D220 Board Candidates Discuss Various Topics in Virtual Forum

Candidates for Barrington School District 220 met virtually yesterday to discuss various issues and topics that the district is facing heading into the April 6 Consolidated Elections. The full Vimeo link can be found HERE.

The forum, organized by The PTO Presidents’ Council, was hosted on Zoom and was moderated by Dr. Chris Bibby, a psychologist, Board member of BStrong Together and father of two children in the district. Issues discussed ranged from the districts’ responses to COVID-19 closures, areas of reform beyond school re-opening, how to address diversity and equity in the schools, BEA union contract negotiations and campaign funding, school fees, maintaining a budget and the goals / platforms of each candidate.

Eleven candidates are vying for four open spots on the Barrington 220 Board of Education (BOE). All of the candidates appeared in the forum, including incumbent Board members, Sandra Ficke-Bradford, and Mike Shackleton. The eleven candidates include:

· William Betz, a physician with three children in the district

· Erin Chang Ding, a mother in the district and daughter of immigrants from Hong Kong

· Sandra Ficke-Bradford, incumbent and mother in the district

· Katie Karam, born and raised in Barrington and member of the PTO

· Lauren Berkowitz-Klauer, a Barrington native and mother with volunteer experience

· Jonathan (Juan) Matta, a father of three kids in the district and designer

· Malgorzata McGonigal, a mother in the district and first generation immigrant

· Tom Mitoraj, a father in the district with five kids whose wife is a kindergarten teacher at Sunny Hill

· Mike Shackleton, incumbent and former BHS graduate

· Steve Wang, a father with a daughter in the Chinese Immersion program and former investment banker who now works for a non-profit

· Robert Windon, a father in the district and former Barrington Trustee

The forum began with each candidate introducing themselves and providing an opening statement. This portion of the program begins at the 47:00 minute mark.

After the opening statements, the forum moved to a Roundtable format where five questions were asked to all 11 candidates. Each candidate had one minutes to respond. A summary of this Q&A is below.

ROUNDTABLE QUESTIONS

Reopening Schools and Addressing Division in the Community (18:00 Minute Mark)

The topic of reopening schools and the division it has caused in the community was front and center during the forum. Many parents and members of the community have been in disagreement over reopening, hybrid timelines and the future of in-person vs. distance learning. All of the candidates expressed a strong desire for getting kids back to school as soon (and as safely) as possible, while some also expressed some “buts.”

Erin firmly believes that we should give parents a choice while also addressing mental and emotional health as we return to school. Sandra agreed in offering options to families and the importance of following CDC and Lake County Health recommendations. Katie stated her stance in reopening now as boards across other districts have directed their superintendents to do. Lauren expressed the desire to have options in place for every family’s needs, while also getting the kids back for their social and emotional health.

Malgorzata strongly supported in person schooling, now, for ages 5 to 18. Juan is a staunch advocate for in-person learning, while also having empathy with the user and the community and giving families the right to choose. Tom supports in person and believes it should be up to the parent in sending kids back to school and voiced his concern about the facilities and what they can handle in terms of size and spacing since kids are carrier of the virus. Mike talked about meeting the needs of students as they emerge from the crisis and opening the schools after spring break for anyone who wants to come back.

Steve talked about the importance of opening five days a week, full time, while also providing choices for those in extraordinary situations and managing the fiscal responsibilities of that. Robert said that it’s time to start telling the administration to open as we are no longer overwhelming hospitals and start re-thinking education and maximizing the spaces of our buildings. William shared a few studies finding that it’s far safer in school with masking than being out in the community. He believes that giving families options is what will help unify the community, including providing a permanent distance learning option and being fully open for those who want.

Non-COVID Areas of Reform (32:40 Minute Mark)

Pandemic aside, there are many other aspects to the role of a board member. Candidates were asked about non COVID-19 areas they would like to reform and how they would change it.

