Thank you for the opportunity to speak to the critical qualities I will bring to the District 200 school board: a diversity of professional and volunteer leadership experience, paired with a lifetime of service to my hometown.
I believe board members need to engage the community; the success of our students is not solely the work of teachers and administrators. And taxpayers need to know we are spending their dollars wisely and to directly impact academic achievement for every student.
I believe in STEM learning for all, backed up with the experience of a 25-year career at Argonne National Laboratory, where I have managed large budgets and complex projects all over the nation and world.
I am committed to collaboration. Through decades of serving the community — on the Irving School PTO, Plan Commission, Park District of Oak Park board, IHSA track official, and youth basketball and softball coach — I have the temperament to build bridges among families, schools, and governments.
Every candidate has talked of closing the achievement gap. But I will focus on developing flexible programs that blend academics with the active engagement of students. I believe we need a coordinated, consistent effort with benchmarks and accountability for the entire school community, including board members.
I was proud to serve on the IMAGINE team to develop a much-needed facilities blueprint at OPRF High School, but the board needs to take the next step and develop a long-term financial and facility plan that balances what we can afford as a community with the most critical needs identified by IMAGINE. Any solution should include collaboration with the park district.
I believe I can help OPRF meet its challenges and continue its tradition of excellence: graduating the thinkers, leaders, and dreamers of tomorrow. For more information, please visit my website: https://vicguarinod200.com.