Academics
About 31% of Chicago Public Schools elementary students are meeting state standards in reading, and 19% are meeting math standards. How would you approach growing reading and math achievement?*
I will approach growing reading and math scores by supporting individual schools and their unique communities. Students need material that is culturally relevant and acknowledges their individual needs, abilities and disabilities including enduring trauma. I will push for schools to become real neighborhood hubs where families stay involved and services are available to the community. I will listen to the principals and respond with the resources that each unique community needs to increase student outcomes. I will also seek innovative programs to retain and support great teachers. My goal is to implement high-quality, evidence-based instruction and elevate the voice of the parents.
Do you support standardized testing more than once a year?
No. As both a CPS parent and teacher, I have witnessed the pros and cons of testing. When used appropriately, standardized tests can provide schools with valuable data and be a crucial part of the process. These tests are particularly beneficial in the younger grades, where students are developing rapidly. In upper grades, where student growth is more stable, we do not need as many standardized tests. Despite their benefits, standardized tests can be stressful for students and take away valuable instructional time. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate performance-based evaluations in our CPS schools as well.
Do you support requiring all schools to select from a certain curriculum authorized by the board of education?
No. I believe principals and teachers should have a say in curriculum choices. The range of the needs of the students in CPS is too vast for one curriculum to fit all. Since neighborhoods across the city are so different, curriculums need to be relevant to the unique communities. In addition, curriculums need to address the needs of the students in the schools and their varied abilities. Schools should be supported with examples and options of what has worked in similar communities. The goal should always be to help teachers develop their skills.
Chicago Public Schools has consistently fallen short when it comes to serving students with disabilities. What would you do to improve special education?
Every school should have a full-time case manager and social worker to work with students and the families of students with disabilities. Helping parents navigate the system has been an important part of my job at CPS as a teacher, and now as a FACE Specialist. I will always elevate the parent’s voice and increase trust by including them in decisions that affect their children. Partnering with parents and transparency with budgets will be a top priority for me. Also, we need to offer better training for teachers and social workers so we can hire and retain the best and offer better career pathways for these professionals. Rather than outsourcing some of the programs we use to work with our students I will push to create programs and address student needs internally.
CPS finances
In recent years, Chicago’s Board of Education has consistently raised the property tax levy to the maximum allowed by state law every year. Should the board continue to raise the levy to the maximum?
Yes. Yes, but there needs to be clear changes made to address the district’s structural budget problems. I don’t see how they can not raise the levy. It’s probably unpopular but CPS’ financial state dictates that need. Most importantly we must work with our state partners to find ways to reduce the funding reliance on property taxes. One of the first things I will do when I win is a complete forensic accounting of how the nearly $10 billion is spent and change the funding model. We need transparency in budgeting and must seek new revenue sources.
Do you think CPS needs more funding, or do you think the school district’s budget is bloated? How would you balance the CPS budget?*
I think there is bloat, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, but there is still a need for additional revenue sources. We need to look for alternative funding opportunities to address budget shortfalls and ultimately decrease our reliance on property taxes. In terms of balancing the budget I would begin with an intensive look at what we are spending the money on and how it is affecting student outcomes. Student outcomes will be my main focus for addressing the budget. We need to look at what investments are coming back to us in terms of student successes. As an elected school board we will be able to take a fresh look at the budget and find more efficient ways to spend the funds.
School choice
Do you support the current board of education’s decision to prioritize neighborhood schools and shift away from the current system of school choice with selective enrollment, magnet and charter schools?
Yes. I do not believe it’s an either-or proposition. From my experience I know how important neighborhood schools are to the ecosystem of a community. We need to create opportunities for students in all parts of our city. I support investing into our neighborhood schools, but not at the expense of other successful schools, including magnet and selective enrollment schools. Selective enrollment, magnet and other choice schools are some of the best in the city and offer a lot to students. We need to carefully evaluate what we can do to offer a more equitable education to all CPS students.
