District 70 School Board Race: Jennifer Khan

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 are the responses for Jennifer Khan who is among seven candidates running for four open four-year seats on the school board:

Age (as of election day): 44

Town/city of residence: Libertyville

School district: District 70

Family - Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share: Ed (my husband) and I have two children Mia (14 yr old) and Chace (9 yr old). Plus we have two Bernese Mountain Dogs Lady and Gustav, two cats Cyrus and Zaboomafoo, two parakeets Paris and Faith, two lizards one is an eyelash crested gecko-Kion and the other is a bearded dragon-Luci.

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: Real Estate Broker License - 2018, Harper College, Glenbrook South HS-1994

Occupation Please include years of experience: Currently, I am a real estate broker in Berkshire Hathaway. In this role it is imperative I listen to my clients’ wants and needs in order to find the perfect home or to sell their family home. I have learned that being a real estate broker is about relationships, building trust and respect, and not transactions. In my corporate life I managed an on-shore (2 team leads each leading a team of 6 product specialists) and offshore (1 supervisor, 1 team lead and 6 team members) call center that supported healthcare data analytics products and the data behind the products. We worked as a unified team and collaborated when our clients presented more advanced issues. I have also managed multi-million dollar technology projects as a project manager with teams of 7-10 department leaders over 14 years with the same company.

Previous or current elected or appointed office: Butterfield Family Association President - Current, Butterfield Family Association 2nd Vice President - Vice President

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it: Many people say the single most pressing issue facing our school board is getting back to school during the COVID pandemic. Since plans for that have been finalized. I believe the single most pressing issue is healing our community from the COVID divide. As a school board member I will work to heal our community by listening to all constituents and acting on what is best for the students. I would use our common ground as a starting point- we are all parents in the district who are concerned about our children.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?: I have attended many school board meetings both in-person and virtual. I have stepped up to speak at a meeting on behalf of the Metrics Committee which is a sub-committee of the Reopening Committee. I have worked with the Business Manager, Head of Grounds, Social Media Director in my role as Butterfield Family Association President. I have seen one child through District 70. I have led major fundraising activities on behalf of the family association and volunteered at numerous events. I have helped Butterfield School as a Lunch Monitor when there were not enough staff. I led the 8th Grade Graduation Committee through a graduation celebration like no other at the end of the 2019-2020 school year for the eighth graders at HMS. I have volunteered in District 70, and I want to continue the legacy I have started by volunteering to be part of the District 70 School Board.

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

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: My focus is to enhance the communication throughout the district. I want to continue the legacy of being a top tier district and ensure all our children are safe in school.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?: I have managed people and projects during my 14 years in corporate. To this day I have strong relationships with the people I managed and worked with both here and off-shore. I have also led major fundraising committees as a committee chair/co-chair and led the Butterfield Family Association as President. As a result of all of my previous leadership experience working with people from diverse backgrounds, I have found that I am able to motivate people, move them to the next level in their work, and support them to accomplish their goals. This all has prepared me for being part of the District 70 School Board.

Why should voters trust you?: Voters should trust me because I am standing as an individual candidate asking for their vote for the school board. I do not have an agenda, I am not a single issue candidate, I am here for the four-year term plus.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success?: If I win I would like to bridge the communication gap in our district. First I would have to review current school board policy to determine what types or channels are currently allowed and then work to improve the communication.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?: I believe as a school board we need to be good stewards of the taxpayer dollar. So far our district has been a good steward, and they were even able to build two additions onto two different schools without going to referendum. As a school board member I would do my best to continue this strategy.

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 do support Black Lives Matter and I felt the non-violent protests and demonstration were necessary however, the violence that happened was unnecessary.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so?: This year I believe our current board had COVID mitigation and how to get back in-school on their mind. However, I do believe racial equality is a success factor for students. As a district we should review what has been done and then continue to implement in areas we are lacking.

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?: My thoughts on the way D70 handled the coronavirus pandemic is they did what they thought was right for the kids with the information they had at the time. I am in favor of a learning model that does not put our kids, teachers, staff and community at a greater risk for spread. Clearly the best learning environment is in-person, and the primary goal is to get back safely.

When the vaccine is available to them, do you support mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for students and staff?: Since you may have religious or medical reasons why you cannot receive vaccinations I do not believe we should make them 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 ____________: Be yoursel