Lisle 202 candidates seeking new programs
All-day kindergarten is something all four candidates for school board seats in Lisle Unit District 202 want the district to implement.
Beyond that, incumbents Anne Blaeske and Darryl Franklin and newcomers Joanne Haldeman and Wendy Nadeau have different ideas for programs they think the district should start.
The four candidates are seeking three available seats in the April 7 election to represent the district, which includes four schools in Lisle teaching roughly 1,500 students.
Nadeau, an office manager and event coordinator, said full-day kindergarten would help students like her son get more out of each day and prepare for their educational futures.
"I just think it better prepares the kids for first grade to be in a full-day program," Nadeau said. "Having one in half-day, he goes, they get in the groove, and then it's time for them to leave."
Franklin, a portfolio manager and ordained minister, said his push is to close the gap between the academic achievement of minority students and white students.
The district's achievement gap stands at between 16 and 38 percentage points in terms of the percentages of black and Hispanic students who meet or exceed standards on required tests compared to the percentages of white students who meet or exceed in science, math and reading, according to 2014 data from the Illinois state report card.
The gap is most pronounced for Hispanic students in reading, with 41 percent of them meeting or exceeding standards compared to 74 percent of white students. The difference is narrowest for Hispanic students in science, as 74 percent of them meet or exceed standards compared to 90 percent of white students.
Franklin wants to see District 202 offer full-day kindergarten and expand summer school to help decrease gaps in performance.
"I have been actively pushing very hard that we work to close the achievement gap," Franklin said. "I've been the one who's been really pushing that envelope and saying we need to pay teachers for during the summer and close the achievement gap. I've asked for and pushed for changes in how we measure how effective we are in terms of closing the gap."
Blaeske, an office manager in Lisle, said the district started a trial of all-day kindergarten this year for students who otherwise would fall behind. She's awaiting results of the trial to determine if the program should be expanded and, if so, whether there would be enough room at Schiesher Elementary to house a full grade-level of all-day kindergarten classes.
Other programs she wants started include more anti-bullying efforts instead of just "lip service" and online learning to offer specialized or advanced courses in a potential partnership with other small districts.
"Because we are a small district, we can't offer our kids the same AP (advanced placement) classes, the same variety of languages that are available in other school districts," Blaeske said. "I would love to see our kids be able to do online learning."
Haldeman, a longtime District 202 volunteer with a background in education, said the ability to take an extra course during the school day also could benefit high school students who want to pursue foreign languages or advanced classes while also staying active in music programs. So, too, could the addition of a senior math course for students who aren't ready for an advanced topic such as calculus.
"I don't know that we have a solid fourth-year math program for kids who are not super-math-inclined," Haldeman said. "Maybe we could explore some other options because many kids who are not mathematically inclined are still looking to go to college, and coming into college with four years of math is solid. It looks strong."