Gregory Scapillato: Candidate For Arlington Heights SD 25

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Ahead of the April 6 consolidated municipal elections, Arlington Heights Patch provided questionnaires to all candidates on the ballot.

Eight candidates are vying for four seats on the Arlington Heights School District 25 Board of Education on Election Day. They include three incumbents (Gina Faso, Richard Olejniczak and Anisha Patel) and five challengers (Melisa Andrews, Katie Rausch, Gregory Scapillato, Deborah Tranter and Todd Witherow).

Arlington Heights Patch is publishing all responses submitted by candidates verbatim.

Gregory Scapillato

Age (as of election day)

49

Town/city of residence

Arlington Heights

School district

25

Family

My wife, Jenny, and our only child have resided in Arlington Heights District 25 for the last 15 years.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for.

No

Education

Bachelor of Arts (Communication), St. Norbert College (1993); Bachelor of Arts (Music Education), Western Illinois University (1999); Master of Music Education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2003); continuing graduate coursework, VanderCook College of Music (ongoing)

Occupation

teacher (band director); 21 years

Campaign website

https://www.elect-greg.com/

Previous or current elected or appointed office

none

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing District 25 is successfully recovering from the pandemic, which is a multifaceted challenge.

First, we need to ensure students can meet their achievement and growth potential. This will require increased vigilance to find the areas where the pandemic has impacted our students academically and socially.

Second, we need to restore trust in our school system, starting with the school board. Increased transparency, community engagement, and information gathering are starting places for addressing this.

Finally, we need to address the equity issues in our district, brought into sharp relief by the pandemic. This starts with aligning the Board Policies with the new Strategic Plan, and the Board Policy on diversity, equity, and inclusion. While there is an ongoing process of Board policy review, I have advocated for the formation of a Board Policy Committee to better inform Board action in this area, and allow the Board to move with a sense of urgency. Equity issues can also be addressed through full-day kindergarten, new committees devoted to our special education programs and seeking community input, and partnering with local organizations to advise the Board on effective strategies.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

There are three key qualities that I bring to this position: integrity, empathy, and vision.

My integrity is rooted in the values formed over a twenty-year career as an arts educator, putting students first every day. Over the course of my career, I’ve developed leadership experience in decision-making teams, investing in consensus-building as the best method to include all stakeholders.

Working from a place of empathy allows me to better serve my students and families; as a Board member, empathy will allow me to hear the needs of our community and respond with their interests at the forefront. In building an award-winning band program, I’ve been responsive to the needs of the students and community, which is the first requirement for a program that seeks to serve the community.

Finally, I have vision, demonstrated by a proven track record for setting and achieving long-term goals. I view challenges as opportunities for growth, and I am adept at building support through shared goals.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district?

I believe that the board failed to provide an adequate response to the pandemic.

First, I wish to first acknowledge the challenging responsibility placed on the Board during this pandemic. Unfortunately, we did not see the Board drive the sense of urgency in the district’s planning/implementation for the fall. We only noticed an uptick in the number of Board meetings once it was clear our community was not satisfied.

Second, the Board chose to step out of its governance role, annexing responsibilities belonging to the superintendent. This resulted in many extraordinarily long meetings that devolved into minute details of metrics and operations, distracting the Board from its role making policy. This confused governance paved the way to division amongst the community, while slowing the ability of the district to respond appropriately to fluctuating conditions.

Finally, we saw a Board that became divided like the community, essentially choosing sides and pursuing actions reflecting those choices. The Board proved unable to navigate this delicate situation as a cohesive body. That failure left voices in the middle unrepresented, and blinded the Board to creative solutions to address the needs of the entire community. A Board has to make tough decisions; these should be made clear-eyed, even-handed, and with great attention to equity issues.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

If elected, I will put the focus on people. Putting our focus as a Board on people — students, parents, teachers, administrators — will reframe our efforts and guide our actions more effectively. For our students, we need to address equity for all our learners. This includes inclusivity of special education services in neighborhood elementary schools. For teachers, we need to adopt a salary schedule that is market-competitive, fiscally-responsible, attracting and retaining the best educators. Our administrators should be afforded respect while holding them to high accountability standards.

If elected, I will build trust through transparency. This will start with how the Board conducts its work. Restoring the proper relationship with the superintendent, establishing Finance, Facilities, and Policy committees, and rebuilding the community’s trust are primary concerns. Increased community engagement from our school board will give us an informed view of the needs and challenges facing our families.

