apple Teacher certificationCivic involvement: Forward 95 Strategic Planning TeamIndoor Air Quality Committee Isaac Fox PTO VolunteerContributor to District 95 Education FoundationContributor to Isaac Fox and Middle School South PTOsDeerfield Education Association Contract Negotiation RepresentativeDeerfield District 109 Successor Teach Evaluation Plan Committee Member (PERA Committee)National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Cohort Leader and MentorActive Member of Imerman Angel's Fundraising and Marathon Support TeamVolunteer at Feed My Starving Children and Bernie's BooksElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers What do you see as priorities for facility upgrades in the district?First and foremost, it is essential for our district to address the identified life safety and maintenance items in order to ensure the health and safety of students and staff in our buildings. We also must modernize our facilities in order to provide active learning spaces that meet the needs of 21st century learners and promote the 4Cs--collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. Classrooms should be air conditioned and include movable walls as well as furniture that provides choice, flexibility, and comfort for students while supporting innovative teaching practices. Specialized areas such as science labs, libraries/learning commons, and fine arts rooms would become state-of-the-art, and STEM labs and dedicated makerspaces would be created to promote hands-on investigative learning experiences. It's important to create parity and equity among schools while also considering the environmental impact of renovations, incorporating natural light and both energy-efficient and green technology whenever possible. Lastly, to support staff members in this transition to more innovative teaching practices and technology, it's imperative to provide them with adequate space for their own collaborative work and professional development. Ultimately, our facility upgrades should support our greater purpose--to fulfill our district's mission and vision as outlined in Forward 95.There has been talk of seeking voter permission for a funding mechanism to pay for building projects without raising taxes. Is this something you support or should the district seek more money through a tax increase referendum to address building needs faster?I am in support of seeking voter permission to reissue our existing debt without a tax increase in order to address our district building needs. By taking this approach, we would obtain the funds necessary to address the life safety issues, maintenance issues, capital improvements, and air conditioning needs in our buildings in approximately four to six years. Not only would this allow us to modernize our buildings, but it will give us greater equity and parity across our facilities, lower the cost of ongoing operation and maintenance work, and prepare our buildings for future development.Has the district done a good job in conveying information to parents on the Lake Zurich High School football team hazing situation? Please elaborate and explain if you have ideas on what could have been done differently?When difficult situations arise, it's always best to address those involved promptly and take a proactive approach when responding to the issue, being as transparent as possible and communicating regularly with stakeholders to keep them updated. As a parent of an elementary student and middle school student, most of the information I received immediately following the hazing situation came from the press and social media. It quickly became evident from comments posted on various sites that community members were feeling upset and frustrated, and conversations on these sites rapidly turned into personal attacks about rumors and hearsay. In order to create a more positive climate for stakeholders, our district should harness the power of modern communication tools to reach out to community members in a variety of ways: redesigning our website to make it easier to navigate, notifying us of information through text messages, and utilizing social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook. By employing various communication tools, we can ensure that stakeholders receive information in a preferred platform. While I understand that in this particular situation we needed to follow guidelines from district attorneys and maintain privacy for those involved, it's important to remain proactive, acknowledge community members' feelings and frustrations, and share updates when possible--even just to say that we are working on the situation. The more we can communicate proactively, the stronger our sense of community can be, resulting in a better overall climate in our district.What should the district do in an effort to prevent a similar hazing problem in the future?In order to prevent hazing in the future, we need to be committed to creating a safe environment for our children. To do this, it is imperative that we build back our sense of community among students, teachers, administration, parents, and community members. It is of utmost importance that students feel safe at school, have appropriate supervision, and know that they have trusted adults they can turn to when in need. While it's natural to turn to codes of conduct and assemblies to combat hazing, it's much more effective to focus our efforts on rebuilding a positive school climate--one that promotes social-emotional skills--in order to create a culture built on empathy, kindness, and care for others' well-being. This should include the adoption of a social-emotional learning (SEL) curriculum that is aligned to our state's SEL standards; the curriculum should be introduced early in a child's educational career and address appropriate topics each year until he/she graduates from LZHS. Lastly, it would benefit our district to turn to stakeholders and seek input about their thoughts and feelings as well; a strong school district continually seeks feedback from stakeholders in order to keep their finger on the pulse of the district climate and address issues early on rather than wait until they are irreparable.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?As a graduate of the public education system and as a public educator with nearly two decades of experience working in a middle school in Deerfield, I am a strong supporter of the public school system. One reason my family moved to Kildeer in 2008 was due to District 95's strong reputation, and I feel it's my responsibility to support the schools my children currently attend and will attend in this district in the future. While I do not support school choice, I do believe that all children should have similar opportunities within our school district; curriculum should be aligned to standards across schools, available tools and resources should be equitable, and students' personalized learning needs should be met. Teachers should have a variety of professional development and continuing education opportunities available to them; they also should be held accountable for best practice teaching strategies, curricular standards, and teaching the whole child. At this time, there is no federal or state policy regarding the voucher system, so it's uncertain precisely how this will affect our district. However, if/when this becomes our reality, the appropriate response of the board of education is to follow the recommendations of our district attorneys to be sure we are meeting the edicts as outlined by our state or Congress.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Another issue I feel extremely passionate about is bringing more innovative instruction to District 95--instruction that is engaging and authentic and brings a project-based and personalized approach to student learning. Students should be encouraged to be self-directed learners with an innovator's mindset who are provided with opportunities each and every day to curate and create, collaborate and communicate with others, think critically, and demonstrate their creativity in a variety of ways. We should continue to employ technology but not just for technology's sake; technological tools should be based on sound pedagogical practices and should redefine student learning--not just substitute what can be done with paper and pencil. We must build a culture and climate that reveres and celebrates the innovation and creativity in our schools. It's truly an exciting time to be in education, so it's time to transform learning for our children and prepare them for their future in the 21st century.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I am greatly inspired by the courage and tenacity embodied by Malala Yousafzai. She demonstrates that we all have the power to change the world.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I am grateful to have learned the value of family--one built upon a foundation of love that provides support, belonging, honesty, and many, many laughs.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I wouldn't accept the do-over; everything that has happened to me has shaped me into who I am today, and I'm grateful for my journey.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Art class encouraged me to be more observant while challenging me to be more creative and resourceful"창#128;큐all of which I use as an educator.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be kind. A little kindness goes a long way--helping you connect with others, improving the world, and bringing more meaning to your life.