Julie Kulovits: 2023 candidate for Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 board

Bio

Town: Wheaton

Age on Election Day: 42

Occupation: General counsel and vice president

Employer: American Osteopathic Association

Previous offices held: Appointed to District 200 board in August 2022

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?

A: I am running because I want to see the district and its students thrive. To do so, it is critical that the district have an effective governing board. As an incumbent and professional with experience in this area, I am well-prepared for this role.

While my most important role is as a mom to my three children, professionally I am an attorney with a focus on working with nonprofit organizations and their boards of directors.

Through this work, I understand what it takes to be an effective board member. It is important to be focused on the district's mission, collaborative, open-minded, and listen to the expertise of our district's educators. CUSD 200 has earned consistent accolades from the Illinois Association of School Boards for its governance.

In an era of polarizing discussions on education, I am looking forward to continuing our district's strong record of a board that is high-functioning and focused on ensuring all of the children in the district are set up for success.

Q: What is the role of the school board in setting and monitoring curriculum?

A: The school board's most crucial role in setting curriculum is to ensure a quality process exists to develop curriculum aligned with the district's goals and state learning standards. A quality process is to have a collaborative approach that involves multiple perspectives, but also one that is led by the subject matter experts in the district who work in the curriculum area.

This type of robust process is more important than what any one board member personally prefers. The board must also monitor curriculum by setting metrics for the educational goals the district aims to achieve. The board should then regularly monitor these goals and metrics to track progress in the curriculum area. There should also be transparency and regular communication to the public on the district's goals and metrics so they are well-informed.

Q: Are there curriculum issues within the district that you feel need particular attention from the board?

A: Math and English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum warrant particular attention from the board, especially at the younger grade levels. These subjects are critically important, as they are foundational skills students use to learn other subject areas. In our district, we have been focused on these curriculum areas by supporting them with high-quality instructional materials. In past years, our district did not have uniform instructional materials for these subjects. Educators' time was spent sourcing and developing resources (e.g., work sheets, classroom materials, ETC.).

Less time was then available to plan for how to impactfully deliver instruction or provide individualized support to students. These recent investments are designed to create greater bandwidth for teachers and improve collaboration of best practices within the district that will benefit students. The board should continue to support these curriculum areas given their importance.

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

A: My job as a board member is to focus on the best interests of the district and its students. To do this, I aim to gather as much information as possible. I listen objectively, with an open mind, and with curiosity to all viewpoints so that all feel heard. As the best decision for the district might not be popular with all constituents, it is important that I transparently outline the information and rationale that led to my decision.

Personal attacks are not productive and only lead to further division and are not something I engage in at the board table. It is also important to note that we are — at times — bound by state mandates, even unpopular ones. In these areas, this should be communicated to constituents, so they understand what is (and is not) within the district's control and can advocate to state legislators.

Q: Concerns are growing regarding a new resurgence of the pandemic. If another massive outbreak of infectious disease occurs, what have we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic that will guide your decision making?

A: We are now three years past the start of the pandemic and, thankfully, now have many “tools” in our “toolbox.” We know more information, have better ways to protect ourselves, better treatments, and fast and economical testing options. Because of these resources, I do not foresee — even with a resurgence — a need to return to any type of remote learning. Regardless, if there is a resurgence (of any infectious disease), it can mean more students and teachers are sick and absent from school. This can still result in missed learning opportunities.

For this reason, our facilities need to be healthy places to learn. Facility investments that improve indoor air quality should be a capital improvement priority so that we are prepared in the event of a resurgence of any type of infectious disease. These improvements will help ensure that our students receive uninterrupted in-person learning from their healthy classroom teachers.

Q: Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement and manage school district policy? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions of your school board.

A: Through my professional work of advising various nonprofit organizations' boards and committees, I regularly navigate differing viewpoints and personalities to arrive at a group decision.

My personal style is to be as objective as possible; this diffuses personal conflict and also results in the best decision for the organization. As a school board member, I benchmark our district's policies and decisions against other area districts.

I search what peer-review research is available on the topic (both for and against the policy decision at hand). I also look for any data points that can provide direction and insight. It is also critically important in these group settings to listen to others with curiosity.

These techniques help to make difficult debates ones that are not personal but focused on an objective and information-based approach that has the best interests of the district and its students at the core.

Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?

A: I have been involved in the district since my oldest child started kindergarten, as a classroom parent, reading aide, and volunteer at events.

I am also an incumbent and currently serve on the board after I was unanimously appointed to fill a vacancy this past summer. With this experience, I come ready as of “Day 1” to tackle the challenges and opportunities that are ahead. My professional expertise also makes me uniquely qualified for this role.

Like the school district, the organizations I have worked with are mission-focused, complex, and have large budgets and competing fiscal priorities to navigate. This work has also prepared me to navigate difficult conversations in group settings to create more community than division, a skill that is needed in education right now. The board of education has an important role, and as a mom of children in the district and constituent, my focus is always on the best interests of our district and all of its students.

Q: What's one good idea you have to better your district that no one is talking about yet?

A: I would like the district to develop a way to engage our students at the board level. Our district has a citizen's advisory council that captures the input of a broader range of citizens than are represented at the board level.

I would also like to establish a student advisory council. This will provide our students with an opportunity to have a vested interest in the district, report feedback to the board, and teach the importance of local community engagement.

I would also like the district to do an annual school safety audit and report at the board level. School safety is a critical issue and while our district is diligent in its plans, this issue has not been elevated to the board level in several years.

An opportunity, on a scheduled and periodic basis, to have a dedicated conversation on this issue and show public transparency for our training and processes is important.