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Valerie Dykstra: Candidate Profile

Aurora West Unit District 129 School Board

Back to Aurora West Unit District 129 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: North AuroraWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Aurora West Unit District 129 School Board Age: 54Family: I have been married to David Dykstra, for 28 years. We have two daughters, Victoria, 24, and Cecelia, 19. We are all graduates of School District #129.Occupation: AttorneyEducation: West Aurora High School, North Campus, diploma, 1981;Western Illinois University, B.S., 1985;University of Illinois, J.D., 1988Civic involvement: I have been involved with numerous organizations over the years, including teaching religious education at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Aurora, Illinois; PTO Board at Schneider Elementary School; PTA Board and Vice-Presient at Jefferson Middle School; Senior Citizen Band Breakfast Chair, Teen Night Chair, and Dance Chair at Jefferson Middle School, PTSO, Band Boosters and Sports Boosters at West Aurora High School, Board Member for the YWCA of Aurora, Illinois. Since my election to the school board, I have streamlined my civic activities to focus solely on School District #129. The electorate deserves my singular focus.Elected offices held: School Board Member, School District #129, 2013-presentQuestions 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 reelection to the school board for a second term to provide a voice for those constituents who feel disenfranchised. My skill set as a certified teacher and a licensed attorney and arbitrator provides a unique perspective to the board. As I have no familial relationship with a district employee, there is no conflict of interest that would require me to recuse myself from board discussions and decisions, particularly the upcoming contract negotiations. I have demonstrated that I am an independent voice on the board; I will not function as a rubber stamp of the administration's decisions, but rather, I will stand for what I believe to be fair and equitable, even when faced with the opposition of the rest of the board and the administration. Of particular concern to me is that the proposed actions of the district, board, and administration be reviewed critically to ensure that the best interests of the students and the residents are protected. It is easy to become complacent, especially when confronting complex situations and difficult decisions. The board must not abdicate its powers however; it must require that requested actions be thoroughly reviewed, supported by evidence, and in the best interests of the students, for that is ultimately our raison d'Ã#402;circ;ordf;tre.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?The process of measuring student success is invested too heavily in standardized testing and a rigid, outmoded definition of success. The state and federal governments continue to impose regulations as to the information that must be tested and the type of testing that must be implemented, such as the SAT and PARCC. Their definition of success is obtaining a high score on standardized testing. While achieving a top score on a standardized test is certainly one measure of success, it is not the only one. Success has many iterations. The student who completes a vocational training course and becomes a welder, or a mechanic, or a firefighter is a success. The student who completes culinary training and is hired as a chef after graduation is a success. The student with severe educational disabilities who learns valuable life skills, such as riding public transportation, shopping for groceries, or paying his or her bills is a success. And of course, the student who aces the SAT is a success. Our district is actively seeking alternative avenues for students to experience success, such as those delineated above, although traditional testing is still the primary measure. While traditional testing has its uses and is not inherently wrong or evil, portfolio based evaluations will provide a greater understanding of the depth of the students' knowledge and their grasp of the salient concepts. Additionally, testing that moves beyond rote memorization will be more reflective of the students' success in the subject.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 school board, as the elected representatives of the parents and taxpayers, should have the major role in establishing the various curricula for the district. According to the Illinois School Code, this is one of the enumerated statutory duties of a school board. Our school district board policies also dictate that the board has a duty to approve curricula used in its schools. The recommendations of the superintendent and his or her staff, and their rationales therefor, should be considered by the board in executing its duty to establish a curriculum, but the final decision rests with the board. Furthermore, all decisions involving curricula should be discussed by the board in open session with public comment. The board has a duty to the taxpayers of the district to provide transparency in its decision-making process. I am pleased that our district is planning to add innovative programs to the curriculum for our students. Our students soon will have the opportunity to engage in vocational/career programs through West Aurora High School, such as mechanical training, HVAC installations, and certified nursing assistants. I would like the district to implement a life skills course. Many of our students have no idea how to complete basic tasks, such as balancing a checkbook, filing a simple tax return, evaluating credit card or loan offers, and applying for a lease. I would also like to see the district introduce a third foreign language at the middle school so that it would be equitably situated for enrollment purposes.