Marideth Groves: 2025 candidate for Carol Stream Elementary District 93 board

Bio

Office sought: Carol Stream Elementary District 93 board (Vote for 4)

City: Carol Stream

Age: 47

Occupation: Director of accounting

Previous offices held: District 93 board member since 2023

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

I am deeply invested in the success of our district, both as a parent and a community member. With two children in the district, I have been actively involved in school activities and served in leadership roles, including as PTA president and treasurer and as a parent representative on the PBIS committee.

Attending board meetings as a parent, I was discouraged by the lack of open discussion and the high number of appointed members. When six seats opened in 2023, I ran to help ensure our district had a fully elected board of individuals committed to improving our schools.

Now that I have served two years, I am even more keenly aware of the importance of the position and would like to continue the great work we have started.

We have had a productive two years, and there is still much more I would like to accomplish, such as pushing the board more into the public sphere, finding new ways to empower students, and spotlighting student proficiency.

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

The role of the board regarding curriculum is laid out in our board policy. The superintendent has the responsibility to establish a curriculum review program that monitors the current curriculum and suggests changes to enhance its effectiveness.

It should also incorporate improved teaching methods and materials, while remaining responsive to social changes, technological advancements, student needs, and community expectations.

The board’s role is to ensure that the superintendent is carrying out this important responsibility. The board also adopts curriculum based on the superintendent’s recommendations. I believe the board should ensure that curriculum review committees have access to the necessary resources for reviewing and piloting new curricula.

When it comes to adopting new curricula, the board should place significant trust in the expertise and recommendations of our educators as the subject matter experts.

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

The district has a curriculum review cycle in place that appropriately evaluates our curricula in a regular and timely manner. I think the board can make a difference by pushing for a review of our various specialty programs.

This year, the board established committees to review the dual language program, and we need to periodically do the same for our gifted and other specialized programs to ensure that we evaluate their efficacy and keep up with new research and best practices.

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?

As a school board member, my role encompasses all three. As an elected representative, I am obligated to listen and try to understand the perspective of all constituents.

However, my primary responsibility is to make informed decisions that serve the best interests of our students and district, even when those decisions are not popular.

In cases where an unpopular decision must be made, it is our duty to communicate transparently and compassionately and clearly explain the reasoning behind our decisions.

While state laws and policies bind us, that does not mean we must passively accept them if they do not align with our district’s needs. When necessary, we should advocate for change, working with policymakers to push for policies that better serve our schools.

A strong school board should lead, listen, and advocate for what is best for students, educators, and the community.

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.

An essential part of decision making is doing the work before meetings — reading materials, researching agenda items, and seeking clarification — to ensure productive discussions. Policy decisions aren’t made in a vacuum; they are rooted in state law, existing policies, district strategy, and board goals. This framework guides decisions within a board of seven distinct individuals.

In truth, most decisions aren’t contentious. My fellow board members and I share a common goal of making decisions in the best interests of students and the district.

When disagreements arise, this shared purpose allows me to approach differing viewpoints with an open mind and seek common ground.

Many of my fellow board members have backgrounds in education, whereas my path to the board was through volunteering in schools and PTA leadership. This naturally positions me more as a representative of parents and the broader community.

During recent boundary changes affecting middle school assignments, I listened to concerns from parents and students and advocated for key concessions. While some board members initially viewed these as unnecessary, they ultimately eased anxiety for impacted families.

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.

Our district’s educators and staff should reflect the diversity of our students and the community. Closing this diversity gap is a priority that the district has been actively working to improve and should continue to address.

By expanding our search for candidates beyond our usual avenues, we can access a larger pool of highly qualified and diverse professionals, which only serves to benefit the district.

I recently had the honor of representing the board at middle school student council meetings.

During these meetings, I emphasized that diversity, equity, and inclusion are core values for the board and also communicated our commitment to making schools welcoming and supportive for all students.

In these discussions, we explored what diversity, equity, and inclusion should look and feel like in a school setting, and I expressed to students that administrators and the board want to hear from them if we are falling short.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I serve on the finance, board relations, and dual language advisory committees as well as the district leadership team. This has provided valuable insight into the district’s needs and challenges.

We have a declining population, resulting in uneven enrollment across our schools and difficulty in distributing resources equitably. We addressed this issue with a boundary change that took effect this year; however, we must continue to monitor this closely.

The budget is another concern as we operate at a deficit. Though we are not in a budget crisis, we must learn from the experiences of other school districts and be proactive in taking deliberate actions now so we can avoid rushed measures in the future, especially during this time of uncertainty regarding the future of federal education funding.

We tell our students that “attendance matters,” and we must practice what we preach. I take this responsibility seriously and have never missed a meeting and always come prepared to discuss the issues.

If given the opportunity to serve another term, I will continue to work diligently to make informed decisions that benefit our students, staff, and community.

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

Inspired by my recent visits to middle school student councils to talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion, I would love for the board to launch a Student Ambassador program to enable students to become more involved in the decision-making process and allow them to express their opinions on matters like curriculum, school policies, and extracurricular activities.

This initiative would empower middle school students to take on leadership roles and give them more responsibility and connection to their education. It would also provide the board with valuable student perspectives on decisions we make that directly impact their learning experiences.