Corrin L. Bennet-Kill: 2021 candidate for Mount Prospect District 57 school board

Six candidates for four, four-year seats

Bio

City: Mount Prospect

Age: 43

Occupation: Stay-at-home parent

Civic involvement: August 2020, I reached out to my state representatives to solicit help for families in D57 that would struggle to provide child care for their children with the full remote start to the school year. I participated in a Zoom conference call with state Sen. Ann Gillespie and other parents to discuss possible legislative remedies. I conscientiously vote in all elections (municipal, state and federal) and act as a room parent for my son's classes. I keep myself informed on issues pertinent to the school district and the village of Mount Prospect; however, my primary occupation the past 10 years has been raising my two sons.

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 have long wanted to serve my community and recent challenges have shown me that now is the time to heed this call. I believe that the next several years are going to be critical for our children as they recover from the effects the pandemic has had on their academic and social/emotional growth. I believe that any solutions the district attempts to implement to help our children in their recovery must be oriented toward those children who have the fewest resources and who have been most gravely affected by the changes wrought by the pandemic. I feel like I can be a voice for those families as well as the wider community.

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

A: B+. The district showed its commitment to clear and consistent communication throughout the past year through timely communication from the superintendent, detailed updates from school principals, an informative, well-maintained website, and solicitation of stakeholder feedback throughout the decision making process. During a time when transparency meant the difference between a unified, mobilized community and one divided by confusion and fear, the district provided a constant flow of information to help inform parents' decisions. From the emergency shelter in place order in March 2020, the district has taken stakeholder feedback seriously, making adjustments to plans and timelines as new information from government agencies and community members was made available. I would seek to build upon the twin practices of transparency with parents, teachers and administration, and willingness to course correct based on two way communication as we move forward into planning for the district's recovery.

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: My university education was steeped in a Vincentian tradition rooted in Catholic social teaching: the preferential option for the poor. What the option means is that in order for decision making to be just, the first consideration must be how it affects the most vulnerable in the community. That idea is the keystone of my views on public service and public education. When confronting any situation, let alone one as extraordinary as a global pandemic, if we can in all things first consider the needs of those with the least, those with no voice and at the margins of our community, our district will generously meet the needs of all children within its boundaries. This is vital because those who are the most in need often have neither the time nor resources to advocate for themselves. As a school board member I want my voice to speak for those who cannot.

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: In March 2020, an Illinois public health official said if the lockdown and social distancing works, it is going to seem like an overreaction. We as a community have thus far escaped relatively unscathed with regards to lives lost to COVID-19, but it is only in hindsight that we can say the caution displayed by the school district was or was not warranted. Given the constraints of a novel crisis situation and the potential risks of not taking COVID-19 seriously, the district did the best it could. Was the student experience during this school year equivalent to a normal in-person school year? No. However, those students who required the most in person services (ELL, SpED) continued to receive them in person. All other students received direct instruction from dedicated teachers in a remote setting that mirrored a normal school day. Our children received consistent, personal instruction while maintaining teacher and student safety guided by the best information available at the time. This was an ideal setting for learning for some students. It was less ideal for others. What is considered adequate during a normal year is not the same as what is adequate during a global 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: At the March 4, 2021 board meeting, the school board voted to accept the administration's recommendation to transition to full-time in-person learning while maintaining a full remote option if at all possible to do so.

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

A: High school sports hold an inherent risk at this time. Mitigations that allow in-person schooling to be safely held are very difficult to maintain during high contact sports such as basketball and football. I support following guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health regarding sports safety wherever possible and terminating play when COVID-19 rates determine that it is unsafe to play.