Kathleen T. Hewell: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey Issues Bio City: Saint CharlesWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Community Unit D303Age: 52Family: Married, 3 children that attended D303 schools throughout their educationOccupation: Currently a homemaker and volunteer. Previously worked as a geologist.Education: BA, Northwestern University, 1980Graduate work in Geochemistry at University of Illinois/Urbana, 1980-82Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: School Board member, St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 2003-2007, 2007-2011Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: noCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 St. Charles CUSD #303 is a very well-run, high-performing, fiscally responsible school district. As a school board member for the last 8 years, and President from 2007-09, I am proud to have been part of the success of our school district as a whole, and, most importantly, the achievement of our students. My promise to the community is to continue to put in the hours and the effort to understand the challenging environment school districts find themselves in, work collaboratively with fellow board members, remain fiscally responsible and accountable, and guide our schools and students to ever greater achievement. My ongoing goal is for CUSD 303 to be a school district our community can be proud of.Key Issue 2 The current climate in education is extremely challenging. Be it No Child Left Behind, new Obama initiatives, federal and state restrictions, state funding shortfalls, the economic situation, or advances in technology, recent changes to the educational landscape have been rapid and have had great impact. Informed and thoughtful decisions will need to be made.Key Issue 3 In my view, the use of technology will be essential to the future success of our students as we try to prepare them for 21st century careers. The superintendent and the technology department in D303 have made incredible strides in the last several years, especially at the district level. Initiatives and advances should continue to focus on the classroom, putting more technology in the hands of students. This is clearly the direction the world is moving in, and it is our responsibilty to prepare our students for that future as best we can and within our means.