Zachary Cook: 2025 candidate for Lake Park High School District 108 board

Bio

Office sought: Lake Park High School District 108 board (Vote for 4)

City: Roselle

Age: 40

Occupation: Senior DevOps Manager

Previous offices held: None

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

I am running because I want to see as many positive outcomes for as many constituents as possible. For school board members, I believe that looks like seeking great student outcomes, supporting educational professionals, hearing the concerns of parents, and doing so in a way that is balanced by fiscal responsibility.

I moved to Roselle four years ago I'm planning to retire here decades from now. I want to see the school my child will be attending in a few short years guided by these values.

I've noticed an uptick in extremist organizations taking an interest in the area. This has potentially had a chilling effect on the number of moderately minded people who would otherwise have donated their time and services to their community.

I consider myself a moderate, and my positions are influenced by the scientific method rather than an ideology. I am running to fill one of these four open seats as somebody moderately minded and focused on evidence-based policy.

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

The school board's role is to set a vision for the district, and I happen to agree with Lake Park 108’s current “Portrait of a Graduate.” I especially love the emphasis on critical thinking, being a resilient learner, and being a global citizen.

I feel the strategy for achieving that vision is best left to educational professionals, and the role of the board is to ensure they have the support they need to get the job done.

The board also serves to ask clarifying questions on behalf of their community to ensure strategies can be well understood and that there are no special interests involved.

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

At the most recent board meeting I attended, I saw a tremendous update for an ambitious multiyear data-driven intensive learning program. I think that kind of framework is exactly what identifies successful strategies for educators and students alike. I recognize that this kind of system can take time to show results, and I was pleased to see a core principle was data review and continuous refinement of approach based on results.

The board would do well to ensure bold initiatives like that are well supported and to grant space for educational professionals to highlight wins and challenges alike as the program matures over time.

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?

I recognize that controversies often stem from a place of genuine concern for the best outcomes for students. I am open-minded to evidence that suggests a different course of action would be more beneficial in any circumstance.

I support using board meetings as an avenue for public comment on relevant matters of parent and taxpayer interest.

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.

While this is my first effort to hold a public office I have been a technology leader in the private sector for a long time.

I am no stranger to stressful settings filled with passionate people trying to achieve what they feel gets the best outcome. I have had countless late nights collaborating with intelligent people across various backgrounds and areas of expertise finding ways to come up with great solutions to urgent problems.

What I have found over that time is that the best solutions are most often born from supporting the people closest to the problem. One of my mentors expressed it best to me as “hire smart people, and then actually listen to what they say.”

That advice has served me very well in working with teams both large and small to get the best possible results.

I would transition my experience providing vision and guidance to stakeholders like owners and shareholders to providing it for my new stakeholders — students and taxpayers.

I would continue my leadership style of supporting experts in matters they know best by supporting educational professionals’ decisions that meet our shared vision and the goals of our mutual stakeholders.

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

I acknowledge and celebrate the diverse mosaic within my community, spanning religions, cultures, gender identities, sexual orientations and backgrounds.

I believe the role of educators is pivotal in cultivating an unbiased, informed, and engaged citizenry and is essential to the vitality of our democracy.

I acknowledge that decisions regarding classroom and library materials should be entrusted to qualified education professionals.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I have a vested interest in the future of Lake Park High School and the community it serves. My child is currently a student of Roselle School District 12 and will attend Lake Park in a few short years.

While I did not graduate from Lake Park, I am a proud graduate of Glenbard District 87, and know how valuable our public education system is. I want to prove my commitment to our community by earning this post, and I am dedicated to shaping policies that will benefit students and families for years to come.

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

I think there's more room for engagement with working professionals. People speaking about work they’re truly passionate about can be a really good experience for upcoming learners.

I would love to explore ways of finding forums for computer scientists to share their open source projects, local arts centers to share how they run an event, and construction workers to talk about how rewarding it is to walk into a finished building they helped create.