Mireya Vera: 2021 candidate for Glenbard High School District 87
Eight candidates are squaring off for four, 4-year seats on the Glenbard High School District 87 board in the April 6 election. Mireya Vera of Lombard is vying for a seat with fellow incumbents Robert (Bob) Friend of Lombard, Jennifer M. Jendras of Glen Ellyn, and Judith Weinstock of Glen Ellyn, and newcomers Cyndi Covelli of Lombard, Nicole Dawson of Glen Ellyn, David Dejanovich of Glen Ellyn, and Kermit Eby of Lombard.
They responded to a Daily Herald questionnaire seeking their thoughts on some of the most pressing issues facing the district.
Below are Vera's responses.
In-person early voting with paper ballots begins Feb. 25 at DuPage County Fairgrounds Building 5, 2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton. In-person early voting with touch-screen voting begins March 22 at locations throughout the county. Learn more at www.dupageco.org/earlyvoting/.
Eight candidates for four, 4-year terms
Bio
Town: Lombard
Age: 64
Occupation: Health Care Administration, director of community services, Sinai Health Chicago
Civic involvement: Glenbard School District 87 - current school board member since 2018; Student Performance and Achievement Committee since 2014; DuPage Federation of Human Services Reform (2003-04, 2006-11); Illinois Alliance of Welcoming Healthcare; and commissioner, Alma Anaya Health Task Force.
Q&A
Q: Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?
A: Having been appointed, I am currently holding a seat as a Glenbard School District 87 board member. I am running for this office because education matters to me and I have valued the work the board has been doing to make a difference in the educational success of all of our students at all four schools. I am a strong advocate for career and college readiness for all of our students. I am a first-generation college graduate in my family and I have seen within my own family the difference a college education has made. In addition, as a former teacher, having been able to work with students one-on-one, I can see how a teacher can positively influence and impact a student's ability to achieve academically. Tapping into a student's potential is key to helping them achieve academic success. Eliminating dropout rates, decreasing achievement gaps, and offering a successful educational experience are all issues that I care very much about.
Q: How would you grade the current school board on its response to the pandemic? Why?
A: This pandemic has been an unprecedented event, one very few were prepared for. It is not easy to place a grade on a situation so new to all impacted by this and that would be everyone; our students, families, communities, taxpayers and partners. This has been a learn-as-you-go situation getting some things right and needing to reconsider other aspects of the response. Glenbard school district did however have a system in place that allowed us to go into remote learning with less challenges than many other school districts. Students have been provided school iPads since 2014. Many of their assignments were already being submitted digitally and course readings were also in a digital format. Saying this, some curriculums were already influenced by online learning. This was a definite plus for teachers and students when the CDC data and Illinois requirements gave no other option than to be in remote learning. The COVID-19 testing now being offered to students has now provided greater control of keeping our students safe. Another value add that the school district is providing are the social-emotional supports for students that may be struggling with remote learning. These are offered both virtually and at each school building.
Q: How do you view your role in confronting the pandemic: provide leadership even if unpopular, give a voice to constituents - even ones with whom you disagree, or defer to state authorities?
A: Working in health care, I have seen firsthand how COVID-19 has impacted individuals and families. I work with communities that have been hard hit. It is not difficult to follow a truth you have lived directly. Having so many unknowns at the start of this pandemic, it truly was imperative to follow the Illinois Public Health and CDC data and guidelines, even as these changed sometimes on a daily basis. The balance has been finding what works best for our Glenbard school district communities while complying with these requirements. It is a balance between keeping our students and families safe from this virus while maintaining good mental health. It has been very important to hear what communities are saying and to give a voice to all of our communities. The school district understands that face to face interactions is a critical aspect of a student's well-being whether in a classroom, in sports or in the lunchroom. Academic success goes hand in hand with mental health well-being. Balancing all aspects of learning and mental health wellness continue to be key considerations to keeping our students safe and healthy. My goal is to maintain these in the forefront of our response to this pandemic.
Q: Did your district continue to adequately serve students during the disruptions caused by the pandemic? If so, please cite an example of how it successfully adjusted to continue providing services. If not, please cite a specific example of what could have been done better.
A: Yes, we worked to ensure we were meeting academic curriculum requirements while following CDC, IDPH and DuPage County Health guidelines. The school district began its pandemic response at the spring break of 2020 by going into complete remote until data moved us into Phase 4 allowing us to have some in school instruction while maintaining the mitigation requirements of social distancing, mask usage and deep cleaning of the school and classroom environment. Giving parents of students the option to do either complete remote learning or to go into the hybrid option for their student has offered an opportunity to choose their preferred mode of instruction for their child/children. Some parents continue to be concerned regarding the risk of contracting the virus while being on campus and prefer remote learning. Other parents prefer the face to face for their student, and are comfortable with the current mitigation efforts of the schools. This past summer school program was offered as remote learning. This allowed for students from all four schools to participate free of charge for a course that in the past may not have been offered at the four schools. This resulted in improved accessibility, removing transportation issues. The number of students taking summer school increased as well.
Q: Do you have a plan on how to safely and effectively conduct classes in the spring? What have you learned from the fall semester that you would change in the spring?
A: Glenbard school district has continued to plan for a variety of settings. The four key criteria (health data, staffing, quarantine restrictions, and safety protocols and equipment) will continue to guide the school district in their decisions of increasing in-person learning. If the numbers of COVID positive cases in DuPage County continue to decrease then we, as a school district, can increase the number of students returning to in-person learning. GB87 continues to move forward in a direction that will soon allow for contact sports to be offered on the campuses and that our classrooms can have more students on-site than is currently offered in the hybrid option week. Having completed a room capacity study has allowed the school district to prepare for the hybrid option. Classroom desks were rearranged to be in compliance with the 6-foot social distancing requirement. Now with the recent addition of offering COVID-19 testing for students, teachers and all staff this has allowed for better management of any spread by helping school campuses contain the spread of the virus. This screening will permit the school district to increase the number of students coming to campus 4 days a week for in-person learning. Building capacity is currently under review once more to move toward this goal.
Q: What is your position on allowing high school sports to continue during the pandemic? Be specific.
A: I believe sports are critical to the well-being of our students, both physically and mentally. All remote and in-person students have been offered the opportunity to participate in sports. The school district has continued to follow the Illinois High School Association requirements on sports. However, this has been a balancing act with contact sports vs. noncontact sports. I'm very supportive of going back to contact sports now that we have COVID-19 testing in place. We have seen through some national sports that the frequency of testing has allowed teams to contain the spread by immediately quarantining anyone testing positive. This can help minimize a spread and avoid a shutdown of schools or of a team sport from an uncontrolled spread. The school district goal is to minimize the risk of a COVID-19 spread and to keep all of the players and coaches safe. Spring allows for more outdoor sports as well. IHSA will hopefully soon allow for all sports to move into a Level 4 phase which includes, tournaments, league play, out-of-state play, and championship games allowed.