Lisa Krams: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Lisa Krams

City: Palatine, IL

Office sought: Board of Education Member, District 15

Age: 39

Family: married with 2 children (ages 5 and 2)

Occupation: Program Manager, Health Information Technology; American Academy of Pediatrics

Education: Master's Degree

Civic involvement: President, Harper Preschool Parents Organization

Previous elected offices held: Non

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? no

Website:

Facebook: n/a

Twitter: n/a

Issue questions

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

Safety is essential to learning, and school safety is everyone's responsibility - staff, families, visitors, community members, and students. The proposal to hire armed, retired police officers in the elementary schools was misguided. If elected to the Board, I will work to identify evidence-based safety interventions, programs, and strategies that emphasize early identification, referral, and supports. Crisis prevention starts with recognizing and intervening when someone is initially in distress. It's important for the district to continuously assess, evaluate, improve, and showcase programs that support mental, emotional, and social well-being. Learning environments that foster development beyond academics produce strong, healthy learners who are prepared for life beyond school. It is essential to increase diversity within district leadership so decision-makers are reflective of the population they serve. Community strength comes from collaboration, not uniformity. I will work to reduce barriers to engaging with the Board and district leadership. I am running for the District 15 Board of Education because I see opportunities for us to do better. I want decisions implemented by the Board to be supported by evidence and research. I would welcome discussion with my colleagues as to how to best support the children, families, and staff in District 15.

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?

We have every reason to be proud of the students, staff, and schools in District 15. They do amazing work and achieve tremendous things on a daily basis. If elected, I will prioritize continued strong relationships and collaboration across our schools, the district, and community-based health and wellness organizations. Research in child development demonstrates the essential link between health and learning. Children who are sick, hungry, stressed, anxious, or struggling in other ways do not leave those challenges behind them when they come to school. We know that children and adolescents are struggling with mental health issues such as stress and anxiety as higher rates than ever before. Continuing to foster positive relationships, sharing of resources, and open communication between our schools and child health experts (it's hard to tell who cares more about other people's kids - school employees or pediatric health care providers!) will help us create healthy schools and communities that empower our children to achieve their potential throughout their time in District 15 and beyond.

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 15 is addressing space and boundary challenges, exploring full-day kindergarten, and planning for necessary repairs and upgrades to buildings and properties. It's essential that we use every dollar to its greatest effect. It is the Board's responsibility to identify and eliminate redundancy so District 15 can achieve our mission of producing "world-class learners by building a connected learning community." I would like to explore how effective and efficient use of technology can move us toward this goal. The Board needs to be committed to examining a variety of cost-cutting and revenue-generating strategies, including moderate tax increases, in a thoughtful and open-minded way. One of the best things about living in the District 15 community is that elected officials who are stewards of public funds - for our schools, our libraries, our park districts, and other community resources - respect and appreciate the necessity of using those funds in ways that clearly and visibly support the mission, goals, and values of their respective institutions and the wider community. I feel like I see public funds at work in our community, and I would look forward to the challenge of carrying forward the tradition of responsible, effective stewardship.

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?

No.

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?

It is important that District 15 remain competitive in terms of pay and benefits for all employees in order to maintain our current level of excellence for students, families, and communities. At a minimum, we should be providing annual salary increases that are commensurate with regional cost of living increases. School employees give so much of themselves to our students and the district - they make themselves available outside of school hours and support our children and families in ways that go far beyond academics. Pay and benefits play an important role in creating a work environment where people feel valued, satisfied, and motivated. It's essential that school staff have the resources to care for themselves and their families. We want our children to be happy, healthy, and ready to learn - we should do everything we can to ensure that the staff who help them every day are happy, healthy, and ready to engage them.

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?

As a general rule, I would not support something like this. The priority for district funds should be the mission and future of the full district. If the Board were to decide to make something like this a priority when budgeting, I would want to consider near-retirement salary increases for all eligible district employees - possibly a graduated system based on the number of years with the district. This might be a way to continue to draw and retain talented, dedicated, outstanding staff at all levels.