Jennifer Sargent: 2021 candidate for Huntley District 158 school board

10 candidates are running for four, 4-year seats on the Huntley School District 158 board. Tara Masino did not complete a questionnaire.

Bio

Village: Huntley

Occupation: Small Business Owner - Child Care Provider

Employer: Self-Employed

Civic involvement: N/A

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. After listening to other community members want better for our community and thinking about it, I decided that it was time to do something more than I was if I wanted our schools to be better. I come from a family of educators, those who support education, but more than that we are advocates for children in our communities. My mother was a school board member for eight years, my brother is an amazing teacher and coach in Osage, Iowa and now I need to do my part in helping in my community.

Q. How would you grade the current school board on its response to the pandemic? Why?

A. I would current response to the pandemic a B. I think this because I feel communication was lacking at times so parents struggled to understand their response. I also think that many of our children needed us to react and support their therapy and educational needs because we lost crucial time, especially for preschool and lower elementary age children, where they fell even further behind their peers and target goals.

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. I think we should always listen to what others think, feel, and then take those into consideration when contemplating all optional outcomes, even if they are opposite from our own beliefs. This is even more important when you represent others in your position. Sometimes you can come up with ideas that you wouldn't even have considered by listening to other's views on the same problem.

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. eLearning worked for many children while it failed others. It accentuated how every student in our district learns differently and has different educational needs. I saw growth in the way the school started this fall from where we were last Spring with eLearning and we seem to be continuing trying to improve. I think we failed our students that rely on RTI, Special Education, Therapy, and other educational supports to be successful because they can't and didn't get their needs met online. I wish we would have thought more outside of the box on how to modify options available somehow to better meet their needs.

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. I don't have a plan. The school has a tricky balancing act when it comes to COVID-19. They need to keep up with the data and research to ensure that all decisions are based on scientific information, not emotion or rhetoric. There is a need to balance the safety of teachers, support staff, and students while taking into consideration the need of many of our students to be back in school with some sibilance of normalcy particularly those that are struggling with eLearning or not getting their needed therapy. I applaud the schools for their progressive move working with McHenry County Health Department to get all employees who want the vaccine access when it is very hard to find appointments available.

Q. What is your position on allowing high school sports to continue during the pandemic? Be specific.

A. The primary importance is for the children to be able to participate safely in the activities that they love at their school. This should include more than just sports but our amazing band, creative theater productions, and all other activities where our students find their passion and their way to express their talents.

Many of the children have been participating in club and AAU sports as soon as the state allowed it without issue. My boys have played soccer for the CL Inferno with new rules in place to keep them safe. My daughter is currently running her indoor track season for Quincy University as a freshman.

I think with testing, temperature checks, health surveys, and wearing masks we can limit some of the risk but ultimately that decision should be one each individual family has to make for their child themselves knowing their child's medical history. We can figure out the secondary concerns such as spectators later because they should not be our focus.