Beth Hosler: 2023 Candidate for Elmhurst Unit District 205 School Board

Bio

Town: Elmhurst

Age on Election Day: 51

Occupation: I stay at home with my 3 children and volunteer on the Elmhurst D205 School Board and in wildlife rehabilitation & conservation

Employer:

Previous offices held: I'm completing my first term on the Elmhurst D205 Board of Education

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 incredibly proud of all we have accomplished. I'm equally focused on the future & raising the academic bar for excellence. I am invested as a D205 parent, graduate and lifelong Elmhurst resident.

With your support, I will continue to advocate for

Effective execution of our Strategic Plan. I will hold our team accountable to the plan we created with our superintendent & leadership team. It gives us a framework to evaluate our curriculum, systems & procedures in areas across the district including those that directly impact academic achievement.

Building on methods for clear, consistent communication & collaboration with our stakeholders. We see stronger outcomes when we work together & listen to the priorities of our community.

Giving students resources to ensure they leave us with the skills & foundation to choose a path that's right for them. Increased opportunities for electives, work/study programs & collaboration with community professionals are things I would support.

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

A: In order to have effective curriculum, the board must review district policy to ensure it is aligned to state standards & assessments. Our board does this work on a regular basis.

Second, we must establish targeted goals for academic achievement to address learning gaps & increase growth for all students. This is being done through our Strategic Plan & exhaustive data analysis. This work includes evaluating core content areas which is currently underway to ensure curricular materials align with state standards, rigor and required assessments. Adding supporting materials when needed and enhancing professional development to support instruction. As a board we will ensure continued progress monitoring and be sure there are measurements in place to evaluate these decisions on a cyclical basis.

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

A: The Strategic Plan that was created through collaboration with stakeholders and alongside the superintendent & leadership team is giving us the opportunity to take a deep dive into all of our content areas including the curricular materials being used and this process will tell us if there are any areas that need attention.

Through this work, additional resources for our K-5 classrooms in English Language Arts have already been adopted and are in use. Currently, the K-12 math and 6-12 ELA departments are being evaluated as well.

This process will not only enable us to see where we may need to make adjustments, but also creates a sound foundation for the future. Having these systems in place means we can be confident that we are using the most effective resources and instructional practices available. Built into the strategic plan is an iterative review process which will enable us to adjust and improve systematically & continuously.

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: There is a system in place when curricular resources are presented to the board. Materials are posted for viewing by the public for a period of 35 days in accordance with Policy 6:210. It is our role as board members to be sure this policy is followed, communicated and as convenient as possible for community members to give feedback. I strongly encourage our stakeholders to review these resources. It's important to me that we are collaborative in our decision-making process, and this is just one system we have in place to do that.

For concerns that come up later, we recently updated the chain of command document on the website which helps guide community members to the person who can best address the situation in the most timely manner. There is no one way to address concerns. I look at each situation separately and take the time to really understand the issue and work with residents and our staff to get it resolved.

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: Serving on the board through a pandemic was incredibly challenging. We learned to pivot quickly and advocate often and so much more. One thing made abundantly clear across the country was the importance of in person learning on students' development & success. The pandemic not only had an impact on academics, but on students' mental health and social development. We now know that by utilizing our resources we can keep our schools open while also minimizing transmission of illness which is vital knowledge if we are ever faced with this type of situation again.

As a board member, decision making was challenging because every issue was multi-faceted and there were so many valid opinions and concerns. This highlighted for me the importance of having an ongoing collaborative relationship with the community and truly understanding the needs of those we serve. That should always guide our decision making in this role no matter what challenge we are facing at the time.

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: On the current board, I am member of the policy committee. Policy is the groundwork that guides the organization. For this reason, we have committed to a quarterly review process, and we make sure that all our policies are reviewed at least every 5 years.

Sometimes policies have to be altered due to a legal change at the state level and others require a discussion as a board to ensure the policy fits the needs of our district. I feel it's important that all board members agree on the policies since they guide our work. Therefore, when we have discussions at the board table and there are different opinions, the best thing to do is take a step back and table the policy to get some clarification. Then as a committee, we bring more information back to the board with possible options that can be reviewed again. In my experience on the board this method has been effective, and we can come to a consensus in most cases.

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

A: I feel I am the best candidate for the job because I have served 4 years on the school board & served during a very challenging time. I will hit the ground running and bring experience that very few people have.

I'm a lifelong resident of Elmhurst, attended D205 schools & have 3 children who have as well. I volunteered extensively in our schools & on our PTA's serving alongside students, parents & staff. This background gives me a unique perspective in decision making & allows me to accurately represent all the constituents I serve.

It's important to be running for the right reasons & have a clear vision of what you want to achieve. I have 2 guiding priorities. One is the completion of referendum projects & keeping our promise to the community to finish them on time and on budget. The second is ensuring the strategic plan is carried out to a successful completion. This plan is the catalyst that will make District 205 the best it can be now and for the future.

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

A: As a district, it is our goal to give students the resources & foundation they need to graduate college, career and life ready. One thing I think would be impactful as we work toward that goal would be to connect to some of the colleges, trade schools, military programs and employers that many of our students choose and ask them what we could offer to York students that would have made them better prepared for those experiences. Not only academically, but in other areas such as executive functioning and interpersonal skills. If we had more information about the preparedness of our students after graduation in these practical settings, we could find ways to incorporate any needed skills into our programming and also help them understand the expectations that lie ahead.