The Wednesday Journal sent questionnaires to each person running for public office in 2025. The Journal’s questions are in bold and the candidate’s responses are below.
OPRF does not hold an “exemplary” designation from the state, a rating given to the top 10% of public schools, how would you help the school get there? Why is it important to get there?
The Illinois State Board of Education rating encompasses graduation rate, math proficiency, English/Language Arts Proficiency, science proficiency and English learner progress to proficiency, chronic absenteeism, 9th grade on track, and climate survey results.
For the 2023-24 school year, OPRF’s overall index score was 90.36, less than one point away from the exemplary designation. For half of these metrics: ELA Proficiency, Math Proficiency, Science Proficiency, and Graduation Rate (which comprise 70% of the overall designation), OPRFHS scored at 100%. On the other half of the metrics, 9th Grade on Track, ELPtP, Chronic Absenteeism, and Climate Survey, the school scored below the maximum potential weight.
OPRFHS is a great school and worthy of an exemplary rating. Achieving this rating is one way to show continued progress towards the vision and mission which are focused on achievement and excellence. Work is already underway to address the identified areas of opportunity. There is improvement from the prior year for the Climate Survey and ELPtP scores, and that work will continue. Both 9th Grade on Track and Chronic Absenteeism are incorporated into the Superintendent’s goals, with actions that are monitored regularly by the board.
With a new presidential administration has come sweeping federal changes affecting public schools. How would you look to guide the district in this new climate?
We find ourselves in very challenging times, experiencing changes that are impacting our institutions and ways of working. These changes are coming at a magnitude and pace that feels dizzying, and they bring a lot of uncertainty.
The most important thing we can do as a district is to live by our values. When times are challenging, leaning into your values provides clarity and direction for action planning and how you communicate with stakeholders.
As a member of the school board, I would seek to defend what we stand for in a thoughtful and pragmatic way. This means taking the time to assess and understand the situation, the likely impact on students, what options we have, any budget impact, and other potential consequences. I also see the board partnering with similarly affected peer districts and with the state to protect OPRF students.
What is the most important aspect of the Project 2 facilities upgrades currently underway at OPRF? How would you look to keep the plan on budget?
I had the opportunity to serve as a member of the Imagine Work Group. With a focus on student learning and equity in the context of facility impact, we talked directly with students as part of the data gathering process. These resulted in recommendations for a master facilities plan tied to:
- Student learning spaces
- Addressing inefficiencies from decades of piecemeal construction
- Connection and community
- Equity, along several dimensions
- Configuration and capacity to optimize the physical learning environment
- Unmet student, enrollment and curricular space needs
Project 2 modernizes the physical education spaces to support OPRF’s PE curriculum. As an institution focused on the whole student, physical fitness is an important part of educating students.
In terms of keeping the plan on budget, one of the Board goals is Facilities and Finance, with a specific objective of: “Project 2 delivered on time, on budget, without injury. In support of this, a Project 2 Dashboard was implemented last year and is on the OPRFHS website.
What does equity in education mean to you? How would you advocate for it if elected?
My vision for OPRFHS is for it to be “a vibrant, equitable, and radically inclusive school environment that supports the social-emotional and academic needs of ALL students”.
Equity is about providing individuals with what they need to be successful. It requires acknowledging that everyone did not have the same starting point in life, as well as identifying and removing barriers that perpetuate inequities.
Within the context of our high school, for me equity means, 1) Executing on Strategic Priority 1: Racial Equity, which is focused on eliminating race, socioeconomic status, and other social factors as predictors of students’ academic achievement and social emotional growth; and 2) Maintaining an ongoing commitment to equity rooted in high standards and academic rigor that pushes every student to excel, while also recognizing and addressing the very diverse needs and past educational experiences of our students.
If elected, I would continue to push for my vision of supporting the needs of all students.
In recent years, OPRF has changed its behavioral policies to put a greater emphasis on restorative justice, what do you make of these changes?
OPRF has implemented restorative justice practices as part of its disciplinary approach. A key practice is the Behavioral Education Plan, a teaching and learning plan designed to support every student in their social, emotional and academic development. Also important are trauma informed interventions to ensure district policies reflect an understanding of trauma’s role in student behaviors.
The school’s policy is clear about prohibited student conduct and disciplinary measures, with a broad range of actions depending on the infraction. However, the primary goal is keeping kids in school and using restorative practices supports this goal.
The state data shows that Black students at OPRF are being suspended out of school at a higher rate than their peers. As a result, the district is required to file a Discipline Improvement Plan with the state. The district is in Year 2 of a three-year plan to improve the discipline data. I appreciate the emphasis on restorative justice and eliminating disparities in discipline to help kids continue to learn. I am proud of the work the school has done, and continues to do, to support all students.