If elected, I will work toward equity for all. This starts with aligning the Board Policies with the new Strategic Plan, and the Board Policy on diversity, equity, and inclusion. I am advocating for the formation of a Board Policy Committee to better inform Board action in this area, and allow the Board to move with a sense of urgency. Equity issues can also be addressed through full-day kindergarten, new committees devoted to our special education programs and seeking community input, and partnering with local organizations to advise the Board on effective strategies to address diversity, equity, and inclusion.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Across my twenty years as an arts educator, I have gathered leadership experience through a range of professional endeavors. Each of these inform my view of how best to govern in the role of school board member.

In my campaign, I’ve highlighted the importance of vision in setting common goals and guiding actions. Since 2010, I’ve served as the unofficial coordinator of the Northbrook Veterans Day Ceremony. This began when I approached the American Legion, seeking to incorporate our junior high band students in their annual ceremony. Our hope was to elevate the ceremony, serving our veterans and bringing increased community engagement. Over the last 10 years, the ceremony went from a lightly attended event to a wonderful celebration that included the entire school body, music department, and was very well-attended by the larger community. This success came from executing consistently on the long-term vision, and building support from all those involved.

The success of a music program is due in large part to the extent in which the music program reflects the needs and aspirations of the community. I’ve played a leading role in developing a nationally-recognized music program, bringing pride to the students, families, and community. One way this has been evidenced is our biennial alumni concert. Held every other year, we double the size of our performance groups with alumni participation, and the graduates hail from as far back as the 1970’s! The event is a celebration that reflects the community, and demonstrates the power of shared goals and successes.

Finally, I will share my extensive work on committees and task forces dealing with topics ranging from teacher compensation and benefits, grading and assessments, teacher evaluation, facilities management, and most recently, the response to the pandemic. In each of these venues, I have championed the need to work for consensus, building solutions and action plans that incorporate the needs of all those represented by the committee.

Why should voters trust you?

I would point voters to three examples that demonstrate my trustworthiness, particularly within the educational setting.

When returning to school in fall, 2020, I led the COVID response for our band department. Performing a wind instrument is, arguably, one of the riskiest activities in the school for potential exposure. With extensive research backed by the best data, we were able to provide layered mitigations that addressed specific concerns related to performing band instruments, minimizing the risk to the same or lower levels that a traditional classroom. The success can be measured by the response from parents. Because of the mitigation steps, and the clear communication on how these steps lowered risk of exposure, a majority of our families have chosen to allow their child to participate in in-person rehearsals - even if they choose to remain remote for the regular school day.

The second example demonstrates the trust from parents around the country. In the summer of 2016, a colleague and I launched a national summer camp for middle school band students. We designed the camp from the ground up to meet the needs of young musicians, and built a team of staff and volunteers to execute this vision. In the four summers prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the camp has had hundreds of young students attend from across the country, with only one student over those years departed early due to homesickness. When we put the needs of the students first, and clearly addressed possible parent misgivings about sending their child states away for a camp, we built a camp that parents could trust.

Finally, I will point to the words of those that know me best: the testimonials found on my website (elect-greg.com) from parents, neighbors, colleagues, my principal, and a veteran. Without exception, these individuals have stepped forward to share their personal recommendation for my candidacy to our voters. They speak of my integrity, empathy, and vision as a trustworthy individual ready to serve our community.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success?

I would consider my term as school board member a success if we accomplish the following, with fiscally sound execution:

(1) continued superior performance by our students, evidencing successful educational practices
(2) concrete, qualitative measures to evaluate and address student social-emotional needs, and equity issues
(3) a greater integration and availability of student special education services at each elementary school
(4) full-day kindergarten that is sustainable, accessible to families at all income levels, and hosted in each elementary school
(5) sustainable, long-term funding plan for facility maintenance and improvement
(6) develop a sustainable teacher compensation plan that will not only attract but also retain the best teachers
(7) a restoration of trust between the Board, administration, teacher, and community

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

Our school board has an important duty to our taxpayers to govern from a place of fiscal discipline. We need to take an economical approach when considering new programs and initiatives that will impact the sustainability of the budget. It is difficult to understate the importance of our fiduciary duty: how taxpayer dollars are managed impacts the lives of the community and the success of the school district. I am committed to responsible management of the resources afforded the school district by our community.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

Thinking about the larger issues behind this question, what I support are the underlying values of Black Lives Matter, that all communities must evaluate their practices to remove any impact of systemic racism and assure equity for black Americans and other marginalized communities.

