Margaret Harrell: Candidate for Elmhurst Unit District 205 School Board

Campaign Information
Harrellfordistrict205schoolboard.com
mdharrell@comcast.net

Family: Husband, Terry; daughters, Alexandra, 18, Samantha, 16 

Education:

• Benedictine University, Lisle, PhD: Organization Development, 2008
• Northwestern University J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Evanston, Masters of Management: Marketing, Economics and Hospital and Health Services, 1992
• Northwestern University, Bachelor of Science, Bio-Medical Engineering, 1984

Occupation: 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• Program Analyst; Administration of Children and Families

Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network, Elmhurst

• Director of Tissue Recovery

Baxter Healthcare, Deerfield

• Director of New Business
• Director of Supplier Management
• Project Leader
• Manager New Business Initiatives and Training
• Process Innovation Team Leader
• Region Manager
• Senior Consultant

Why are you seeking office?

After much consideration, I decided that I would like the opportunity to serve as a School Board Member for District 205. My decision was driven by my passion for education, my belief in the potential for success of all students and my desire to serve.

One role of the School Board is to provide a voice for the community. My intent as a District 205 School Board member is to represent the community. I will combine my knowledge and experience with the expressed desires of the community to achieve economic efficiencies and educational excellence.

I have worked tirelessly with fellow parents, District 205 staff and community members throughout my children’s tenure at Conrad Fischer, Churchville and York. Over the last few years I have broadened my activities to include district wide events such as EEPRT (Elmhurst Educational Process Review Technique) in 2009/2010 and the Superintendent’s Community Advisory Committee in 2012/2013.  I have also worked with the community as a Girl Scout leader and a religious education teacher at Mary Queen of Heaven Church.

What will be your top priority if elected?

My top priority will be to enhance the communication and collaboration between teachers, administrators, School Board, parents and community with the objective of achieving economic efficiencies and educational excellence.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I have children who have been through the entire District 205 school system, and my husband is a teacher in District 88. These personal experiences have given me insight and appreciation of the teacher’s perspective.

I have worked collaboratively and successfully in corporate, non-profit and governmental organizations. These work experiences have provided knowledge and skills to understand and resolve issues involving budgetary, managerial and governmental processes.

Specific accomplishments within District 205 that differentiate me include:

• I worked collaboratively with the community members district 205 staff and administration in order to facilitate the rescinding of the activity (late) bus fee for the middle schools and high school. 
• In response to the increased high school fees, I co-founded the YSET group which provides funding for high school students and families facing financial hardships who are unable to pay the fees. The fees that YSET covers range from textbooks to extracurricular activities and are paid directly to district and held by the District 205 Foundation. I led a team comprised of York staff, district staff and community members to design and implement a process that intakes and reviews applications as well as reviews, approves and delivers grants for fees accrued at York High School. 

I have a proven track record outside and inside of District 205 of working with stakeholders to get tough jobs done in an efficient and upbeat manner while maintaining great relationships.

School Board members are taking on the very large task of developing a long-term, sustainable financial plan that potentially could change the way the school district is structured. What ideas do you have to help get the district to long-term financial sustainability?

I believe that serious questions need to be asked of our community in regards to what we want from our school district. Our district 205 vision states:

Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 will be a national leader in educating children of all backgrounds and ability levels, promoting high individual student achievement. The district will incorporate student-centered decision-making, the highest academic standards, best practices in education, the highest caliber educational professionals, and leading edge resources to ensure an equitable education for all and success in a global society.

This vision implies that our community wants more than sustaining the status quo. This vision evokes the notion of innovative excellence in delivery of education and state-of-the-art physical and technological resources. 

If this is the vision that our community stakeholders ascribe toward we need a structured process to increase revenues and manage costs. Examples of avenues to explore to increase revenues and manage costs include but are not limited to: lobbying the state legislature to facilitate increased focus and support for k-12 school districts; looking for appropriate corporate sponsors; aggressively seeking corporate and federal grants; leveraging purchases where possible with intergovernmental agencies and local businesses; reexamining our methods for establishing budgets and setting baselines for fund balances. 

If this is not the vision for our School District then we need to establish a vision that correlates with our aspirations and adjust our expectations accordingly.

How do you feel about a shift to a three-tier bus schedule that would result in a $300,000 savings, but also a change in school start times?

The role of the School Board is to represent the community. The community has spoken out that the three-tier bus schedule that was communicated did not serve the needs of our community. Therefore I could not support the three-tier bus schedule in its proposed state.

I also support the administration in their quest to find creative methods to identify cost savings and expand revenue. In a process that seeks to develop new innovative ideas, it is rare that the first proposal is successful. Instead, it is the free-flow exchange of ideas and feedback that typically produces a beneficial and innovative service/product that meets the needs of all stakeholders

Any major changes in services or curriculum should be presented in an open forum meeting and published to allow the community (which includes the District 205 staff) to review the proposal and respond. The board’s actions should reflect the community’s responses.

A recent Harris poll indicates teacher dissatisfaction in the areas of their involvement with decision-making and their view of the School Board and administration. What do you see as the cause for this, and what would you do to improve morale among teachers?

There have been multiple stressors experienced by our community which includes the teachers relative to the School District. These stressors include multiple years of budget cuts, a flurry of enacted and proposed changes by the Illinois State Board of Education, staff layoffs, job uncertainty, prolonged teacher contract negotiation, increased user fees, change in central administration and Board of Education members 

While change is inevitable, too much change and uncertainty over prolonged time periods is difficult to rationalize and to understand. It is understandable why the teachers would express a high level of dissatisfaction.

I can not propose to alleviate or even slow down the external rate of change.  However, I will work to increase the communication and consequently the trust  level within our community especially with the teachers. I will focus on soliciting input and feedback on key issues. I will strive toward more frequent and informal opportunities for the exchange of ideas. I will be seek out and be open to solutions that incorporate differing perspectives.

A goal has been to move students to digital textbooks and one-to-one computing. This will likely require more training for teachers, as well. How much of a priority is this?

Professional development for the teachers is a key priority. If the primary limitation to move toward one-to-one computing is the number of technology staff available to train teachers, then the district must look toward innovative and economical methods to ensure our teaching staff is knowledgeable and comfortable with technology. Can we identify and develop super-users who are technology leaders within our teaching staff? Can the identified teaching staff work with the technology trainer(s) and develop “curriculum” for their peers during the summer months regarding best demonstrated practices? If the district can implement systems where technology “superuser(s)” per building are identified and provided with the knowledge and resources to assist other teachers in their building, the district will be better positioned to effectively utilize existing technology as well as integrate new technology as it is made available.

Prior to increasing our ratios toward 1 student to 1 student computer, we need to ensure we have the infrastructure to support our existing resources and develop a roll out plan of 1:1. Development of a roll out plan for 1:1 computing, should consider protocols (applications) that incorporate and manage the existing technologies our students own, such as smartphones/tablets and similar devices. Is it more economical for the School District and user friendly for the students if these home-owned devices are used as a proxy for school-owned computers?

What other message do you want to get across to Elmhurst voters?

I have a track record of working across boundaries (geographical, social and/or economical) to identify and implement innovative solutions to address difficult and complex problems. I am tough on issues and kind to people. I am analytical and process oriented, yet understanding the passion and emotions of people when addressing issues that involve their children and their money. 

I am asking the community for their support in my campaign and their vote on April 9 for the District 205 School Board.