Leslie Juby: 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: GenevaWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Geneva Unit District 304 School Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Married with two college age daughtersOccupation: Substitute teacherEducation: BA Language and LiteratureCivic involvement: Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy Board of TrusteesGeneva Strategic Plan Advisory Committee MemberKane Excellence in Education Partnership Board of DirectorsIllinois Association of School Boards Leadership Academy Fellow, Master Board MemberGeneva Beautification Committee GardenerElected offices held: Board member, Geneva CUSD304 Board of EducationQuestions 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 during a very exciting time for our district. We recently implemented a math curriculum to reflect the new learning standards and are developing a science curriculum that aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards, allowing students to learn and discover science in the same fashion as scientists. We have integrated technology into all classrooms and empowered our teachers to become innovative risk takers. We are starting to see the benefits of our All Day Every Day Kindergarten. I want to continue to be part of the team that helps our students to be self -directed, lifelong learners, effective communicators, complex, creative and adaptive thinkers, and collaborative and productive citizens.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?Geneva uses many different types of formal standardized assessments as well as formative assessments to measure student progress. MAP testing, PARRC, and SAT are a few types of benchmark testing, although the value of PARCC data is uncertain and the SAT has only recently replaced the ACT so trending data will be unavailable for several years. Our teachers and administrators are working to create and implement a standard of local assessments that will provide meaningful data on our student growth as well as measure the effectiveness of our curriculum. Additionally, we recognize that not all learning can be measured by standardized assessments so we continue to work to find tools that may best evaluate student learning.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?During its annual goal setting retreat, the Board of Education sets priorities and goals for the district in collaboration with administration. The administration then determines how best to meet the district's vision and goals, balancing evidence- based practices with legislative mandates and financial constraints. I believe that the Board employs expert educators who are best suited to make specific curriculum choices.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?With careful planning, the district has restructured its long- term debt through refinancing, abatements, and defeasance, saving approximately $23.5 M. We have re-prioritized capital projects and practiced cost containment, such as utilizing modular classrooms to address lack of programming space at the high school. Regardless of how proactive we are, however, there are still potential threats to our financial health. The state continues to underfund its education obligations. The General Assembly has been working on legislation to create a pension cost- shift back to local school districts. Additionally, legislators are proposing a bill to freeze property taxes, hindering local municipalities' ability to adequately finance their operations, including debt service. Finally, there has been an effort to restructure the current school funding formula, which ultimately will award fewer dollars to our school district. Any tax or fee increase or program reduction should reflect a thorough examination of all expenditures and be thoroughly evaluated for its impact on student performance and success.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 choice is often presented as a solution to parents whose children attend low performing schools and usually targets a specific student population, such as low income students or students with disabilities. Geneva CUSD304 offers a quality education to all its students and consistently ranks in the top percentage of Illinois schools, so it is unlikely that such a voucher program would have much impact on our district. For public school systems that are struggling with student success, it is important to recognize that school choice alone is not a magic bullet and that data indicates that there is little difference in test scores between "voucher" and "non-voucher" students. There is no guarantee that for profit private or parochial schools will deliver a better education. Additionally, vouchers do not significantly expand the limited, by-lottery-only openings at receiving schools. Oftentimes, private and parochial schools are not held to the same standards as public schools in areas such as data collection, test administration and score reporting, health, life, safety issues, and so forth. Illinois students would be better served by the state prioritizing education, changing the antiquated funding system based on property taxes, and adequately funding all public schools.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?One of the goals for the district has been increasing our community engagement. We have revamped our websites to make them more uniform and user friendly, increased our social media presence, and created a key communicators network. Board members have participated in professional development on community engagement and have more scheduled in the future. I would like to continue to expand our community outreach and look forward to serving again on the Communications Task Force.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.The PopeWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Treat others the way you want to be treated.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I really have no regrets.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Art. It is important to have some whimsy in life.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Floss