Judith Weinstock: 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. Board president Judith Weinstock of Glen Ellyn is vying for a seat with fellow incumbents Robert (Bob) Friend of Lombard, Jennifer M. Jendras of Glen Ellyn, and Mireya Vera of Lombard, and newcomers Cyndi Covelli of Lombard, Nicole Dawson of Glen Ellyn, David Dejanovich of Glen Ellyn, and Kermit Eby of Lombard.

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

Below are Weinstock'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: Glen Ellyn

Age: 69

Occupation: Glenbard High School District board (2013 to present); retired high school teacher in Glenbard District 87

Civic involvement: League of Women Voters/Glen Ellyn

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: I am running for reelection to a third term. My entire professional life has been dedicated to public education. I have been on the board of education for eight years, currently serving as president. I also taught English, American Studies, and a gifted seminar for 33 years at Glenbard West. I am still in touch with many of my students and I am so gratified that I had a part in shaping their future. They were the reason I loved teaching. They are the reason I am running for a third term. I may not be in a classroom now, but I still want to impact students through my work on the board of education. I care deeply about our children's education, their lives, and their future.

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

A: I would give Glenbard an A- for our handling of the pandemic. We were ahead of many districts by already having robust technology in place. All of our students had iPads, 97% of their textbooks were online, and teachers had been trained in Schoology, a platform for communication with students. Students who did not have Wi-Fi access received hot spots from the district. We put in significant mitigations including thermal scanners, safety distancing in every room, and mandatory saliva testing weekly for those entering our buildings, to name a few.

Over 700 home visits by Glenbard teachers aided us in not having students fall through the cracks. We also were able to switch seamlessly in and out of remote learning while keeping each student's original set of classes. Parents and students have a choice of remote or hybrid. Our buildings now are reaching out to students who wish to attend in-person for four days per week and principals are making that happen. Sports are starting up again.

To give you a comparison: last year nationally, college enrollment figures dropped 37%. Our students' college enrollment numbers only dropped by 3%. Despite the pandemic, Glenbard schools are operating and meeting student needs. The A minus simply reflects that this was a learning curve and not perfect, but IT IS WORKING.

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 try to walk a fine line in confronting any issue in our district. That means listening to our constituents' voices while also following best practices and guidelines from other professional organizations such as IDPH, DCPH, the state of Illinois and the Regional Office of Education.

We established pandemic committees at our high schools to allow for parent input, and we have heard from citizens during our board meetings. My duty is to keep students' safety and health at the forefront of every decision the board makes around this pandemic. That means that sometimes decisions are made that are not popular but they are the right decisions for our students' well-being.

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: One example of District 87 adjusting to pandemic disruptions is the way we leveraged our technology. Five years before the pandemic hit, our board of education finished its rollout of putting an iPad into every student's hands. Because every student already knew how to use an iPad, our students were easily able to make the switches to remote and then back to a hybrid schedule. Their academic performance has remained high. Our students still scored well above average on the SAT. Last year, nationally, SAT scores decreased.

In Illinois, scores rose 6 points. In contrast, Glenbard students' SAT scores rose 16 points. We were able to hold parent-teacher conferences virtually this past semester in lieu of in-person conferences. We still had translators available as needed. We discovered that many parents liked the convenience of this change and it is possible that we will continue this practice. The board of education's foresight helped the district serve all of its students during the pandemic.

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: We have a very strong plan for our spring semester. In January, as students returned to a hybrid schedule, we instituted weekly mandatory saliva screening for staff and students.

This allows us to track our own data so that we can catch a possible outbreak before it occurs. Students in hybrid may now choose to attend 4 days a week where open seats are available in their classrooms. We also created overflow rooms so if demand is high, more students could attend a particular class but rotate in and out of an overflow room while still receiving the exact same instruction as the students in the classroom itself. All of the usual student supports remain in place such as tutoring during and after school hours, etc.

Once the IHSA approved the return of sports, we had spaces and regulations in place so athletes could start practice immediately.

The fall semester taught us that following the health and safety protocols advised by the various public health departments allows students to attend school safely. Being virtual did not mean that our students fell behind, as evidenced by their performance on the SAT and Advanced Placement tests. We learned our students and staff are resilient and, while not happy about the pandemic restrictions, students can still flourish academically.

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

A: I support allowing sports when the district can do so safely. We started the low-risk sports in February per IHSA directions. Students are masked and must socially distance themselves. Once competitions begin, a limited number of spectators may attend, but they must maintain a 50-foot distance from the players. While less than ideal, once again sports are up and running. Our extracurriculars and clubs continue to meet virtually. Athletics and extracurricular activities are important for our children's education, too.