Meet Homer District 33C Board Of Ed Candidate: Melissa Chandarana

HOMER GLEN, IL — Melissa Chandarana is one of six candidates running for four open positions on the Homer District 33C Board of Education. Chandarana is a nonprofit business manager, who has also volunteered for many years with the Girl Scouts.

Chandarana recently filled out the Patch candidate survey, and her 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: Melissa Chandarana

Age (as of Election Day): 48

Town/city of residence: Lockport

School district: Homer 33C

Family: My name is Melissa “Missy” Chandarana and I have resided in Victoria Crossings for 17 years with my husband, Anand and 5 children:

· Savita (19) 2016 HJH graduate
· Maya (16) 2018 HJH graduate
· Kavin (15) 2020 HJH graduate
· Bria (12) 7th grader at HJH
· Gia (7) 2nd grader at Young School

Through the years, I have had the opportunity to volunteer at Homer 33C as PTO President, volunteer office assistant at Young School, What I Need (WIN) volunteer, and numerous PTO volunteer opportunities. My own children have utilized Early Childhood (tuition-based and non-tuition-based), extended kindergarten (Bright Start, prior to full-day being offered), SI program for special needs, Discovery program, and accelerated classed at HJH.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Education: Associate's degree from College of DuPage

Occupation: Not-for-Profit Business Manager with over 20 years of experience

Campaign website: None.

Previous or current elected or appointed office: N/A

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

The pandemic has highlighted a number of capacity constraints in our school district that create challenges when pushed to and beyond their limits, such as class sizes, substitute pools, busing, etc. My goal as a member of the 33C School Board will be to collaborate with the various stakeholders to help ensure we are prepared for future challenges.

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

For over thirteen years, I have had at least one student in Homer 33C which has allowed me to see the growth of our school district including a new school being built, remodeling of existing buildings and at least four superintendents. I feel that my exposure to having had students in many of the academic programs offered through Homer 33C and having students attend all the buildings besides Butler has given me the opportunity to see where we have needs for improvement and where we excel as a district. In order to prepare for the role, I have reached out to current and past board members to discuss time commitment and responsibilities. In addition to several phone calls, I have also met and exchanged multiple emails with Homer 33C administration to educate myself on current issues and area of concerns in the school district.

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

This question assumes the current board has failed the community or district, which I don't think is the case.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

Homer 33C has made great strides in the area of special needs, but there is room for growth. Being a parent of an autistic student who benefited from and greatly appreciated a variety of services offered by the district, I do not hide my passion for our special services program. Parents of children with additional needs must advocate on our students behalf, but unfortunately not all parents can or know how to do that. Although I certainly value the academic programs provided, I often question if we are doing enough to differentiate instruction and wonder if we could further enhance our programs to meet the needs of all our students, especially given the untraditional school year we recently experienced. If elected, I would push to continue innovative programs offered to students that excel and to increase services to students that may need an additional assistance.

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

My volunteer work with Girl Scouts includes being the leader for multiple troops concurrently, a volunteer for the Lockport-Homer Glen Service Unit (SU749), and the Director of a volunteer-led Girl Scout day camp for over 400 campers for 10 years. I have been recognized as an outstanding volunteer by my Girl Scout leadership peers. Volunteering is a passion and I enjoy every opportunity I can to give back to my community.

Why should voters trust you?

I communicate candidly and my actions are consistent with my words. My family, friends and community would all describe me as a compassionate advocate of others. I have proactively sought to increase my level of competence on school board-related matters by meeting with current and past board members, as well as members of Homer 33C administration.

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

Decreasing class size while assisting in finding the innovative ways for teachers to differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of each student. A stretch goal for my term would be to help implement a dedicated or mobile “store or coffee shop” for our SI students who would benefit from life skills and helping them build independence.

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

Homer 33C has consistently been a transparent and fiscally responsible cornerstone of our community. Over the last several months, I have emailed, called and met with administration to educate myself on Homer 33C current budget process and revenue streams. If elected, I would invest even more effort in this area to ensure that Homer 33C continues to remain fiscally sound.

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?

N/A

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

Over the years, I have witnessed numerous examples of inclusiveness in the realm of diversity. I'm not sure what role the current board has had in promoting this specifically, but hope to continue moving us in a positive direction in this area.

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?

Currently, Homer 33C is scheduled to return to school full time on April 7th. I support following the guidelines provided by the CDC and IDPH, both of which have more knowledge than me when it comes to limiting the spread of infectious diseases.

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

Currently, the COVID-19 vaccine has been offered to employees of Homer 33C in collaboration with Silver Cross Hospital and other local government agencies. The vaccine is still under an emergency use authorization (EUA), so until the trials are over and the vaccine is licensed, it can not be mandated.

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

None.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

"To be part of the solution - not the problem."