Jennifer Glickley: 2025 candidate for Milburn Elementary District 24 board

Bio

Office sought: Milburn Elementary District 24 board (Vote for 4)

City: Lake Villa

Age: 51

Occupation: Principal

Previous offices held: None

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

I am a 20-plus year resident of the Millburn School District; I was fortunate to have both of my children attend school there from kindergarten through eighth grade, where they had an exceptional experience. I feel that I can support the school district and teachers due to my personal knowledge as an educator. As an administrator, I understand school code and school finance, and I’m not afraid to make difficult decisions when backed by facts and data.

What is the role of the school board in setting and monitoring the curriculum?

As a member of the school board, my primary responsibilities will be to help set policy and hire and supervise the superintendent. When it comes to curriculum, the role of the school board is to approve the budgetary spending to purchase the curriculum.

The teachers and administration should provide feedback and data about why a particular curriculum resource has been chosen.

Given the recommendation from the teachers and administrators and the financial ability, the school board should approve the recommended curriculum resources. We have to trust that the professionals have done their due diligence to meet the needs of their students and that they know best about what is needed.

Are there curriculum issues within the district that you feel need particular attention from the board?

There are not currently any curriculum issues that need attention from the board. The district has recently implemented new math curriculums in kindergarten through eighth grade and has identified areas in English Language Arts that needed additional support.

Last spring, the school board attempted to remove the Reader’s Choice program from the schools due to concerns some school board members had about one of the books on the list. This became a very heated topic in the community and created a great level of distrust in the current board.

Several board members met with a group of teachers to find a compromise. In the end, the Reader’s Choice program was restored, but the board lost a lot of trust and the community is on high alert about decisions the school board is making. As a veteran educator, I feel that I could help the other school board members understand the reasons behind particular programs or curriculum resources and avoid these types of conflicts in the future.

How do you view your role in confronting policy or curriculum controversies: provide leadership even if unpopular, give a voice to constituents — even ones with whom you disagree, or defer to state authorities?

My nature is not to be confrontational, but facts are important to me. I ask questions for clarity and to get specifics to help others understand as well. In all my decision-making, I put children first. What do the students need? How will this decision impact them for the better or worse?

In my job as a principal, I need to make decisions that are at times unpopular, and I have found that once people have information and a rationale behind why a decision is made they are more understanding. They may not agree but appreciate knowing why a particular decision was made. Communication and information are the keys to dealing with difficult topics.

Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach an agreement and manage school district policy? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions for your school board.

It is my job every day, as a principal, to work collaboratively with other professionals to determine policies and procedures. I use a shared leadership model where I include multiple stakeholders in the decision-making process so that everyone has ownership of the outcome.

We determine what we will do in case of a disagreement or conflict and stick to that agreement to help us come to a consensus. When determining policy for a school district, it will be very important that we follow the school code, and what the law states must be included in our policy. However, the nuances of the procedures related to that policy can more closely match the needs of the school district.

What is your assessment of the school district's diversity and equity efforts? Do you support the continuation or enhancement of such programs, of would you rather see them diminished. Please explain your reasoning.

While the student demographics of the Millburn School District have changed slightly over the last 5 years, the staff demographics have not.

The district has recognized this and has worked to celebrate the cultures and backgrounds of their students and help to educate all students about people of diverse backgrounds. This has most recently occurred through their Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration where both schools spent the whole day celebrating Dr. King and all that he accomplished and stood for.

I would like to see more of this, specifically highlighting Hispanic Heritage, Asian Pacific Islander, and Desi Americans as these are the groups who have seen the largest increase in student population at Millburn. This will help all students and families feel welcomed and an important part of the school and community.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

As an educator, I bring a perspective that other school board members may not have. I am a former special education teacher and fourth- and fifth-grade teacher.

I am currently in my 23rd year as a principal in Lake County and my 18th year at my current school, which is a K-8 school in Gurnee. I have a bachelor’s degree in Special Education, two Master’s Degrees — Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. I hope that my experiences and education will help me support the district administration in meeting its academic and fiscal goals.

What’s one good idea you have to better your district that no one is talking about yet?

I have lots of ideas, but I also believe that school board members should not come in with an agenda. That we are there to be good stewards of the taxpayer’s money and that we have to put children first in our decision-making.

Other creative ideas should come from the people who are in the trenches every day and know what the schools, their teachers, and their students need, and a school board should not interrupt what is going on in the school district unless it is hurtful or harmful to the students or community.