Laura Stanton: 2023 Candidate for District 47 School Board (4-year term)

Bio

Town: Crystal Lake

Age on Election Day: 36

Occupation: Teacher

Employer: Lake Zurich School District 95

Previous offices held: NA

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 grew up in Crystal Lake and have been an active member of this community my entire life. My husband, Bill, also grew up in Crystal Lake. I am currently a teacher in Lake County and have been for the past 12 years. My husband is also in education but on the administrative side. We have chosen Crystal Lake to raise our 4 daughters in. We hope this community will be as special to them as it has been for us.

To say I am invested in Crystal Lake District 47 is an understatement. All four of my daughters are in the district, and I see being on this school board as an opportunity to give back to my community and to continue to make Crystal Lake schools a strong reason as to why people move here and choose to raise their families here.

I have two main goals if I am elected:

1. Help Crystal Lake District 47 retain good, quality teachers so that our students continue to have amazing educators.

2. Make sure students who have fallen behind have programs in place to get them caught up.

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

A: I believe setting and monitoring a curriculum is a partnership between the board and the district. Often times the state passes legislation requiring schools to adopt new curriculum or change current curriculum. It is this partnership that allows district leadership and educators to examine what they already do and figure out what needs to be adapted/modified or adopted. The board then should examine these changes and have the opportunity to ask questions and/or bring up concerns, providing an additional opportunity for revision if needed. As the board represents the community, I believe that the board should be working with the district to make sure that any adaptations/modifications or adoptions are what works best for the students in District 47.

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

A: Based on my experiences and discussions with parents in the district, I do not know of any specific issues that would need the board's attention.

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: I believe, that as a board member, it would be my duty to first and foremost be a listener to any policy or curriculum controversies. Being a listener would help me better understand various viewpoints regarding policy and curriculum which in turn would allow me to be a leader. As a teacher, I would be able to bring a set of skills to the table that understands curriculum and that understands curriculum can be modified and adapted to meet the needs of students, in this case the students of Crystal Lake D47. My experience and willingness to listen would help me be a leader and would help me understand those I disagree with. I know I will have differing opinions of other board members and of some community members, but I think having those differing opinions is what allows us to see things from different perspectives and to make decisions with those perspectives in mind. I will say that every decision I would get the opportunity to make would have our students first in my mind.

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: It is weird looking back on 2020 and thinking about everything that we have been through. Our students/kids (especially), parents, teachers, schools, communities, etc. lived through a time no one saw coming. Fast forward to 2023, we have learned, grown, and moved forward. Because of what we have learned, I think we can face an outbreak of COVID with much more ease. Having lived through this, we have mitigations that can be put into place with ease without major disruptions in learning. I cannot imagine closing our schools again since we have testing available, masking available, increased cleaning available, and a trust in our community that if kids are sick, they stay home. We have grown as a community and found a way to move forward. I want to continue to move forward but with those tools in our tool chest if we need them so that our kids can keep learning and get the continued support within our schools.

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: In my experience working in a group setting, I have participated in committees where several of us had to work together to create mission statements and revise policy and curriculum. My style is that of a listener first and a speaker second. I appreciate the opportunity to listen to others' ideas and then share my own. I think that all ideas should be heard and discussed before decisions are made. This helps to address all concerns/questions/ideas from stakeholders before policy passes. As our world continues to change and morph, I believe that policy should as well but all decisions regarding policy should have one focus: students, our kids. We want policy to provide our students with a safe, respectful, and rigorous learning environment. I would support policy and help revise or create policy that helps ensure that students are walking into this type of environment every day.

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

A: I am the best candidate because I am truly invested in Crystal Lake District 47. As a lifelong community member and a mom of four kids in the district, I am ready to support this amazing district whole-heartedly as a school board member.

Additionally, I have an area of expertise that I think brings so much value to the table: I am a teacher. These areas of expertise include the following: committee work, teaching and learning, intervention programs, literacy programs, aligning curriculum to state standards and understanding state mandates/legislature, revising/modifying/adopting new curriculum, instructional coaching programs, professional development, student growth and achievement, social emotional learning initiatives and programs, differentiated instruction and programs, and data-drive decision making. I would be a great addition to the board and would be able to offer valuable insights and ideas working alongside fellow board members.

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

A: I think an important topic that no one is talking about is teacher retention. I am so thankful to all of the teachers who work in District 47. I am, however, nervous about the teacher shortage. There are positions in McHenry County, including Crystal Lake, that were extremely difficult to fill or did not get filled at the start of the year. In order for our kids to have these wonderful, educational experiences we need to attract teachers and retain teachers. I do not have a solution for this problem, but I do have some ideas to start laying the ground work. First, we need a strong mentor program along with a strong instructional coaching program. Next, we need to make teachers a part of District 47's mission: Empower all students. Our teachers need to feel empowered as they take on new learning. We can do this by providing professional development opportunities for staff. Lastly, we need to let our teachers know that we, as a community, support them and appreciate them.