Tara Masino: 2021 candidate for Huntley District 158 school board

Bio

City: Lake in the Hills

Occupation: HR Consulting Specialist

Employer: HRBoost

Civic involvement: I am active at my church (Light of Christ Church, Algonquin). I was Board President at Light of Christ preschool for the 2019-2020 school year and a board member for the 2018-2019 school year. I was a leader of a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) program until COVID required us to pause. I have been involved with Team World Vision which raises funds for clean water in areas of the world where it is not currently available. I am involved with the Education Foundation in the town that I grew up in and help to manage a scholarship in memory of my dad. I am involved in work-related activities for charities and scholarships.

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 heard a quote once that sums up my decision to run for a seat. “Give back to those that contributed to your success.” Both of my parents were teachers and my dad was a football coach. My dad passed away in the summer of 2019 and the legacy he left on his students was overwhelming! Words like, “I'm alive because of your dad,” or “Your dad was the only person in my life that cared about me,” or “I became a teacher because of your dad,” captured how much he cared not just about his student's educational success, but their success as people. I can only hope to positively impact someone's life in that manner and I think now more than ever we all need to be active participants in our children's education. For their benefit and the benefit of our community. I don't have one particular issue that drives my interest other than helping all of our kids to be the best versions of themselves that they can be.

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

A. My first response was disappointment that our kids weren't returning to school this past fall, but I understood and appreciated the decision to prioritize our children's safety and the safety of the staff given the information that we had at the time. In our lifetime, we have never experienced an unprecedented situation like a global pandemic, and while I think we can look back and say we could have done some things differently, I think our time is better spent identifying learnings from this situation and applying them to future situations.

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 believe the school board should be front and center in ensuring that our students and educators are able to return to the classroom in a manner that keep them and our community safe. Our families voice should be heard on any matter, not just as it relates to the pandemic, to ensure understanding of their position, concerns, and what their expectations are for the current state and any future state. I feel it would be critical to share the opinion of the community especially if it differs from my own. A role on the board isn't created to drive a personal agenda. I do believe when we are talking about public health it is important to utilize relevant data points and scientific guidance in considering an approach and ultimately a decision. I think the district should continue to offer opportunities for families to choose options that they feel most comfortable with and ensure each option provides the highest level of instruction possible. I believe there are learnings that we can glean from school districts that remained open during the pandemic and understand how they were able to avoid or minimize outbreaks. There is definitely an opportunity to evaluate our processes, procedures, and infrastructure and plan appropriately to include necessary changes for the future that would allow schools to remain open.

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. This is a very personal response for each family. While this was not an ideal situation for students, their families, or our teachers to be in, I believe that offering families a choice of remote or hybrid learning helped families make a choice that was right for them at each stage in the process. I can't say broadly that it was adequate for all families, but I did see teachers make adjustments in teaching styles, efforts at engagement, and identification of difficulties in both learning and social and emotional development and develop creative solutions to address. I think the district did a nice job of making available food services to students over the summer and throughout the school year. There is always room for improvement in any situation and I think the earlier communication can occur is helpful. Offering opportunities for families to be involved in the process for sharing input and feedback outside of surveys may have helped to understand the difficulties in any of the choices the district makes.

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. I think the answer is most likely different for each school within the district given the restrictions the building itself may present as well as the unique needs of the students in each school. There isn't a one size fits all solution. At the most basic level, the following would be areas to continue focus on: teachers and students should stay home when appropriate, continue to wear masks and reinforce and create opportunities for hand washing or sanitizing, and limit the use of shared objects, are a few basic practices. Cohorting or podding for the Spring semester may be an option at the middle and high school levels, although I appreciate the difficulty of implementing a structure like this especially at the high school level. I think we have learned that most exposure to the virus occurred outside of the classroom, so while putting plans in place for classrooms is critical, it is likely behaviors outside of the classroom that could be detrimental to the broader student and teacher populations.

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

A. If there is a safe way to continue sports at the high school level, I would be supportive of doing so.