In the context of our schools, I commend and support the actions of the Board in the Resolution affirming the Arlington Heights School District 25 Board of Education’s Commitment to Eliminate Racial Injustice on July 16, 2020, and the approval of Board Policy 1:32, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on August 13. 2020.

The new, draft District 25 Strategic Plan looks to address directly these issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our schools. I believe the next step for our Board is to establish a Board Policy committee, to ensure alignment with these long-term goals in a timely fashion. Additionally, the Board should provide resources to support the administration’s work to attract and retain a more diverse faculty and staff. Lastly, the Board should put in place strategies to regularly assess progress toward a district that reflects the values stated in the Board Policy 1:32 and the Resolution to eliminate racial injustice.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so?

The Board has taken some key first steps, including the Resolution affirming the Arlington
Heights School District 25 Board of Education’s Commitment to Eliminate Racial Injustice on July 16, 2020, and the approval of Board Policy 1:32, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion on August 13. 2020.

With these statements and directives, the district has engaged with the Illinois Commission on Diversity and Human Relations (ICDHR) to provide workshops for administrators and staff, and dialogues that include the wider community. Additionally, ICDHR will work with our district to complete an equity audit curriculum and assessment, instructional practices, and marketing and hiring practices.

There are several key steps, from the Board perspective, to ensure district-wide support for racial equality in District 25. First, the Board should audit Board Policy to align with the stated goals of fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is why I have called for the formation of a new Board Policy Committee. Second, the Board should set meaningful, measurable goals, and benchmarks to gauge progress toward these goals.

What are your thoughts on the district’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic? Are you in favor of remote learning, in-person learning or a hybrid of the two? Do you support a mask mandate for students and school staff, or mandatory coronavirus testing for both students and staff

At the district level, the response to the pandemic was a mix of successes and misses. Notable successes include the tremendous service in providing meals to families, and the flexibility, ingenuity, and dedication of the teaching staff. In both cases, these groups went above and beyond for our students, pouring their time and energy into their service.

Looking back at the fall, we can now see a number of decisions hampered the district’s response this year. Though families were surveyed mid-summer to their learning preference, the district chose not to establish a “remote academy” for families that preferred the remote option. This complicated instruction for teachers once hybrid learning began (and subsequently, in-person), requiring them to attend to both remote and in-person learners simultaneously. This choice also exacerbated the shortage of substitutes, requiring an in-person sub even when a teacher could still teach remotely due to quarantine.

Additionally, there does not seem to be a unified plan to create/enhance outdoor teaching spaces to relieve potentially overcrowded indoor spaces, weather permitting. This could include large open-air tents to provide shade, and securing picnic tables for teacher’s to use as a base when delivering instruction outdoors.

Going forward as we plan for fall, 2021, I advocate for the following steps:
(1) a combination of in-person learning alongside a remote academy for remote learners
(2) a district-wide plan to enhance/expand outdoor learning spaces
(3) addition of portable HEPA air purifiers in spaces that host more than one class while eating, or in classrooms/grade levels that experience virus outbreaks

With regards to a mask mandate, I believe all public schools are requiring masks for all students and staff. Exceptions are extended to children that have an existing medical condition or developmental disability (physically or mentally) that prevents safe mask wearing. The scientific evidence shows that masks are the easiest mitigation to put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

As with vaccines discussed below, I am not in favor of mandating coronavirus testing. I believe the best approach is securing tests that are easy to use and cost-effective, and making the case to staff and families on the benefit of “surveillance testing” for the safety of our learning community.

When the vaccine is available to them, do you support mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for students and staff?

At this point in our response to the pandemic, I do not support a district-level mandate on vaccination of either staff or students. For staff, our best approach for encouraging vaccination is through education, communicating clearly the benefits both to the individual and the community when someone chooses to be vaccinated.

For our children, we do not yet have recommendations from our medical authorities on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines. It is not our place as a Board to dictate medical requirements without clear guidance from agencies such as the CDC, IDPH, and CCDPH. Even with a clear recommendation, I do not see a vaccine mandate as something to enact at the district level. Again, the best approach is to educate the public on the benefits to our community from wide acceptance of the vaccine program.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No

The best advice ever shared with me was ____________

“There are no limits to the amount of good you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.”