District 207 candidates oppose Trump plans to abolish U.S. Education Department, use public funds for private schools
Candidates for the Maine Township High School District 207 school board oppose President Donald Trump’s plans to eliminate the U.S. Education Department and redirect public funds to private schools through vouchers.
Five candidates are running for four seats with 4-year terms on the Park Ridge-based board: incumbent Jin Lee, who is seeking a fourth term; and political newcomers Kelly Foersterling, Maureen Hartwig, Rebecca Heneghan and Dana Jaime.
Lee, Hartwig and Heneghan participated in a joint, online interview with the Daily Herald that can be found at dailyherald.com. Foersterling and Jaime didn’t participate but answered a question about Trump’s proposals via email.
Among other topics, the candidates were asked what they thought of Trump’s much-publicized desire to eliminate the Education Department and the possible effects that would have on District 207 funding. Trump’s support of school choice and his plan to use public money to create vouchers for private school tuition also entered the conversation.
Heneghan, a pharmacist with teachers in her family, voiced support for public education and opposed a government-funded expansion of private schools.
“Some people say privatizing (education) is going to make it better, and I don’t agree with that,” she said.
Heneghan criticized Michigan’s education system, which allows charter schools and open enrollment within a school district.
“Their public education system is eroded,” she said. “There’s nothing left.”
Heneghan also noted that charter schools in Michigan have been closing at a high rate, a statement supported by a study published in November by the Network for Public Education and the National Center for Charter School Accountability.
“It’s all collapsing,” Heneghan said.
Hartwig, a development coordinator with a nonprofit group whose husband is a public schoolteacher, said she’s “a big fan of public education.” While recognizing that private schools “serve a purpose,” she said all children should attend public school.
Lee, who first was elected to the school board in 2013, called education “the most important investment of all.” He supported the Education Department’s existence and the preservation of the nation’s public school system, saying it’s should be a source of pride for Americans when compared with systems in other countries. He said the funding District 207 gets from the federal government is “critically important.”
Jaime, who works for a data strategy and solutions firm, called public schools “the cornerstone of our communities.” She said their funding is crucial for vulnerable students, graduation rates and test scores.
Jaime opposed publicly funded vouchers for private schools, saying they weaken public schools that have met federal guidelines for the funds.
Foersterling, a life insurance consultant and the treasurer of the Maine Township High School Foundation, said dismantling the education department could deprive District 207 students of educational services, “the loss of which would be catastrophic.”