Meet D70 School Board Candidate Callie Johnson

LIBERTYVILLE, IL — School boards across the Chicago area needed to make many tough decisions this past year during the COVID-19 pandemic. And during this year's local election, there are many packed school board races featuring candidates with differing opinions on remote learning, in-person models and how teaching should've been handled this past year.

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 Callie Johnson who is among seven candidates running for four open seats:

Age (as of election day):

38

Town/city of residence:

Libertyville

School district:

D70

Family - Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share:

Husband Mark (44), Cameron (4), Jacob (11), Wyatt (14), Jack (16)

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

Education:

BA, BSN, PEL-IL, CSN

Occupation-Please include years of experience:

School Nurse (6 years) Orthopedic Nurse (7 years)

Campaign website: parentsdeliveringleadership.com

Previous or current elected or appointed office: None

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

The single most pressing issue facing the district right now is that the student's are not learning full time, in person, even though guidelines suggested to do so in the summer of 2020. It has been voted on that the K-5 students will attend school full time, in person, if the parents choose starting April 12th, which will only give them 7 weeks of being in school full time in over a year. Highland Middle School will continue an AA BB hybrid model this spring, that will not allow for the students to attend full time, in person, learning. I intend to continue advocating and representing the students, parents, staff, and community members to ensure that their voices are heard, and the administration is held accountable to provide a plan to provide full time, in person learning for all K-8 students by the start of fall semester. I will ensure that this plan addresses the learning loss over the past year and a half on the kids, and does not waste resources and the taxpayer dollars on discredited mitigation strategies.

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

As a Certified School Nurse, my job, my expertise, is to protect and promote student health and facilitate maximum student development, while using evidence based practice grounded in ethical decisions. I have the experience and education to ensure that all children have access to appropriate educational opportunities regardless of their state of health. In March 2020, when schools were closed down, I volunteered my time at the Lake County Health Department through the Medical Reserve Corps. At the time, it was my duty as a public health nurse to help where I could. I gained knowledge, perspective, and confidence from my experience there, and I was able to bring over that experience to my job as a school nurse during the pandemic. I helped open the doors successfully to the staff, students, and families I serve In August 2020, by creating and implementing safety protocols and procedures in school.

I collaborate and network with health professionals in the county and all over the state of Illinois, to ensure that school health care is developed to its full potential, and benefits the whole child, whole school, and whole community. I advocated for my own children, and for the children of the community, to have D70 open their doors for in person learning back in the summer of 2020. I have not stopped advocating for the doors to open fully, safely, and promptly. I put the kids first, and will continue to represent the D70 families and community.