Claire Adachi: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: RoselleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lake Park High School District 108 School Board Age: 55Family: Married with two adult childrenOccupation: Director of TechnologyEducation: BA - College of St. BenedictMAT - National Louis UniversityCivic involvement: District 108 Board of EducationLake Park Educational FoundationUSOElected offices held: Board of Education SecretaryQuestions Answers Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?My goal in running for re-election is to work together with the community, teachers, administrators, and the School Board for the good of the students. I want to work for continued academic excellence for all students at Lake Park High School.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?Because of state mandates, the process for measuring student success is constantly changing. I believe that our superintendent and administration lead the way in using a longitudinal student growth model to measure student success. Lake Park High School has been in the forefront for switching from the ACT to the SAT and making sure that students are not over tested. At Lake Park we look not only at test scores but also to the new College and Career Ready Framework that is beneficial to students. This is a comprehensive approach to measuring every student's college and career readiness. Lake Park has also been recognized with distinction for increasing college readiness through the AP program. Every year the number of students that accept the rigor of college level education has increased. This is especially true with the increase in number of low income and minority students registering for AP courses. At Lake Park we also have articulation meetings with our feeder schools to assist all students to make a successful transition into high school.How big a role do you think the board of education should play in setting the curriculum for students and what ideas do you have for changes to the current curriculum?Our role as a Board is not to create curriculum. The Lake Park School Board has a representative that attends regular curriculum committee meetings and keeps the Board informed of curriculum discussions. Through this committee the Board is updated on mandates from the state for graduation or ideas from teachers about new and exciting class possibilities. The Board has final say in recommendations from this committee. Recently the Board approved a restructured school day so students could receive in school support therefore encouraging students to take more challenging classes. In the past year we have also expanded the curriculum to include manufacturing and technology with the support of the community and local businesses. This has given many students the opportunity to experience new job opportunities in the fields of engineering and manufacturing. Lake Park has also incorporated robotics and an all-girls engineering class for the summer. The Board of Education is always involved with the curriculum when recommendations are brought forth.What budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax or fee increases?Lake Park High School has a balanced budget. I will continue to support a balanced budget and will continue to keep watch on how the fiscal crisis in our state will affect the district. The fees that are charged to students only increase by CPI. The Lake Park School Board is always interested in saving tax payers' money and has applied for tax credits in the state for green energy. We have recently completed a project installing solar panels at each building and using energy that we produce to offset the costs of electricity. This will be a significant return on our investment given an opportunity to apply for Solar Renewable Energy Credits and utility costs. Because of our balanced budget we have a capital improvement plan that spreads out the cost of upgrades and improvements to make sure our facilities are always in good condition.What role can and should school choice play in your district? If Congress or the state approves a voucher system or other means giving students broader choices among public and private schools, how will that affect your district? What is the appropriate response for the board of education of a public school system?District 108 is a one school district, so school choice in our district does not apply. If Congress or the state moves to broaden choices, there will be a great impact on our school. Many areas within the school could be impacted including the number of students, overcrowding, teacher to student ratio, transportation, and athletics. Lake Park is a great school; we have an excellent, comprehensive curriculum and excellent activity an athletic programs. People will want to come to our school. If Congress or the state mandates a voucher system, I would also hope that they would have a plan in place to make sure that the system would work and be fair for every community. Considering the financial problems the state of Illinois is currently in, and considering that they are not always keeping up with on time payments to schools, I would hope that great caution is used for such a monumental decision.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?An issue that is important to me as a candidate is the financial state of the state of Illinois. The lack of a budget in the state of Illinois greatly affects our schools, and our Board is constantly trying to keep a step ahead of a crisis. The state mandates requirements for local schools to follow and many times at an unexpected cost to us. Some items in the forefront include the property tax freeze, teacher pensions, changes in high school graduation requirements, and curriculum changes to name a few.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.The ObamasWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Group cooperationIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History - learn from your past mistakes so you don't repeat them.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Don't give up on your dreams but have your feet firmly planted in the ground.