Veronica Noland: 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: ElginWebsite: www.veronicanoland.orgTwitter: @VeronicaForU46Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NolandU46SchoolBoard/Office sought: Elgin-Area Unit 46 School Board Age: 50Family: Married to Michael, have 2 children.Occupation: Grants AdministrationEducation: BA in CommunicationsCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers With ongoing state funding challenges, suggest ways the district can remain in the black without spending down its surplus, raising taxes or taking on additional debt. If cuts were needed, where would you look to tighten?Making further cuts to the district's already streamlined budget does a disservice to our students and the future of our community. We already have one of the lowest administrator to teacher ratios in the area, and we have worked diligently over the last several years to find efficiencies to cut costs, as much as possible. Our classroom student to teacher ratio is already one of the highest in the area. In a district of this size, lowering that ratio by even 1 student per classroom will cost us well over 1 million dollars. If we hope to continue to make improvements to our educational system, it is simply unrealistic to think that we can do so by making additional cuts. Our efforts are better spent advocating for a fairer funding model at the local, state and national level, one that does not unfairly burden some taxpayers over others.Recent controversy over transgender access has prompted discussion about equal rights/protections for all students, as well as whether school board members should inject their personal religious/political views on the matter. To what extent should the board have a role in formulating such policy?The Board is responsible for setting policy that ensures the protection and safety of all students. It is the board's policy to protect students from discrimination based on many factors, including gender identify.Would you support U-46 having a charter school within its boundaries? Why or why not?I am open to charters, but do not offer blanket support of them. In order for me to support a charter, it has to fulfill a unique need not currently being met in the district, the charter would have to be run by a not-for-profit organization, the staff must be allowed to organize, and enrollment must not be selective but rather it must be open to any student in the district.What are some innovative programs the district could undertake, such as special academies or career path programs, to set itself apart?The district could create high school academies in various CTE (Career and Technical Education) programs, partnering with industry to create state of the art facilities in any of our 5 comprehensive high schools. These specialized programs would then be open to any student in the district, regardless of their home school location.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?School vouchers would disproportionally hurt more of the students from less affluent areas in our school district. Vouchers would not cover the cost of any private education, thereby only benefiting those students whose families can supplement the costs of private schools which typically charge more than the value of any voucher. As a school board of a public school district, we should not support a system that creates further disparity.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I'm concerned about the attempts to censor curriculum based on religious or narrow ideology. This type of "book burning" has no place in public education.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Jimmy CarterWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Hard work and humility have their own reward.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Learn to love exercise.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Speech class, which taught me how to communicate concisely and effectively.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Never stop learning new things. Never.