District 70 School Board Race: Brian Lawton

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — After a year when school boards were tasked with making tough decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the spring election will feature many packed school board races featuring candidates with differing opinions on how we should be educating our children.

The Libertyville Elementary District 70 school board race includes several candidates who've pushed for a return to in-person learning. Like many school districts, D70 spent most of the year learning remotely.

There are nine people running for five open seats on the school board. Seven of the candidates are seeking four open seats for a four-year term on the board of education while two candidates are vying for a single two-year term.

Patch.com reached out to the candidates running for the school board race, requesting they complete a candidate survey. Here is the response for Brian Lawton who is among seven candidates running for four four-year term seats on the school board:

Age: 40

Town/city of residence: Libertyville

School district: Libertyville District 70

Family - Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share: My wife and I have two children, aged 9 and 5

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: BA in German from Illinois State University and an A.A.S in Computer Forensics from the College of Lake County

Occupation: Stay-at-Home Parent (9 years).

Campaign website: www.facebook.com/Brian.Lawton.for.D70

Previous or current elected or appointed office: First time candidate

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it: ...the reopening of our schools... Although district 70 has a plan in place to open k-5 schools for full in person instruction by April 12th (with ongoing discussions for 6-8), this is still the biggest issue we will be facing for fall 2021. Of course things may (and hopefully will) look very different going into the next school year but we have to have a plan in place in case COVID is still a large concern. I would hope to ensure that our district is ready to move safely and smoothly between In Person, Hybrid, and Remote so that we can deal with any fluctuations in the transition rate next year. We have seen quite a bit of disruption as each change has been made and that is something I hope to alleviate should the need to change our opening status next year.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?: As a stay-at-home parent, being a member of the school board would become my job, aside from home duties. I don't doubt anyone's ability to be ready for meetings but this would afford me more free hours of dedication to research, shareholder communication, and preparation. In addition to this, my education in forensic science gives me the ability to approach each topic analytically while leaving my own emotions and opinions at home. I gather and examine all the information available before formulating an opinion.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district?: While our board has done a great job managing our school district I believe there has been a general lack of communication as to how and why decisions are made. We saw it present itself even more during the pandemic but it is something I feel has been present since my son entered into district 70. Our website can be hard to navigate at times with many details being behind more than a few clicks and direct communication didn't seem to find the parents in what I felt was a timely manner.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: After better communication and offering safe, equitable instruction for those In Person and Remote, my goal is to keep district 70 in the top tier of Lake County and Illinois. There have been a few slips lately, especially at our middle school, and ensuring we strive to be the best is important for our students as well as our community. Additionally, I hope to address some of the learning gaps we see on the Illinois Report Card across our district between minority and non-minority students as well as low-income and non-low-income learners. Finally, this past year we have seen a sizable fracture form between parents and I hope I can help mend that a bit with an understanding that we all only want what we think is best for our students.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?: The more I learn about being a school board member, the more advice I see about separating your business experience from the role. I think this gives me a unique opportunity to not have to adapt certain strategies and practices but instead learn and apply them only as they relate to running a district. I do have managerial experience, as well as strong grades in my continued education, but I really do feel that approaching this as my only job will be one of my best strengths.

Why should voters trust you?: I believe a lot of people may have entered into school board races, probably nationwide, with the single mindset of opening the schools and then grew their platform from there. I am not one of those people. I made my own decision to run because it is a job I want and am not beholden to one group of shareholders. I don't think anyone wants our nation's schools remote or hybrid forever and we all want our students to be safe, but I understand there is much more to this role beyond the pandemic.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success?: When my term ends, if we have tightened up some of our achievement gaps, while keeping the upper threshold high, I would consider that a success.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?: We are well funded by our local taxpayers and as such, we need to continue to be good stewards of that money going forward. That means truly analyzing budgetary items as they are presented and ensuring everything we approve will have a direct benefit to our district and its students without spending just because it is there. COVID has obviously caused some budgetary issues and that is something the future board will have to balance. Luckily our current board has taken steps to ensure the COVID cost information is there for those elected. As a whole, I do believe our district has spent our money wisely. There have been some deficits but nothing that we can't fix in coming years.

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?: As a concerned citizen, I'd be happy to give my opinion (as there is little a school board member can do to address this directly.) Yes, I do support the movement. While I can understand some people being upset about the property damage that some of the protestors exhibited, people can only be told how they should make their voices heard for so long. This is exacerbated by a nation that still has a large problem with systemic racism. What we saw in reaction to these two specific cases (among many others) was people needing to be louder in the face of being told nothing is wrong. Circling it back to schools, I think it is important that we use the common refrain about learning from our past. Most adults are aware that certain topics are glossed over or ignored in schools and I believe it would do us well to address that issue, especially for our older students in middle schools and high schools.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so?: We have taken steps to promote racial equality but until racial equity is actually achieved across the nation, more work needs to be done. The district has put programs in place to address this topic but we should constantly evaluate these programs for their effectiveness and potential improvement. On the educational side, the current achievement gap between minority and non-minority students alone is a concern and we need to work toward closing the gap in the coming years.

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?: Our district handled the pandemic well at first, switching to full remote to start the year. We then focused on getting at risk students into the building for some instruction as well as offering e-learning centers in the building for those families who needed it. From there we slipped, as communication lacked and we lagged behind others in offering a safe hybrid model. I am in favor of getting students in the building for full in person as long as the recommended safety guidelines are followed (distancing, masks, ventilation were possible, etc) while still having an equal plan in place for those students who may choose to stay home or have to for health reasons. I believe that masks should be mandatory for people in the building unless there is a medical reason why one can't and other accommodations can be made for safety. I believe testing should be offered but not mandatory, as a means to control any potential unchecked spread through our district and community.

When the vaccine is available to them, do you support mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for students and staff?: Although it is my hope that everyone would choose to get the vaccination, I do not think they should be mandatory.

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 ____________ ...that in life, it is far easier to be kind.