TP_032119

12 | March 21, 2019 | the tinley Junction election 2019
tinleyjunction.com
SUMMIT HILL SCHOOL D161 SCHOOL BOARD (5 for 3 FOUR-YEAR SEATS)
Name: Stacey Borgens
Age: 45
Party: Independent
Town of Residence:
Frankfort
Occupation: HR administrator
Prior elected political experience:
Elected and serving on the Summit Hill
School Board since 2011
Why are you running for the Summit
Hill School District 161 Board of
Education?
I am seeking re-election to the Summit
Hill School Board because I believe
in the work that we have done over the
past eight years, and I am invested in the
work that we have started to set forth for
teachers, students and our community.
What makes you the best candidate
for this position?
Throughout my time on the board I
have sought to increase opportunities for
students and teachers to be successful
in their current classrooms and as they
move forward into high school and beyond.
I believe that my efforts focus on
the total child — not only their educational
development, but their social and
emotional skills as well. I have worked
toward smaller class sizes, remaining fiscally
responsible and been an advocate
for teachers and staff in the process.
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the lack of transparency. Property taxes
in this district have skyrocketed over the
past 10 years. Instead of holding any Finance
Committee meetings, the current
School Board has simply served as a rubber
stamp by annually voting for the budget
without asking any questions. Once
elected, I’d like the School Board to go
through the budget in hopes of maintaining
fiscal responsibility and providing a
prudent budget. We owe that to the taxpayers.
Despite the increase in taxes, our
schools have not maintained the same
quality of education. I moved to the
community in 2003 mainly because every
school in the district was ranked as
“exemplary” by the State, and I knew my
children would receive an excellent education.
However, in the past few years,
What are the Top 3 issues you see
facing the Summit Hill School District
161 Board of Education and what
would you do to solve them?
• Providing students with an education
that prepares them for High School
and beyond — continuing to work with
administration and staff to increase rigor
in the classrooms, supporting teachers
that find new ways to reach students
and help them achieve growth and support
better technology and training for
students and staff. Student success
and the District’s success does not boil
down to how they perform on standardized
testing. Education is constantly
evolving and we need to stay ahead of
the curve.
• The status of funding our schools
— staying aware of what happens in
Springfield, remaining fiscally responsible
to the tax payers of District 161,
finding ways to best utilize the funds and
resources that we have on hand.
• Recognizing that with additional
technology comes greater responsibility
for student safety — we need to ensure
that the necessary safeguards are in
place to protect our students from inappropriate
content that is now more easily
accessible than ever, train our staff to
watch for any warning signs of cyberbullying
and keep an open dialogue with
parents so they are active participants in
this process.
those rankings are in a decline. Currently,
only one school in Kirby D140 is
ranked as “exemplary” and another has
even been ranked as “underperforming.”
When schools underperform, it puts our
students at a disadvantage. This must
change. I plan to return the focus and
priority to the children. I look forward
to collaborating with the current leadership
to help return Kirby School D140 to
‘exemplary’ status. In addition, I believe
that transparency should be a priority for
the Kirby 140 School Board. The Illinois
Policy Institute gave Kirby a grade of
29 percent for its lack of transparency.
I believe the parents, teachers and community
leaders should know how the
Board of Education is reaching the decisions
on the issues that are important to
its constituents. Openness of board discussions
regarding their decisions is imperative.
I ask for your support, because
it is time for a change. I appreciate your
vote.
Name: Katie Campbell
Age: 47
Town of Residence: Tinley
Park
Occupation: Teacher
Prior elected political experience:
None
Why are you running for the Summit
Hill School District 161 Board of
Education?
I am running for Summit Hill 161 Board
of Education because I have two young
children in the district, and, after attending
numerous Superintendent Parent Advisory
Meetings I became concerned. I have
learned that there is an enormous lack of
depth and accountability with program implementation
and our students and community
are paying the price. I would like to see
a more rigorous curriculum for all students
with an abundance of support and resources
for our teachers and students. My concern is
not only for my children, but for all of our
children and community members.
What makes you the best candidate for
this position?
Most importantly, I bring 25 years dedicated
to public education and all of the
practical/real-world experiences within
that time to the board. My professional
career has included 11 years as a District
Department Supervisor, which involved
program implementation, using data to
evaluate said programs, and curriculum
development. My professional record
within the educational setting is unmatched
among any of the other candidates.
What are the Top 3 issues you see facing
the Summit Hill School District 161
Board of Education and what would you
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D230, and what would you do to solve
them?
1. Fiscal responsibility: As part of the
school board, I will help maintain strong
fiscal responsibility, while creatively approaching
the needs of our students and
teachers. We need to honor effective traditional
educational practices while embracing
the changes in curriculum necessary
for the 21st century.
2. Equality: I will ensure a fair standard
of treatment for all students, parents and
educators at all three district high schools.
We need to address the physical safety as
do to solve them?
The top issues facing Summit Hill
School District are: Improved student
achievement especially as it relates to
meeting and exceeding state standards; Enhanced
performance goals used to evaluate
the superintendent to include a clear direction
for improvement of our district; Fiscal
responsibility that includes wisely managing
funds to provide resources that allow
students and staff to maximize their talent.
Our district is testing 10-39 percent below
Frankfort 157-C students on state-wide
tests. This leaves Summit Hill students to
enter Lincoln-Way East significantly behind
their peers. We need a more rigorous curriculum
across all grade levels and all learning
abilities. We have remarkable facilities; we
have talented and distinguished teachers;
we have exceptional students and parents
who are highly engaged in their child’s education;
and we have a first-class community.
Why have our test scores flat-lined while
our neighboring districts have soared?
Current and prior performance goals
used to evaluate our superintendent lack
depth and long-term vision. The board
should establish concrete, SMART performance
goals, based on data, to evaluate the
superintendent and her programs. This lack
of accountability is a direct contributor to
the decline in student test scores. SMART
performance goals established in conjunction
with the board is critical to the district
catching up with our neighboring districts.
Highly rated schools translate to higher
home values. It is time to move our children
and our whole community forward.
Providing our teachers and all of our students
with superior resources and support
is essential in this process. We need to expect
more for our tax dollars.
well as the psychological and social needs
of our students that are critical for their
well-being and success.
3. Education beyond the classroom
and high school: Preparing our students
for their future includes supporting and
educating their parents. We need to provide
a network of educational resources
for parents and students that addresses
the challenges of finding career paths
and selecting colleges, as well as critically
valuable strategies for addressing
addiction, depression and the stresses
of being a teen today. It is essential that
we do a better job assisting students and
parents navigate through these complex
years.