Jonathan Dailey: 2023 candidate for Huntley Unit District 158 school board, 4-year term

Bio

Town: Huntley

Age on Election Day: 39

Occupation: Chief operating officer

Employer: Flinn Scientific Inc.

Previous offices held: Appointed to Huntley Unit District 158 board in December 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 was appointed to a vacant school board seat on Dec. 1, 2022, and I originally sought that seat as a way for me to contribute my time and talents to supporting the good work of the district. My wife and I moved to Huntley in large part due to the high quality schools. I want to serve the community to continue the good work underway and ensure it is done so in a way that deploys district resources most efficiently toward student impacting activities.

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

A: The school board sets the mission, values and goals for the district. By defining the district's core values and beliefs, the board of education defines to the administration what it expects the curriculum to be aligned to.

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

A: No particular issues. I am a believer that the education process should focus on teaching a decision making framework by sharing a wide range of information with learners and teaching them how to evaluate that information through various lenses to make decisions that are best for each individual.

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: It is really a blend of all of the above. Policy decisions are complex and need to be evaluated through the lens of the board members' point of view, the view of the broader community, and within the context of local and state laws.

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: Let hope this doesn't happen again - COVID-19 was a challenge for all aspects of society. I think the pandemic taught us a number of things related to education. First, it is critical that students be in person. So much learning loss occurred while in remote learning. Schools and society as a whole adapted in many was through the expansion of technology solutions during quarantine and while we are better equipped to handle remote learning we need to work to provide safe in person learning should something similar to COVID happen again.

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: I think it is important that all parties are aligned to the intended outcomes of any policy decisions. I am a big fan of visuals and drawing out our ideas. By visualizing or documenting ideas and thoughts it takes topics which can be abstract and makes them easy for everyone to understand and debate. So often groups debate in the abstract and fail to gain alignment on the objectives of a discussion or debate prior to jumping right into it.

My style is to first seek alignment on the objectives and desired outcomes and then begin to solicit feedback from the various stakeholders. As the group iterates on ideas it is important to capture those thoughts and ideas as the evolve with the group discussion. Once the group comes to a consensus it is key to then translate that consensus into actionable plans that have clear owners and deadlines.

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

A: I believe that my logical approach to problem solving, ability to evaluate problems from multiple perspectives, passion for student, staff and community outcomes, and experience on the school board make me an ideal candidate to serve on the school board. I also am a middle of the road person who doesn't sway to extremes and can see both sides of an argument.

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

A: I believe that changing the narrative around what academic success means is really important. Today the current education environment tends to determine success solely on the ability for public schools to prepare students for continued education. While continued education may be right for some, it isn't right for all and those who chose to pursue a career in the trades or begin working in industry post high school graduation should be equally celebrated. Strengthening partnerships between the school and local businesses is a tremendous opportunity for the district and should be a focus going forward.