Roycealee Wood: Candidate Profile

Bio

Name: Roycealee Wood

City: Lake Bluff

Website:

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Office sought: Lake County Regional Superintendent of Schools

Age: 77

Family:

Occupation: Lake County Regional Superintendent of Schools

Education: BS Communication, MA Education

Civic involvement: Rotary Club of Waukegan Past President

NICASA - Board Member

Mother's Trust Foundation Board Member

SEDOL Foundation Board Member

Navy League of US Lake County Council Board Member

W.E. Illinois Council Past Present

BSA Executive Board Member

Delta Kappa Gamma Educator Sorority

YWCA Lake County

Elected offices held: 2002-Present Regional Superintendent of Lake County

Questions & Answers

Question 1: If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of any important initiatives you've led. If you are a challenger, what would you bring to the board and what would your priority be?

I am the incumbent. I have served as the Regional Superintendent of Schools since November 2002. Prior to that I served as the Assistant Regional Superintendent from 1995-2002. My role is to interact with all of my 25 employees to make certain that everyone is working productively to do their job in a timely and productive manner. Last year I developed a foundation (Lake County Regional Office of Education Foundation) to raise money to give scholarships to graduating Lake County students who will be attending a two or four year college or university.

Question 2: Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

The issue that has always motivated me is that every student in our schools has the opportunity to be successful in life now and in the future. It's an ongoing process that I continue to support daily.

Question 3: Why is the role of regional superintendent important?

The role of the Regional Superintendent of Schools is important to the County in which he/she serves and to the school districts it supports. Lake County has 45 school districts that depend on the regional office to serve them well and to connect them to the Illinois State Board of Education. If the local offices did not exist, education personnel would have to deal with their questions and concerns long distance to the Illinois State Board of Education in Springfield. This would not be an efficient way to conduct business in a large state and County that Lake County is.

Question 4: Is this one of those offices that can be eliminated through consolidation?

A great deal of consolidation has taken place over the years. Some of the central and downstate offices have been closed and others created with 3 or 4 counties. The Lake Count Regional Office of Education is one county office to meet the needs of the 132,000 students and 12,000 teachers and administrators.

Question 5: Can more be done to get technology in the hands of low-income students?

All of our Lake County School districts are working hard to provide the necessary equipment for our students to be "up to speed" on all forms of technology. They have appealed to the local businesses and companies to assist them in their endeavors.