Meet Aileen Mullee: Kirby School District 140 Candidate

TINLEY PARK, IL — Meet Aileen Mullee, Kirby School District 140 school board candidate. The Consolidated Elections are April 6.

Mullee recently filled out the Patch candidate survey, and her answers can be seen below.

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

Aileen Mullee

Age (as of election)

38

Town/city of residence

Tinley Park

School District

Kirby School District 140

Family

My husband, Guy DiTuri, and I have lived in Kirby School District 140 since 2009 and have four children, who are in third grade at Millennium, fourth grade at Keller, and sixth and eighth grades at Grissom.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Management from Columbia College Chicago and graduated from Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School.

Occupation

I own a travel agency and have been a travel agent for 7 years.

Campaign website

All -4- KSD140: DeMicheal, Shalash, Mullee, Martelli - Home

Previous or current elected or appointed office

I have not previously held an elected or appointed office.

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

The initial pressing issue right now is getting our children back into school full time in a manner that doesn’t compromise the safety of our students and staff. While full-time in school learning is beginning on April 7th, guidelines will continue to change. I’d use resources from the IDPH and CDC to help guide my recommendations for how the in-school experience should look.

Our challenges will not end once we are back in school. We will need to assess the mental and emotional state of our students after this unprecedented year. If we do not address their social and emotional needs, we will not have schools of successful learners.

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

I’m running on a slate with Carol DeMicheal, Tom Martelli, and Lucy Shalash. I don’t think of these three individuals as competitors as I think that we’d make a very balanced team along with the other three members who are on the board.

I not only am a parent of four children across three of the KSD140 schools, I am also a special needs parent. With children of various needs, ranging from needing minimal resource assistance to significant educational and developmental support, I have first-hand knowledge of our district’s Special Services program and the needs of a growing number of our community. Education is not one size fits all and society tends to overlook and stereotype the special needs community. While I will never be a representative of just one segment of student or community member, I do think that it’s far time that we have a board member with experience of the current state of education for our special needs students.

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

I’m proud to be a longtime member of KSD140. While there has been the rare occasion that the Board has made decisions that I disagree with, I’ve never viewed the Board as failing our district.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

KSD140 has a strong reputation and I would like to see this continue to improve. Helping our students recover and grow from this past school year is a primary concern of mine, as is making sure that all segments of our student population are being taken under consideration. I also believe that it’s important to get students out in the community for learning experiences outside of the classroom. While experiences like this are not possible at this time due to the ongoing pandemic, I think that this is something that should be considered once it is safe to do so.

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

As a business owner, I regularly make financial and budgetary decisions. I’ve had to think on my feet even more than usual this past year and pivot, taking my business in different directions to allow it to not only survive, but thrive, during a time when my industry has been especially affected by COVID-19.

Why should voters trust you?

I’ve had clients putting their utmost trust in me for the last 7 years of my career as a travel agent. I’ve handled sensitive financial information for every one of my clients with zero complaints about security. I’ve also been active within the schools in our District and have a good reputation.

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

In my life, I’ve always risen to the occasion. My life turned upside down in 2009 when my oldest was diagnosed with Autism. Every plan, every expectation, every notion of my life, our lives, was changed. I harnessed a strength I didn’t know I had and I adapted and became a champion for my child. I intend to bring that same strength to the Board. As one of seven, I alone cannot make any change, but I intend to be a strong and deliberate voice of independence for our children and our community.

Our students have proven to be just as strong during these past 12 months. They’ve adapted. This last year has caused heartache, but it’s also given opportunities to our staff and our students. Material is taught in new ways. Students have become even more technologically inclined. I think that, while we certainly need to overcome the obstacles that the pandemic has put in our lives, we also need to harness the good that it brought and use it as a springboard for new ideas over the next four years.

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

I believe that our Board has made strategic and appropriate financial decisions, as demonstrated by KSD140 receiving the Meritorious Budget Award from The Association of School Business Officials International every year since 2005. I think that the Board should continue making decisions with all of their stakeholders in mind.

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 believe that Black Lives Matter and that we as a society should strive to be anti-racist.

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

I have been happy with what I have seen the district do in regards to teaching about multiple cultures and traditions. One day, when my son was in Kindergarten at Millennium, he came home from school with a holiday-themed vocabulary worksheet. Not only were there “typical” holiday terms like “stocking,” but “Kwanzaa” was also on the list. I appreciated how the school was normalizing learning about other cultures and broadening horizons even when a child was only 5 years old. I have always been pleased with the inclusive atmosphere of our district and think that any concerns about racial inequality should be looked into.

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?

I think that our district is handling the pandemic in a methodical and careful manner. I know that there have been frustrations about not returning to in-person full time instruction prior to April 7th, but I feel that the Board had the safety of our students and staff at the forefront of their decisions. There is still a significant number of schools that are not returning to full-day in-person learning. I am glad that we are now at the point where our students can return to full time in-person instruction for the fourth quarter and agree that masks are a way to do so in a safe manner. I do not feel that mandatory testing is necessary, but do think that symptom checklists should still be completed by parents of students each day.

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 for students and staff.

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

I intend to faithfully serve this community for at least four years.

The best advice ever shared with me was ____________

What is popular is not always right and what is right is not always popular.