Meet Summit Hill D161 Board Of Ed Candidate: James Martin

FRANKFORT, IL — James Martin is one of eight candidates running for four open positions on the Summit Hill District 161 Board of Education. Martin is retired, but previously worked as an assistant principal and assistant superintendent for District 161. Martin is also a current board member for the Summit Hill District 161 Board of Education.

Martin recently filled out the Patch candidate survey, and his answers can be found below:

If you are a candidate for the April election, and would like to answer our Patch candidate questionnaire, please email andrea.earnest@patch.com.

Name: James L. Martin

Age (as of Election Day): 62

Town/city of residence: Frankfort

School district: Summit Hill 161

Family: Wife- Rene Murray, Children- Bryan Murray, Meghan Murray and Dillon Murray

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education: Undergraduate: North Central College- History, Education (General and Special Education) Graduate: Governors State University- Masters in Educational Administration Post Masters- work toward Superintendent’s Endorsement

Occupation: Teacher- 14 years, General and Special Education Administration- 23 years, Dean, Assistant Principal, Principal and Assistant Superintendent

Campaign website: Can be found here.

Previous or current elected or appointed office:

Summit Hill 161 School Board- term 2017-2021

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

Our most pressing issue is the return from Covid and how to make up the instructional deficits students have experienced. Despite the heroic efforts of our students, teachers, administrators and families, remote instruction is not the same as in-person instruction. We have to identify gaps in learning that have developed and assemble instructional supports for both students and teachers to fill the gaps. The role of the school board is to empower our instructional staff with the resources to accomplish this.

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

A critical difference between myself and the other candidates is my experience in education from both inside and outside the system. I am a retired educator, but I have not retired from education. In the last three years, I have returned to the classroom as a long-term teacher in two high school districts, including a semester of remote instruction in the fall of 2020. I know current instructional practices and issues first hand. My experience will be important, especially with a new superintendent arriving July 1.

I am a current member of the Summit Hill School Board and the Governing Board President for Lincoln-Way Area Special Education District 843. This experience has allowed me to be an advocate for the taxpayer. Over 70 percent of our households send tax money, not students to 161. Our taxpayers expect us to provide a great, cost-efficient education.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Community Relations- As a current board member, I am dismayed at the tone and direction the board has taken of late. Board meetings, which should be a conduit for communication between the board and the community have taken a decidedly negative tone. The board should welcome our residents' input, even if it is not reflective of our personal beliefs. If re-elected, this will be a priority.

Instruction- I support cultivating a closer relationship with Frankfort 157-C. Our students share Lincoln-Way East upon graduation, but we share little in common with 157-C in terms of standardized testing, curriculum and academic support programs. When you look at the success of 157-C as reflected in their test scores, it places Summit Hill students at a disadvantage. We need to embrace programming that has demonstrated success; it will only benefit our students.

Use of Data in Decision Making- In February of 2020, a majority of the school board took a vote against State standardized testing data. Myself and Mrs. Murphy voted against this action. This data is the most accessible to our public and should be important to the board as a measure of our success, we cannot ignore it because we don’t like what it says. As a board, we must honestly confront all data sources and work toward improvement.

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

I believe my history in education and in Summit Hill 161 as detailed earlier in this article is evidence of my ability to handle the job.

Why should voters trust you?

I believe I have enough of a public record to convince voters to trust me. Voters can review the audio of past board meetings, ask the parents and students who have come to know me in my previous positions of Assistant Principal of Summit Hill Junior High and as district Assistant Superintendent, ask current and former district employees or anyone in my neighborhood. Over the last 20 years, there’s enough public information about me to form an opinion on my character.

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

Growth in the academic performance of our students while holding the line on district spending.

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

I know we have real opportunities to reduce district spending after we emerge from Covid. When I was Assistant Principal at the junior high in the early 2000s, Summit Hill was recognized in the state as having one of the highest levels of student achievement relative to per pupil spending. We’ve done it in the past, we can do it again.

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?

I support equality for all and the peaceful protests our fellow Americans have pursued toward that goal. We have an equity problem in our country that is not limited to race. I hope the energy devoted to raising our awareness to the issues as a nation does not fade.

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

There has been a focus in education on equity and bias that predates the events of the last year. I know the Summit Hill staff have participated in those professional development activities, but this is not an issue where you are ever done. Training and discussion within our professional learning communities must be consistent and ongoing in the areas of instruction, assessment and interpersonal interaction.

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?

As a current board member, I can tell you that this has been an unbelievable challenge. The information and guidance from the state sometimes changed each week, leading to uncertainty of just what direction should be followed. We as a board sometimes differed in what that direction should be. I have voted in favor of remote, hybrid and in-person learning at different junctures. Those discussions and how they evolved are a matter of public record. Without a doubt my preference is full in-person learning. I support the mask mandate and I believe our experience and the data support this. I do not support mandatory testing as it is too intrusive on an individual’s rights to privacy.

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

I do not support mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations as it is too intrusive on an individual’s rights to privacy.

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:

Always have a vision of the future you want to reach, otherwise how do you know where you're going or when you’ve arrived?