Given the board of education’s decision to prioritize neighborhood schools, how would you balance supporting those schools without undermining the city’s selective enrollment schools and other specialized programs?*
As someone who has sent children through selective enrollment and a teacher who has seen the importance of specialized programs for students who struggle, I do not support undermining either of these programs. They are some of the best schools in our city, so to decrease support would be diminishing more schools, when the ultimate goal is to tap into the potential of every school and make it as strong as it can be. The board must take what is working at selective enrollment institutions and begin applying those practices to neighborhood schools so all students across the city have an equal shot at success.
The first charter school opened in Chicago in 1997 and these privately run, publicly funded schools grew in number throughout the 2000s. Today, 54,000 Chicago Public Schools students, or about 17%, attend charters and contract schools. Do you support having charter schools in CPS as an option for students?
Yes. We have charter schools in CPS and I am not in favor of closing them. As a former teacher I know they are essential to the system. Many of these schools are alternative schools and they have a place in our system. We have to find the right school for every child. Charter schools are CPS schools with their own communities and we have to maintain charter schools as resources and opportunities to students with different ways of learning. I would not be in favor of adding charter schools to any neighborhood that would adversely affect the neighborhood schools.
Independence
If elected, how will you maintain your independence from the mayor’s office, the Chicago Teachers Union or other powerful forces shaping the school system?*
I am the candidate that has seen CPS from every angle, whether it was as a teacher, parent, local school council chairwoman or CPS staff. I have seen the strengths that CPS has to offer and know its weaknesses all too well. I am willing to work with anyone who has the best interest of our student’s in mind, but I am not beholden to any one candidate, union, or group except the voters in District 4 that I serve.
Police in schools
Do you support having sworn Chicago Police Department officers stationed in schools?
No. I am glad that we canceled the city-wide contract, for budget purposes, however I believe that the question of having officers stationed in schools should be up to the local schools. Ultimately, local schools know their schools and what they need. I am in favor of more social workers and less law enforcement. I look forward to a fully elected school board that allows us to hear from all neighborhoods. I am also glad there is a bill pending in Springfield that is addressing this exact issue.
Busing and facilities
Last year, in an effort to prioritize transportation for students with disabilities as required by state and federal law, CPS canceled busing for general education students who attend selective enrollment and magnet schools and hasn’t found a solution to reinstate that service. Do you support busing for general education students?
Yes. This is one of the most difficult issues. Having worked in CPS this year I saw firsthand the damage that was done by the busing situation. Many of our special education kids had to be at their bus stop by 5 am and spent hours on buses. All students need to be provided a way to travel safely to school. I would be opposed to the “Uber-style” transportation proposals. Student transportation should be done by professional drivers who have had adequate training, to ensure the safety of the students. This question goes back to understanding the CPS budget.
About one-third of Chicago public school buildings have space for at least double the students they’re currently enrolling. Chicago officials have previously viewed under-enrolled schools as an inefficient use of limited resources — and a decade ago the city closed a record 50 schools. Do you support closing schools for low enrollment?
No. I do not support the closing down of schools for low enrollment. The last option should be closing schools, instead our role should be looking at how to increase what schools can offer and raise the enrollment within those schools. Schools are economic drivers of communities and we need to invest in our communities. I hope these are community discussions and decisions because that’s the point of having an elected school board.
Bilingual education
CPS has long struggled to comply with state and federal laws requiring bilingual programs at schools that enroll 20 or more students who speak a different language. The recent influx of migrant families has exacerbated the problem. What policies do you support to ensure the district is supporting bilingual students and in compliance with state and federal laws?
The goal of any bilingual education is to ensure our students will be able to listen, speak, read and write proficiency in both languages. I support a dual-language approach to bilingual education. This is effective because it brings together native speakers of both languages in the same classroom. As more migrant families join the CPS community this approach will not only foster language learning but also promote multicultural understanding. I will prioritize helping many more of our CPS schools become dual-language academies.
Top local issue
Please share one issue that’s a top concern for your community or your larger elected school board voting district.
A top concern for the 4th District is the disparities between schools. We have some of the best schools in the state of Illinois and we need to use them as models across the district. All schools must offer engaging, culturally relevant, challenging curriculums. Many parents don’t trust CPS and I am committed to building that trust. The families in District 4 want their kids in school every day which means no more strikes or work stoppages. As the first elected school board, we are the voice of the community and the bridge between stakeholders. I will use my wide experience in CPS to work together.