Sandra said one of the things she is most proud of is hiring Nate Rouse for director of equity, race and cultural diversity initiatives and she looks forward to these accomplishments. Katie voiced frustration with the surveys and how she would like to see more communication and transparency on these vs. decisions that are seemingly being made on personal interests. Lauren addressed the idea of being proactive about curriculum to help the kids “in the middle” who can sometimes flounder and the importance of diversity. Juan talked about reimagining the educational system with an emphasis on the user citing the incubator program as a good example of this. Malgorzata said we should go back to teaching our children world history, having them understand it and then learn from it. Tom said there are many issues that need to be addressed starting with the strategic plan that has not been updated in many years which he believes is a crucial way to provide factual information to the community. Mike agreed in revisiting the strategic plan to help us align with a new strategy and come together as a community. Steve said a new superintendent and potentially four new board members is an opportunity for change, to reset and re-evaluate everything especially how we utilize our funding, as taxes continue to increase. Robert talked about reimagining K-12 education to focus on the skills that students really need and referenced the language immersion and incubator programs as examples. William talked about providing students and parents options, including differentiated education where kids can be in classrooms with students of the same academic level vs. age groups. Erin spoke about making equity a priority - a mindset shift where the board looks at decisions through an equity lens and takes a stewardship initiative in asking for RFPs from women and minority owned businesses while also saving taxpayers money.

Race, Equity and Inclusion (44:50 Minute Mark)

The 220 district equity team is a new group that is led by a new director, Nate Rouse. The candidates were asked how they see this group’s role in impacting board decisions.

Katie started it off by saying that equity starts with being able to attend school full time. Remote learning does not provide equal access to education she said, and everyone should have equal access to resources. Lauren talked about a recent discussion she had with Be the Change and if the board listens and trusts these students and this new committee, we can make big changes in professional development, curriculum and community relationships. Juan said this is an opportunity to elevate the conversation around access and opportunity. Barrington does have an underserved population, he said, and it is important to evaluate this information based on each user for their individual, successful outcomes. Malgorzata said she strongly believes that everyone should have equal access to everything when it comes to schooling and we should be colorblind in the school level and treat students as a student without bringing up sex, race or the neighborhood where they grew up. Tom believes that equity doesn’t mean equality. Every kid needs resources in their classrooms that fit their differences. Nate and his committee’s role should be to educate the board and the community and hold us accountable. Mike said he believes in diversity and said it’s fair to say that every candidate believes in offering equal opportunities to all students. We must work to understand the systemic barriers and we are well positioned to improve in this area, he said. Steve said that we have this committee and it’s the board’s job to utilize it to its fullest extent. He says he has never been the victim of profiling or discrimination himself, as a minority, but will gladly take on this education to learn and help. He also wants to make sure that we are not providing reverse discrimination and that everything we do be based on merit. Robert believes that we need to admit that we don’t know everything and the role of this committee is education. We need to listen to this team, understand the situation and work together to provide solutions. William said that we need to be neutral and fair in regards to race, gender and call out racism when we see it. He is open to hearing what Nate and committee brings to the table and encourages field trips to experience real-world diversity. Erin believes, as a woman of color herself, color conscious is a more helpful term than colorblind and we need to recognize that we all have different heritages and cultures. At the board level, equity means practicing and we need to do the work to understand our issues and obstacles first she stated. Sandra agreed with Lauren in that we have so much to learn from our youth in this area. She shared a message from a recent Be the Change vigil for LGBTQ students that inspired her; “We need to think with our heads, feel with our heart and act with our feet.” Sandra is excited about the things some teachers are doing to change the curriculum in this area.

Number of Meetings Attended and Campaign Funding (58:35 Minute Mark)

Note: The following four candidates have been endorsed by the Barrington Education Association (BEA) and BSEO: Sandra Ficke-Bradford, Erin Chan Ding, Lauren Klauer and Tom Mitoraj. Three candidates are also part of the suburban ACTION PAC – Katie Karam, Malgorzata McGonigal and Steve Wang.

Lauren said that she doesn’t always make the meetings when they happen, but watches 90% of them afterwards. She has received no funds for her campaign. Juan said he tuned in to meetings the night of or afterwards. He believes it is asinine to accept donations for a school board seat when that money should go back to the students. He has accepted no campaign contributions. Malgorzata has only been to one school board meeting this past year since everything was virtual. She believes that it’s a personal choice for anyone to donate money to a campaign. Tom said it’s been nice to watch the meetings online afterwards and he prefers to read the minutes. He has not asked for or received a dime from any entity. Mike has attended every Board meeting except one or two in the past year. He has declined opportunities for funds or endorsements. Steve has not attended the meetings due to his business schedule, but has gone back to watch almost every single one. As far as funds, yes, he is accepting donations from individuals who support various platforms, but he is not familiar with any entities that have donated. Robert has not been to any board meetings this year, but has gone back as soon as he can to watch as much as he can online, but has also been in touch with Dr. Harris. As for campaign funds, he has not accepted anything and will not do so. William said that he will not accept any campaign funds from any individuals or entities and has declined interviews or endorsements from the BEA to avoid any potential conflict of interests as contact negotiations approach. He has not attended any in person, but goes through the highlights online. Erin did not start her campaign intending to raise funds, but as momentum has increased, many pro education individuals and organizations have reached out to support her. Erin said she is proud to be endorsed by the BEA. She has attended board meetings in person and virtually. Sandra has not received any funds from anyone and is funding it herself. She has missed a handful of meetings, but has followed up online. She shared that she has been endorsed by the BEA. Katie has listened in to almost all board meetings. She has not been receiving donations from any organizations or entities, but has been accepting donations from individuals.

