Sara Paver: 2025 candidate for Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 board

Bio

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

City: Wheaton

Age: 39

Occupation: Caregiver

Previous offices held: None

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

I am running for school board in District 200 because I want an inclusive future where all students have access to a high-quality education, feel safe at school, and belong in their school communities. As a former student in District 200, I experienced the excellence of our community schools firsthand. As the parent of a first grader and a preschooler, I am acutely aware of areas where we need to do better. I am especially motivated by the opportunity to improve access to education and belonging for all students by reimagining our classrooms and instruction to be inclusive of students with disabilities.

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

District 200 has policies that guide the piloting and adoption of curriculum. The first opportunity for input from the school board is in shaping the district’s educational philosophy and goals, which serves as one of the criteria for the superintendent to recommend a comprehensive curriculum.

Throughout the process, the board receives feedback, offers input, and asks questions. There is a curriculum review program to regularly evaluate the curriculum and include input from teachers, administrators, parents/guardians, and students. I see the role of a board member as overseeing and actively participating in a defined process.

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

The recently adopted Bookworms curriculum is not ideal for some of our students with disabilities and has been used to justify the exclusion of students with language delays from participating in general education.

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?

Constituents have a right to be heard whether or not I agree with them. I would perform my due diligence to understand all the perspectives and issues at play and try to find middle ground if possible (e.g. allowing families to opt their children out of certain topics). Ultimately, I would lead based on what I perceive as being in the best interest of our community. I expect to defer to educator and other professional expertise as appropriate.

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.

As a Knauss Marine Policy Fellow in the Ocean Sciences Division of the National Science Foundation, I had the opportunity to participate in and observe various working groups. My approach is to educate myself as much as possible on the issues involved, work to understand the perspectives of others, and take positions that I think have the best support based on the information available. For school board actions and decisions, I would build off the Vision 2026 strategic plan and appeal to shared values. I believe that shining a light on a problem is a significant step toward solving it. I think there are ample opportunities for problem solving and consensus building on our school board.

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.

Every student should have the opportunity to reach their full academic and social potential regardless of ability, race, gender identity, orientation, socioeconomic status, et cetera. All students deserve access to an excellent education and a sense of belonging within their school communities. For this to happen, there needs to be a focus on equity and removing access barriers. I appreciate use of an “equity lens” to improve learning for all students in District 200’s Vision 2026 strategic plan.

We need to continually assess our policies and practices to ensure that we are meeting the needs of diverse learners and are a supportive place of employment for diverse individuals. We need to ensure that staff are modeling treating others with kindness and respect and that we are enforcing our policy to prevent bullying on the basis of personal characteristics, including immigration status and gender identity.

I support efforts to connect current and former students to potential future employment within District 200 and other efforts to increase the diversity of job applicants. I support initiatives to help our administrators, educators, and staff recognize and work to overcome implicit biases.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I have a unique set of skills and experiences that would make me an asset to the District 200 School Board. I have a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois and a background in academic research studying ecology. I am skilled at visualizing and analyzing data. I enjoy creative problem solving and thinking outside of the box. I excel at logical thinking and testing hypotheses. I ask a lot of questions and am not easy to mislead. Perhaps most importantly, I have the ability to change my position when presented with new information.

I have experienced District 200 as a student and as a parent. I grew up in Warrenville and attended Bower, Hubble, and Wheaton Warrenville South. I live in Wheaton in the Emerson neighborhood and my children attend Jefferson and Hawthorne.

I am a member of the Parent Teacher Associations at Jefferson and Hawthorne as well as the District 200 Citizens Advisory Committee. I have been inspired by the excellent education available to high-achieving students like myself and disappointed by the marginalization and exclusion experienced by disabled students like my son, which allows me to empathize with families who have had a range of educational experiences in our district.

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

Our K-12 schools should follow the lead of Jefferson and adopt an inclusive model of education where students with disabilities are educated in general education environments to the greatest extent possible.

Inclusive schooling is fiscally responsible, reducing school costs through more efficient use of resources. Inclusive settings allow educators to provide more frequent and individualized support for all students, improving the quality of education for everyone.

Students educated in inclusive settings exhibit increased acceptance of individual differences and more empathy for other people, potentially helping to improve the culture of our middle and high schools and reduce the incidence of bullying.

Peers also develop enhanced leadership skills when educated alongside students with disabilities while their academic performance improves or stays the same.

Students with disabilities educated in general education settings experience stronger academic performance, more self-confidence, increased opportunities to form friendships, and stronger connection to their communities. Federal law and decades of educational research support creating more inclusive education opportunities.