Lauren A. Scanlan: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Lauren A. Scanlan

City: Carol Stream

Office sought: D94 School Board Member

Age: 29

Family: Husband and Son

Occupation: Teacher

Education: BA in Elementary Education, BA in Theatre Arts with Secondary Education Minor (2011), MA in Education Administration (2015)

Civic involvement: Involved in two local youth leadership organizations for preteens and teens; Illinois DeMolay and Rainbow for Girls.

Member of Service Organization: Order of the Eastern Star

Previous elected offices held: Appointed to D94 School Board

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? Yes, I was appointed to fill a Vacancy in April 2018

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Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your district and how do you intend to address them?

Our district is coming back from a rough contract negotiation. Right now it is important to rebuild trust between our teachers, the board and the community. I was appointed to the board after a resolution was reached, but we will be back at the negotiation table within the next few years. I am looking forward to being an advocate for our students in that process well as providing a lens from an educator standpoint. We need to support our teachers for the work they do for our students.

How satisfied are you that your school district is adequately preparing students for the next stage in their lives, whether it be from elementary into high school or high school into college or full-time employment? What changes, if any, do you think need to be made?

I am very satisfied! We-Go offers more advanced and AP classes than many of the other High Schools in our county. From an Arts standpoint, I am so pleased to see D94 cultivating the talents of students not just in academic areas but in the arts as well. Students have so many opportunities to pursue their passions in so many different fields. We-Go is giving every student the opportunity to be successful. However, I would love to see more opportunities for students to explore internships and apprenticeships for alternative careers other than a strictly college bound focus. Professionals in the trade fields are dwindling. There are wonderful opportunities for students to become skilled workers, but I fear they are not exposed to these opportunities enough. College is not the answer for every student, but every student can find success after High School. I want to increase the exposer our students have to alternative paths after graduation.

What budgetary issues will your district have to confront during the next four years and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, be specific about programs and expenses that should be considered for reduction or elimination. On the income side, do you support any tax increases? Be specific.

District 94 is currently completing many construction projects that taxpayers approved through a recent referendum. It truly shows that our community cares about their students and providing them with the best possible education. Within the next four years we will go through another contract negotiation. With sections of the school being older, we will need to make adjustments to make sure the building is ADA compliant. These are all expenses on the horizon, but I think we have an opportunity to be creative with our budget. Being a one district school, we can think outside of the box and try combining roles rather than eliminating programs. Ultimately, I am against cutting programs that benefit our students and I am willing to assist in thinking of unorthodox ways to continue funding them if necessary.

Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?

I am currently employed by Marquardt School District 15 in Glendale Heights. I have no family members employed by District 94.

As contract talks come up with various school employee groups - teachers, support staff, etc. - what posture should the school board take? Do you believe the district should ask for concessions from its employees, expect employee costs to stay about the same as they are now or provide increases in pay or benefits?

As an educator myself, I know the hard work, compassion, and devotion that goes into being a teacher, or any support staff member, in a school. When it comes to contract negotiations there should be one focus: students. What is best for our students? We want them to have the best teachers, so we need to make sure that our teachers are getting what they need to be successful in their classrooms. That means supporting them financially, physically, and making sure they can provide the best education possible for our children. But that also means teachers must rise to those expectations. Teachers know there are financial struggles in the world of education. They know there will have to be compromises. But as an educator, I want to feel like I am being paid fairly for the amount of work I put into my job and I am working with the District to overcome any financial hardship we may be facing. I want our D94 family to feel that way as well. If all parties keep the focus of negotiations on our students and what compromises must be made with them in mind, then we will be able to come to a resolution comfortable to all parties.

If your district had a superintendent or other administrator nearing retirement, would you support a substantial increase in his or her pay to help boost pension benefits? Why or why not?

No I would not. I do not think that would be a fiscally responsible option for our District.