BEA Contract Negotiations (1:08 Mark)

The candidates were asked how they would work with the Barrington Education Association (BEA) around upcoming contract negotiations. The following four candidates have been endorsed by both the BEA and the BSEO: Sandra Ficke-Bradford, Erin Chan Ding, Lauren Klauer and Tom Mitoraj.

Juan started off by saying that he has incredible empathy for teachers as his mother was a special education teacher and good contracts mean that all sides win – the teachers, the kids, the community. Malgorzata said that teachers are very important – her mom was a teacher – and we must have them at their best levels so they can engage with our kids and our community. Tom announced that he has been endorsed by the BEA and BSEO and believes he shares many of the same values in putting the needs of students first. He said we need to listen to our teachers and understand their needs. Mike said that he is on the labor relations committee that works with the BEA as issues come up. He is a big believer in the partnership between the teachers, the kids and the community and believes that on a larger scale, it has become very political. With over 20-years-experience in negotiating compensation, he believes he can bring a lot to the table. Steve said he would make sure contracts are data driven, understand what other districts are doing and what the market is doing while also having empathy for the teachers. He believes teachers are one of the most underpaid positions, but also wants to be fiscally responsible and maintain discipline and make decisions based on facts, not emotions. Robert said that we need to have empathy for teachers and look at the data. The most important thing is communication – establish relationships, mutual respect and be transparent in order to maintain trust in the room. William said that not all decisions are dollars and cents and we need to listen to concerns. He said that he will be the advocate of the taxpayer and parent in the room and get the best teachers we can for the resources we put into it. Erin said that she is proud of her BEA endorsement because she will listen to their needs. She said if we can have successful negotiations, teachers can focus on teaching. Sandra said that she is grateful for our wonderful teachers and they deserve a fair contract and she is glad they have a union to advocate for their rights while the job of the board is to advocate for the community of taxpayer. Katie said she is grateful for our wonderful teachers who are our greatest resource. She said they deserve a fair contract and is glad they have the union to advocate for their rights. She said the board’s role is to advocate for the rights of our children, our community and taxpayer. Lauren said that historically the BEA and board have had a good relationship and this year, it has become a narrative of us against them. She believes teachers are the lifeblood of the educational system and a contract needs to work for all entities.

SELECTIVE RESPONSE QUESTIONS (1:20 Mark)

After the roundtable questions, the forum moved to selective response questions, a series of questions submitted by members of the community and then assigned to two candidates. The final question was assigned to three candidates due to the odd number. Candidates were also able to use a rebuttal.

These selective response questions included topics around school fees, balancing technology with mental health, maintaining a balanced budget, where they would increase or decrease spending and how they would describe the pro’s and con’s of Barrington School District 220 to the new incoming superintendent.

During one of the rebuttals, Juan asked for clarification from Erin, Sandra, Lauren and Tom about accepting campaign donations from the BEA. Sandra and Tom stated that they did not accept donations from the BEA. Erin said that the BEA cannot donate directly to a political candidate as a union. The BEA is, however, affiliated with IPACE, a group that donates to pro-education candidates. Erin received $750 in financial support from IPACE, as well as from individual donors. You can view Erin’s full statement around this topic on her Web site HERE.

Listen to the full forum in the recorded Vimeo link, found HERE. Join and follow a new Facebook Group set up by a local parent to encourage direct conversation with the community and candidates. This Families of 220 – Choosing the Best District 220 School Board Candidates page can be found HERE.

You can hear from these candidates again on Saturday, March 13 from 1:30 – 3 p.m. in an online candidate forum hosted by the Palatine League of Women Voters and the Barrington Area Library. Register and get the link HERE.