Adriana Barriga-Green: 2021 candidate for Elgin Community College board
Four candidates are running for two, 6-year terms on the Elgin Community College District 509 board in the April 6, 2021, election. The candidates are: incumbents Jeffrey A. Meyer and Donna Redmer; Joyce Fountain, a former longtime Elgin Area School District U-46 board member; and newcomer Adriana Barriga-Green.
The Daily Herald asked candidates to respond to a questionnaire about community college issues. Some of their responses are below.
In-person early voting at locations throughout the county begins March 22. Learn more at www.kanecountyclerk.org/Elections.
Bio
City: Elgin
Age: 56
Occupation: Dual-Language Teacher at School District U-46
Civic involvement: Elected Teachers' Union Head Rep. Represented local union at state and national (NEA) meetings. Elected 2020 Delegate for Bernie Sanders, 8th IL Congressional District Elgin Leadership Academy Fellow Created the Elgin Area Volunteen Guide - A resource to connect area teens with internship opportunities at local non profit organizations (currently hosted on the United Way website) ICEOP/King, Chavez, Parks Fellow Past Board Member, American Cancer Society Northwest Chapter Founding Board Member, Rahab's Daughters Served on Hanover Park Economic Development Commission
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'm running for the ECC Board of Trustees to continue being a strong advocate for all our students as they pursue their academic and life goals. I believe in the educational opportunities ECC provides and the pivotal role it plays in our community. I have a Masters in Education from NIU, degrees in international business and foreign languages, small business experience and have served as a teacher for over 20 years.
As a Latina woman, daughter of immigrants, single Mom, community servant, educator and lifelong resident of District 509 I understand many of the struggles that our ECC community faces. Although ECC is a Latinx and minority serving institution, for decades there has been no minority representation on the board. My deep ties to the community and students here in District 509 will allow me to be a conduit through which meaningful change to the board can be achieved. As for what motivates me, I believe diversity is one of the greatest strengths of our community; I am passionate about ensuring that education is affordable and accessible to all; I believe it is our institution's role and responsibility to prepare students for success in the real world.
Q: How would you grade the current school board on its response to the pandemic? Why?
A: The pandemic's impacts have clearly widened inequities that already existed. The pandemic has disproportionately affected our minority students - many in our community were already experiencing housing insecurity, food insecurity and poverty before the impacts from the pandemic and the subsequent economic collapse hit. I think the board did some things well, such as switching all courses to online learning to keep students, staff and faculty safe, hosting a COVID-19 testing site, sharing PPE resources with local hospitals when shortages first hit and starting some food pantry services.
Unfortunately, ECC lost a significant percentage (10-14%) of our Latinx and minority student body as these families reckon with multi layered traumas; from the loss of family members, the loss of incomes, the loss of child care as well as the publicized examples of racialized policing that have sparked social movements this past year. Increased efforts to communicate available resources to our former Latinx and minority students are required so they can return and successfully complete their education at ECC.
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: ECC faculty did an amazing job of transforming their course delivery, adapting their instruction and quickly transitioning to remote learning in March of 2020. The administration could have done a better job communicating resources to existing students before the fall and responding to their specific needs as the pandemic began to inflict additional hardship and challenges to our working families. In the fall, over 10% of our students, mostly minority students, did not return; completion and success rates for them went to zero. Increasing the rate of completion and providing affordable opportunities for all our students needs to be a priority.
One thing that could have been done better, is reaching out to students who chose not to re-enroll and asking what could be done to make continuing their education more accessible/feasible. By cultivating direct relationships with the students, reaching out and making clear that their needs are valid and important, they are more likely to share what barriers they are experiencing. Barriers can then be addressed by the institution to facilitate success for the student body at large.
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 believe ECC courses should remain remote in spring as we are only 2 to 3 months from the possibility of herd immunity gained through mass vaccinations of adults in the U.S. Our communities of color were disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Although the Elgin area has one of the highest death and hospitalization rates, the mass vaccination site is slated for a wealthy suburb 30 minutes away (1.5 hours by bus) that will make it harder for people in our minority and under-resourced communities to access life saving vaccines in a timely manner.
If we roll the dice on full in-person learning before the summer, we could risk a COVID-19 spike, and unwittingly provide the perfect vector conditions for the emerging harmful/aggressive variants. We all understand the comparative value of in-person classes; it's a strain on our teachers, students and families to remain remote, but our short-term patience is critical to avoid further, longer-lasting harm.
To safely restart in-person summer classes, I'd reduce the class sizes, offer hybrid courses or streaming services of classroom lectures so students can opt-in to remote options, and continue to follow CDC guidelines to reopen safely.
Q: In tough economic times, many students (and working professionals) turn to a community college for its educational value. How do you ensure that a person's financial sacrifice results in an educational benefit?
A: I believe education is a human right: ECC is fortunate to have exceptional programs and faculty that provide excellent post secondary learning opportunities to our District 509 community. I believe that students should be able to access these opportunities without incurring student debt, especially at this time of economic hardship for working families. Existing resources and funding should be allocated to help all our students access an affordable education at ECC. Low income, minority students should be connected to grants, scholarships and external resources to further alleviate financial burdens. The ECC budget is very complex and funding sources have allowed tuition rates to remain stable these last few years.
Tax or fee increases are not necessary at this time, however, surplus funds should not be returned as tax credits or left unused. Money earmarked for ECC should be reinvested into the resources and services ECC provides or set aside in a contingency fund that can be accessed during budget shortfalls, to reduce capital financing or to directly assist students attending ECC. Thus we can ensure that financial sacrifices are minimal and educational benefits are maximized.
Q: From the college's point of view, what budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax or fee increases?
A: I believe ECC budgetary issues are important and should be transparent. I will advocate for board meetings to be streamed, recorded and uploaded for the public to view and comment. Radical transparency is required so our District 509 community understands the implications of budgetary considerations, the decision-making process and can participate. More funding should be allocated to give access to and meet the needs of our minority students.
ECC must also expand program offerings relating to emergent industries, climate solutions, clean technologies and in-demand certifications. This will elevate ECC alum, give them access to good paying union jobs and prepare them for challenges of the future.
In the event cuts are necessary, I would consider accessing contingency funds and seek input from students, faculty, staff and community members before making tough decisions on budget cuts. Prioritizing low-cost/high-impact changes first will allow us to build momentum in the efforts to improve ECC while maintaining fiscal responsibility. By actively making changes and planning for future large scale changes, we should be able to avoid or minimize tax increases and keep tuition low.