Mary McNicholas: 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: West DundeeWebsite: www.facebook.com/mcnicholasforD300/Twitter: @MaryForD300Facebook: @McNicholasForD300Office sought: Community Unit District 300 School Board Age: 20Family: My parents, Sue and Brian, are longtime Dundee residents. I have two younger sisters, one of whom is currently enrolled at Dundee Middle School.Occupation: StudentEducation: I attended D300 schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade, including Dundee Highlands Elementary School, Dundee Middle School, and Dundee-Crown High School. I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy with a specialization in Education Policy at the University of Chicago.Civic involvement: I have previously served on the D300 School Board Legislative Committee, Dundee-Crown High School's Principal Advisory Committee, D300's Superintendent Advisory Committee, and was nominated to a seat on Illinois Representative Mike Tryon's Student Advisory Committee.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?District 300 has consistently maintained a per student spending level far below the state average for both operational and instructional expenditures. The reason that the district currently has a budget surplus is because of the excellent financial work undertaken by the district in recent years. Despite adding important programming like full-day kindergarten and STEM labs to elementary schools, D300 was actually able to lower the property tax levy and still maintain a budget surplus. If state funding challenges persist, the priority for the district should absolutely be to maintain their current quality education. No responsible school Board member would choose to enforce cuts on a fiscally responsible budget when there are more than 12 million dollars in surplus and a fund balance of over 90 million dollars. In the event of further cuts to the already unconstitutionally low funding provided by the state, I would tirelessly advocate for restoration of funds, not immediately turn to cuts that would harm the quality of education provided to D300 students.Should the district consider cutting ties with its charter school considering the problems with its management and leadership over the last two years?While the recent charter renewal application brought a few changes to the leadership structure of Cambridge Lakes, the issues that have emerged as a result of mismanagement and leadership problems over the last two years are absolutely unacceptable. Multiple area news outlets have reported on the failure of Cambridge Lakes to provide quality education for special education students and English Language Learners. The Cambridge Lakes administration has also routinely provided D300 management with invoices that are inaccurate or late. The repeated failure of Cambridge Lakes to properly serve all students must be rectified quickly, or the district would be acting within both its rights and responsibilities to cut the charter agreement of Cambridge Lakes. However, given significant improvement and a commitment to serve as a true public school by offering a quality education to all, Cambridge Lakes could serve as an asset to the D300 community, and I certainly hope D300 students will have access to such a resource.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 role of a local Board of Education in regards to setting curriculum should consist of oversight and approval of curriculum changes. Although I have a general working knowledge of state and local curriculum standards and methods, there are individuals who have dedicated their entire lives to studying the intricacies of the topic. Teachers should be another integral part of the curriculum setting process as practitioners and experts in teaching. While some curriculum can be perfect in theory, it is essential to ensure that it is also practical and teachable. As a member of the Board, I would work to ensure that only the most qualified experts continue to set D300 curriculum with the input of our talented faculty. In terms of guiding curriculum priorities, one of my goals would be to expand course offerings in Computer Science. The new Pathway Programs provide valuable opportunities for students to prepare for careers in technology, and that is something I would actively work to improve and expand. As a young candidate, I've seen not only the recent demand for such programming at our high schools, but the opportunities and careers that a background in computer science can afford for young people. With this type of programming, D300 has the chance to be a leader in a rapidly growing field.What are some innovative programs the district could undertake, such as its career pathway programs, to set itself apart?The district's recent push to expand their involvement with Elgin Community College is an innovative and exciting move. The current program allows qualified high school seniors to take articulated high school or ECC courses at ECC during their senior year of high school, allowing them to graduate with up to a full year's worth of progress towards a college degree. The "Accelerate College Program" provides an amazing opportunity for D300 families to challenge their students and save on ridiculously high college costs by completing these courses tuition-free. However, I would love to see this program expanded to offer more course options and to improve program accessibility by offering transportation to and from ECC, which currently must be provided by the students themselves.Another great opportunity currently available to D300 students is the dual-language program. The Spanish/English program as currently offered at Liberty Elementary will most likely be offered at an additional 5 elementary schools for the 2017-2018 school year. The dual-language program has two large benefits. Firstly, it supports the integration of English Language Learners into the district, without risking loss of achievement due to language barriers in the earlier years of schooling. Secondly, it allows native English speakers the chance to learn a new language through immersion while also reaping other scientifically proven learning advantages. I would love to support this program and work to expand it so that ultimately every student in the district has access to this incredible opportunity.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?A public school Board member should be a fierce advocate for public education. Therefore, the only appropriate response from the perspective of a potential Board member is that privatization can never come at the cost of quality public schooling. A voucher system or something similar that takes the taxpayer money attached to a certain student and transfers that money to a private institution is dangerous. It harms the ability of community schools to maintain their levels of educational programming, and it ultimately weakens public schooling. If elected, I would serve as an advocate for all of our community's students. The fact is that families have already made the choice send their children to D300 schools by choosing to live in the district, and D300 has some of the highest-performing and most diverse schools in the state. Strong community schools have the potential to alleviate many of the social and economic issues facing our nation today. As the product of a D300 school, I recognize the role my education played in both my educational and personal success; that's something I want to help provide for all students living within the district.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?As a recent D300 graduate, my voice is the closest to a student perspective of anyone running. I have experienced first-hand exactly what makes D300 schools so remarkable, and I've also seen the problems that need to be addressed. While at Dundee-Crown, I served on the now-defunct School Board Legislative Committee. During my tenure as the high school representative, I helped establish and plan a "Bring Your Legislator to School Day." The ultimate goal of the program was to invite state-level legislators into D300 schools to experience the unique challenges and opportunities available to D300 students. To plan this program, I visited multiple schools across the district, speaking with teachers from every department and specialization possible to learn what struggles and triumphs they saw on a daily basis. After planning a few potential schedules, I worked to coordinate visits with several Board of Education members who spent an entire day visiting a diverse set of classes and educational situations, from remedial math to Advanced Placement English, from the lunchroom to the counseling center. While I by no means have a comprehensive view of every issue in the district, learning about the problems faced by students have driven my passion for public education advocacy. I hope to serve D300 as a Board of Education member to serve as a voice and advocate for the people most affected by district decisions"â#128;ť the students.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I strongly admire Diane Ravitch's leadership and advocacy in the field of education, especially the formation of the Network for Public Education.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?My mom, a lifelong educator, always emphasized the importance of education. I was taught to respect and value my education.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?If I had one do-over, I would revisit high school and be less afraid to take more risks for the sake of learning.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite subject was English. I use the communication and analysis skills I learned in English classes every day.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?The one piece of advice I would give any child is to not be afraid to fail. Failure is an important part of learning.