Rob Hanlon: 2025 candidate for Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 board

Bio

Office sought: Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 board (Vote for 4)

City: Winfield

Age: 59

Occupation: Chief Information Officer Advisory

Previous offices held: Wheaton Warrenville District 200 board since 2017

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

I am running for three key reasons. First, our community voted to fund the transformation of three middle schools, and I want to see that work through to completion. Second, our district is strong, and I am committed to protecting and enhancing the qualities that make our schools and community exceptional. Third, a school board’s role is to govern, not operate, the education system. I aim to lead our board with a strong focus on governance.

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

The board of education governs the curriculum, as outlined in Section 6.0 of our policy manual, with specifics in Section 6.60. District teams develop curriculum under the leadership of the assistant superintendent for educational services, recommended by the superintendent, and presented to the board for public review and feedback. After gathering input, the board approves the final curriculum.

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

The board ensures the district has resources available to develop and execute curriculum in addition to governing the process that moves curriculum from inception to public review and ultimately approval. The board is a governing body elected by the public, not curriculum development professionals.

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?

The board has one employee it hires, the superintendent. Our education professionals develop curriculum under the direct supervision of our superintendent. Our education professionals are highly trained and remain current on research, strategies, and outcomes of districts nationwide.

We will also remain compliant with the state-mandated curriculum and aligned with our state and regional boards of education on guardrails for instruction.

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.

Over my eight years on the board, I have served twice on the HR/policy committee, one of the three working committees alongside facilities and finance.

Our district follows a structured and transparent policy development process, leveraging the Illinois Association of School Boards Press Policy service. This ensures that our policies are informed by legal experts and aligned with best practices across the state.

The HR/policy committee thoroughly reviews every proposed policy update, made available for public feedback, and then presented for approval by the full board.

This structured, inclusive process has consistently resulted in well-informed, effective policies that support our district’s long-term success and improved student outcomes.

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.

The common pivot based on public narrative when discussing DEI is hiring practices. While hiring the best teachers who represent our students is critical, the outcome I focus on is the achievement gaps for our monitored socioeconomic groups of students. While we continue to improve, we still see significant gaps in achievement across groups.

These gaps are a focus of our board and district leaders. The solution to closing the gap is not a single strategy but the specific work occurring under our academic and operational excellence strategies defined in our Vision 2026 framework centered on “Portrait of a Graduate.”

We must continue investing in our multi-tiers of support and actions to close achievement gaps across our student population.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I am a candidate who understands the role of a school board in governing and that a school board does not operate the school district. I also lead to ensure we have a high functioning school board, based on trust, that governs our district, maximizes learning outcomes for students, and prepares them for life after high school.

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

Keeping national political narratives out of our local school governance.