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, like the majority of school districts in Illinois, faces an unknown funding situation from the State of Illinois. Without a state budget, our district is faced with the Herculean task of attempting to formulate a spending plan without knowing the monies it will receive. While our property tax portion of the budget can be reasonably estimated, General State Aid, commonly known as GSA, provided by the State, is a major concern. While Governor Rauner has pledged to end proration of GSA, it is unknown whether his pledge will be upheld. Additionally, the State of Illinois is over eight (8) months delinquent in making payments of the GSA for the 2015-2016 school year. This is unacceptable. Our district must find ways to trim the budget in light of uncertain funding and the possibility of the State shifting teacher pension payments to the school districts. I would suggest that the first step of budget reduction would be to delay the district's capital improvements and capital maintenance cycle by one year. Additional reductions could be made by a 5% or 10% decrease in each building or departmental budget. Non-essential administrative positions could be eliminated. Only as a last resort should classroom instructors or student programming be eliminated. If revenue generation is necessary, I would favor fee increases. By increasing fees to cover a greater portion of the costs, the cost shifts from the taxpayers to the ultimate user of the service. Our focus must remain the best interests of our students.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 should not play a role in public school districts until all major concerns have been adequately addressed. This is not a simple business decision that can be reversed if it is not successful. If the school choice plan should fail, it could potentially cripple the public school system and negatively impact millions of our most vulnerable students. The manner and methods promulgated to effectuate school choice will determine its effects on our school district. Student acceptance, retention, and discipline in private schools accepting public funds must be addressed to ensure that those students considered the "best and brightest" are not siphoned off, leaving only those students considered to be uneducable and undesirable by private schools. Any public funds provided to the private schools must follow the student to avoid a provision with charter schools that permits charters to retain the public funds whether the child stays at the charter for a week or a year. Additionally, any governmentally ordered mandates, whether funded or unfunded, must be applied equitably to all schools that accept public funds. It is almost impossible to determine the effects of school choice until such time as the enacting legislation is presented. The appropriate response of the school board and district is to abide by the duly enacted regulations of the state and the nation, advocate for necessary and appropriate safeguards to ensure the functionality of school choice or vouchers within the public school system, and assist its students in obtaining the best possible education.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?An issue of particular concern for me is the administration's decision to eliminate dedicated, professional, full-time librarians at each elementary school, as well as the dedicated, weekly library visit for each elementary class. Library time and the librarians were eliminated to provide for a dedicated STEM special and STEM teachers. The STEM special will not introduce a new curriculum, but utilize the same curricula already in use in the daily dedicated Science and Math time periods, and the weekly Technology period. While Language Arts, Guided Reading, and Writing have daily dedicated time periods, there is no longer ANY dedicated time period in the school year for students to meet with a librarian and select reading materials solely for their pleasure and interests. Numerous studies have shown that a child who reads for pleasure reads and comprehends nonfiction and educational materials at a much higher level than students who do not read for pleasure. By eliminating weekly library time, the administration has eliminated most children's opportunity to visit a library, meet with a qualified librarian, and select reading material of particular interest to them. The deleterious effects of these actions could further depress the district's reading scores, and ultimately cause a reduction in other subject competencies as well.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.With the divisiveness of politics on the national and state level, I am not comfortable singling out a leader in a nonpartisan race.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Education is of the utmost importance. Knowledge of all types will expand one's horizons and make one a citizen of the world.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would not do anything over. Everything happens for a reason, and by changing one thing, the entire trajectory of my life would be changed.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English. The ability to read critically and to write clearly and concisely are necessary skills in the legal profession and helpful in life in general.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Stand up for yourself and what is right. It might be easier to go along, but a clear conscience is invaluable.