Mary FitzGerald Ozog: 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 IssuesQA Bio City: Glen EllynWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Glenbard H.S. D87Age: 52Family: Married, 4 children; 2 Glenbard District 87 graduates, 1 graduating in June, and one starting high school in the fall. 25-year resident of Glen Ellyn.Occupation: Former transportation planner/project manager with Metra and the CTA. Managed $1.3 million Sign Program at Metra from inception to installation. Currently substitute teaching in District 87 for the past 5 years (not a member of the teacher#146;s union.) I wEducation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor: BA in Political ScienceUniversity of Illinois Urbana: Graduate Studies in Urban Planning Civic involvement: Village of Glen Ellyn: Appointed member, Zoning Board of Appeals Commission (2006-present); Appointed member Architectural Review Commission(1986-1991)Friends of the Glen Ellyn Library: Treasurer, 2005-2007Glen Ellyn Park District: Citizens Ad Hoc Pool Committee, 1991President, Glenbard West Choral Parents 2004-2005Glenbard West Boosters Board : 2009-present. Chair, VIP Fundraising EffortElected offices held: none.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: no.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Making fiscally conservative decisions is my number one campaign issue. Right now Elmhurst and Barrington schools are facing major budget cuts. Through hard work and hard choices, Glenbard District 87 has managed to climb out of the crisis situation which led to the serious academic cuts we experienced in 2005-2006. I want to see District 87 continue to be fiscally conservative in both operating and capital decisions. Long-term planning is essential; we must plan for an educational system impacted by the nation-wide economic crisis of the past 3 years, and the extremely serious financial crisis currently facing the State of Illinois. I am not afraid to ask an intelligent #147;why?#148; regarding all spending choices made by District 87. I don#146;t have all the answers, but I am willing and eager to learn about and prepare for the decisions the Board will face in the futureKey Issue 2 I want to be a voice for students, parents, and the community on issues facing the District 87 Board. Whenever possible I plan to consider all sides in any given issue, and vote on issues from an informed position and in the fairest way possible. Key Issue 3 I want to ensure that all District 87 students have equal opportunity to academic, extra-curricular, and athletic opportunities. This ties in with both of my previous responses. District 87 needs to provide for the interests and academic needs of a broad population, while operating under significant budget restraints. However, I also recognize that the 4 high schools are not identical, and I want to respond to and respect the needs of each respective high school#146;s varied populations whenever possible.Questions Answers What are your thoughts on the district's recent move to a standard curriculum across all four schools?Obviously, it makes sense to offer a core curriculum using a standard set of textbooks and standards to ensure academic opportunity across all 4 high schools. However, I believe this can be accomplished without losing some of the individual hallmarks that make each school special. Differences in history, teachers, and actual student experience should be taken into account when standardizing curriculum. Last year I led an effort to keep Contemporary World History Honors as part of the curriculum for sophomores. Almost 250 parents signed a petition, which we presented to the Board to keep this class at Glenbard West. This class had developed a loyal following based on student experience; it was offered at the other high schools but did not have the same tradition at those schools. The class has been eliminated, and I believe that the curriculum at West has lost an important aspect of the educational experience, which really helped to prepare many students for college and beyond. It is also counter-intuitive to eliminate an honors class at the sophomore level and replace it with an AP class. Many more students (especially those who come from challenged backgrounds) benefit from more preparation before they tackle college-level AP classesHow does the district maintain its momentum, budget-wise, after digging out of a huge deficit in recent years to essentially break even this year?Constant vigilance regarding every dollar spent is required to avoid a repeat of the dismal 2005-2006 school year fiscal fiasco. The District constantly faces new challenges in the face of continually constricting revenue streams. Unforeseen costs (such at the 25% increase in medical costs recently reported by District 87) and constantly rising expenses must be carefully considered. Also, use of limited capital funds must be carefully analyzed to ensure that the buildings and grounds at 4 high schools with differing ages and needs are properly maintained. The District must at all times remember that, in these very difficult times, that all wants are NOT needs.With lights coming soon and turf installed last year, how do you maximize the benefits that Memorial Field at West provides to the district? Should anything be done to accommodate nearby residents who have complained about this?The new turf field at Memorial Field increases athletic opportunities for Glenbard West students and Park District programs. However, lights at Memorial Field are not a foregone conclusion. The District 87 Board must first approve the current proposal for lights and other improvements. If or when that approval is passed, the Village of Glen Ellyn Plan Commission will vote on the plans, and the final approval for numerous variances requested by the District will have to be approved by the Village of Glen Ellyn Board. The estimated cost for the lights is approximately $300,000 (the District plans for this money to be raised by the community); the other planned improvements are estimated at over $500,000 (which would come from District Capital funds.) Thus, plans for lights at Memorial Field have serious obstacles ahead, and the District and Park District must, for the time being, utilize the new field as best they can without lights.The District and Village must absolutely seek and respect community concerns about operating and eventually lighting this new field. Continuing with my theme that the 4 Glenbard High Schools are unique entities, the Glenbard West site is especially problematic. This new use for Memorial Field is located next to the busy intersection of Park Blvd., Crescent Blvd., and the Union Pacific railroad crossing. None of the other high schools are in an in-town situation like Glenbard West. The new field has only been open for business for a few weeks this past fall. Already traffic safety and parking issues, along with new noise issues have surfaced. Also, the District has expressed the desire to rent the facility out to groups beyond the original Park District agreement. The District must openly receive community input about any safety issues at this busy site, and be receptive to community concerns related to increased activity at this site. The District should look to the agreements that led to the installation of lights at Oak Park River Forest High School in 2009. The process to bring lights to that field took years; the final agreement contained usage restrictions, which made the lighting of that field in a very congested neighborhood far more palatable to the community. The high schools must commit to being a good neighbor in all of our communities; student safety and community concerns are very important.In light of an incident at Glenbard South High School last year in which violent-sounding notes were passed among students, how do you balance parents' need to know with students' privacy when such situations arise?As a District 87 parent, I applaud the District#146;s new automated information system. Telephone calls can now be made immediately if a security situation arises; this system is also used to notify parents about important Parent/School meetings and other issues. In a situation such as the Glenbard South incident, while student privacy must be maintained whenever possible, school security must trump issues of privacy. Policies regarding bullying and security must be in place and enforced. Students and parents are aware of these policies, and they must be respected. Our students deserve a secure, safe place in which to receive an education.How satisfied are you that your district is preparing students for the next stage in their lives, whether it be from elementary into high school or high school into college or full-time employment? What changes, if any, do you think need to be made?My experience is that the Glenbard District 87 system is, overall, doing an excellent job of preparing students for their next step. If a student is willing to put in the work, a District 87 education can and will allow them to achieve any goal. That said, however, the Administration and Board needs to be receptive to the concerns of the students, parents and the communities served by the District. In particular, parent involvement with the schools needs to be encouraged and respected. High schools with strong parent involvement graduate strong students able to handle the many challenges facing young people today.