Cyndi Covelli: 2021 candidate for Glenbard High School District 87

Eight candidates are squaring off for four, 4-year seats on the Glenbard High School District 87 board in the April 6 election. They are newcomers Cyndi Covelli of Lombard, Nicole Dawson of Glen Ellyn, David Dejanovich of Glen Ellyn, and Kermit Eby of Lombard, and incumbents Robert (Bob) Friend of Lombard, Jennifer M. Jendras of Glen Ellyn, Mireya Vera of Lombard, and Judith Weinstock of Glen Ellyn.

They responded to a Daily Herald questionnaire seeking their thoughts on some of the most pressing issues facing the district.

Below are Covelli's responses.

In-person early voting with paper ballots begins Feb. 25 at DuPage County Fairgrounds Building 5, 2015 Manchester Road, Wheaton. In-person early voting with touch-screen voting begins March 22 at locations throughout the county. Learn more at www.dupageco.org/earlyvoting/.

Eight candidates for four, 4-year terms

Bio

Town: Lombard

Age: 49

Occupation: Teacher, special ed and ESL, Cicero School District 99

Civic involvement: I foster dogs through Little Giants Rescue in Lombard.

Q&A

Q: Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?

A: Because I have seen firsthand the struggles that remote learning has caused students, parents and teachers alike. I see it as on my students' faces as they laboriously go from Google Meet to Google Meet, in parents' voices as we converse in the neighborhood, and in my own daughter, as she and her friends are doing OK. They have lost out, in my opinion on a great amount of learning, as remote learning is neither active nor is it typically engaging or challenging academically. I have to ask why we're settling for "OK?"

I am also running to be a listening ear to all D87 stakeholders, and to respond efficiently and transparently to their needs.

I will strive to maintain a safe, full-time return to learning (as the science shows is possible as well as neighboring private schools), as well as enhancing remote learning for those who choose. As a special education and EL teacher, I am committed to finding and implementing strategies to bring about equity to all unserved and underserved students in order that they will all get the best education possible, and so that they can each find success. I am committed to maintaining fiscal integrity for all taxpayers so that Glenbard D87 can continue to hire excellent teachers and offer stellar learning opportunities to its students.

Q: How would you grade the current school board on its response to the pandemic? Why?

A: I would grade this response a C-. I feel as if the school board has more than fulfilled its obligations to students and staff by purchasing all of the mitigation products and PPE required items according to ISBE and IDPH. They have also surpassed their requirements by making saliva testing mandatory, adding thermal temperature scanners, etc. On the other hand, I also feel that the current board has not had a plan to get kids back in school, even though much science supports students going back to school. There also never seems to be a plan B (livestreaming, 4 day hybrid, senior planning) until parents bring this up at board meetings. The current board has also not been fully transparent in its endeavors and there seems to be a lot of infighting and "hushing" of differing opinions. How can we expect our students and teachers to embrace others opinions, when our school board appears not to?

Q: How do you view your role in confronting the pandemic: provide leadership even if unpopular, give a voice to constituents - even ones with whom you disagree, or defer to state authorities?

A: I view my role as imperative to getting students back in school for those who want this option. If we follow the COVID data trends and science, this will show us that it is safe for students to be in school full time, following protocols. Many schools around us are already in this full-time scenario. Local and regional science should be followed. Those who choose remote should look forward to an enhanced version of this, as studies also show many students are falling behind rapidly in their academics, with minority students losing strides at a faster rate than others.

Q: Did your district continue to adequately serve students during the disruptions caused by the pandemic? If so, please cite an example of how it successfully adjusted to continue providing services. If not, please cite a specific example of what could have been done better.

A: I believe that my current district thought they were doing a great job, thought they were speaking for the stakeholders, when in actuality, they were not. I have attended nearly every board meeting this school year, and way back in September (when COVID positivity was relatively low and private schools were in session) parents were asking for hybrid learning as students were struggling. Those pleas fell on deaf ears. The board claimed that the fall learning was better than the spring, but could give no specific reasons why. By the time they came around to offering hybrid, the numbers were climbing and we only got three weeks of in-person learning. In the end, we could have planned for more than one scenario and had the students in class for a much more robust period of time.

Q: Do you have a plan on how to safely and effectively conduct classes in the spring? What have you learned from the fall semester that you would change in the spring?

A: Yes. We all know that a lot can change over the course of the next 6 months, but in my opinion, school can and should open full time for those who opt for in person learning. Glenbard D87 has spent millions of dollars on mitigations and saliva testing (which results so far show that our schools can be open safely). We should call upon our private schools sectors for any information we do not already have and work with local health authorities to finalize the plan. We are saliva testing, have ample janitorial staff and according to the most recent (January 2021) board meeting, people have finally been brought in to assess how many students can actually be in a classroom at 6-foot distances.

I would definitely get kids in school (those who choose in person learning) more, as science shows it is safe to do so. I would also focus more on best practices such as keeping learning active, giving timely feedback and valuing all input.

Q: What is your position on allowing high school sports to continue during the pandemic? Be specific.

A: High school sports should absolutely continue. Not only should they continue, but when able spectators should be allowed, especially in outdoor venues. Collegiate and professional sports are continuing, as are high school sports in surrounding states and conferences. With proper mitigations, all sports should be played and enjoyed. Many students count on sports as a means to offsetting college expenses, and others need them for mental health, sociability and stability efforts.