Sue Locke: Candidate Profile

Back to Batavia Unit District 101 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: BataviaWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Batavia Unit District 101 School Board Age: 51Family: I have been married to my husband Tony for 26 years. We have 2 sons. Brendan is a freshman at Batavia High School and Aidan is in 7th grade at Rotolo Middle School.Occupation: Self Employed small business ownerEducation: BA in Psychology from Aurora UniversityCivic involvement: Batavia Foundation for Educational Excellence 2016 - currentBatavia Hall of Honor 2015 - currentBatavia Flag Day Committee 2016 - current Alice Gustafson PTO, Ways Means 2011 "â#128;œ 2013Alice Gustafson PTO, President, 2013Church Council Member, Congregational Church of Batavia - 2008 -2010Chair of Evangelism Committee, Congregational Church of Batavia "â#128;œ 2008-2010Evangelism Committee Member, Congregational Church of Batavia "â#128;œ 2007-2008Elected offices held: Batavia School Board Member 2013 - currentQuestions 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 for re-election to the Board of Education in District 101, because I would like to continue my work assisting District 101 striving to reach their Mission and Vision. Over the past 3 Ã#130;circ;frac12; years I have had the pleasure of serving the children in our schools, teachers and staff of BPS, the administration and the taxpayers of Batavia. I have been privileged to be a part of seeing new programming and ideas evolve in our District and would like to continue to be a part of that process. I am committed to keeping the excellent quality of education we have in Batavia, while continuing to maintain a balanced budget through fiscal responsibility.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 are many different ways to measure student success in our district. MAP testing (Measures of Academic Progress) is given to elementary and middle school students in the fall, winter and spring. It is a measure used to indicate student growth. Parents and educators can use these scores to look at growth and set goals for the future. High School juniors this year will be taking both the SATs and the ACT tests. Next year it will be only the SAT. These exams not only measure student's success, but are necessary for any student applying to college. The class of 2016 had an average ACT score of 23.6 compared to the state average of 20.8. Other ways of measuring student success can be seen in our graduation rate (94%), number of Advanced Placement classes offered and taken, Honors classes offered and taken and of course there is always a student's report card. Through the use of technology and Power School, parents and students are able to continually monitor a student's progress. This has been a very effective tool for middle and high school students to take ownership of their educational process. Many parents believe that there is too much standardized testing done in the schools today. Much of it is out of our hands as a local school board. What we can control is what we do with the information we receive from the testing and how that information is disseminated to teachers and parents.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 plays a very limited role in setting the curriculum for students and should continue to do so. In Batavia we are fortunate to have a very collaborative environment between teachers and administration. This is clearly evident by our CAAC (Curriculum and Assessment Advisory Council) committee. This committee consists of teachers, building administrators, senior administration and a Board member. Input is sought from all sides, but most importantly from the experts themselves. As a board member it is important to rely on the committee's recommendation for any new or changes to current curriculum. Board members do have final say on what new classes are offered or approval of textbooks, but I always rely on expert input to guide my decisions. In the past several years the Board has added several new AP, dual credit and Honors classes and become a parter with the STEM school at Aurora University opening up access to Science curriculum for elementary and middle schools. The district is continually monitoring the curriculum across all grade levels and subject matters. Now that we have access to the STEM science curriculum, I would like to see more of an emphasis of a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) based curriculum at the elementary level.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?Some of the most important factors that will impact our budget are local property taxes, the possibility of a tax freeze and the potential for a cost shift from state to local in regards to teachers' pensions. All of these issues are interdependent. I wish I could say that I had a magic solution and could fix the problem, however I'm not sure anyone has that answer, at least not one that all can agree on. The best thing that I can do as a Board member is to be proactive and keep informed with what is happening in our state and local governments. Now is not the time to go "hog wild" and go on a massive spending spree with a large expansion of new projects, capital projects, etc. However, BPS is known for our wonderful programs and facilities, it is a destination district, and we need to maintain this status. Continual monitoring of federal, state and local issues and how those issues can impact us as a district are imperative. We have been fortunate not to have made any drastic program cuts in the past several years, and I would be hesitant at this time to look at doing so. Fees are already very high for parents and I would not look to increase them. However, I do think it is appropriate to charge them as they apply to those who use the services and in the end help to keep taxes lower.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?In terms of an overall school voucher system, I don't believe it would be beneficial to our district. District 101 is a high preforming district that operates on a very tight budget. It would be detrimental to lose any funding. District 101 utilizes different types of learning opportunities for its' students. In the past several years D101 has entered into partnership with the STEM school at Aurora University. Other types of educational programming include: the Fox Valley Career Center, allowing vocational training for students; expanded online classes for students; and an Alternative Learning Program for at risk students at the High School. Several years ago a company came to the District, looking to start a Virtual Charter School. It would not have been in the financial interest's of the taxpayers and the district for this to happen. In response to this effort by a Charter School, seeing a potential interest and need for online learning, the district has developed an online learning curriculum for its' students. It is important when possible, to meet the needs of all students. That is part of the Mission at Batavia, Always Learning, Always Growing.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I have and will always try to do what is best for our students. I have supported the 1:1 technology, new AP classes, supported lower class size, and will continue to work to find a way to facilitate a full day kindergarten for all. Working to find a way to keep local taxes as low as possible, while maintaining quality educators and programming will always be a priority. I have always been a good listener, able to see all sides of an issue, willing to consider different view points and am willing to collaborate to come up with solutions that work for all parties involved. I have seen this collaborative process work well over the past few years and want to continue to improve this process.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. If you don't know who she is look her up. Malala's story is very inspiring and meaningful.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I learned my strong work ethic from my mom at an early age and I am thankful to her for that every day.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would finish college in four years, education is very important.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?I loved every subject, but my most favorite was math and statistics. It helps you when you have your own business.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?That it's OK to fail, it means you at least tried and no matter what, I will always love you.