Erik C. Hjerpe: 2023 candidate for Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 board

Bio

Town: Winfield

Age on Election Day: 43

Occupation: Vice president of supply chain

Employer: TreeHouse Foods

Previous offices held: N/A

Q&A

Q: Why are you running for this office, whether for reelection or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

A: I am running for District 200 school board because I want to serve my community, supporting the district in improving educational experiences and outcomes for all children. We have a great community and great schools, run by a capable administration and engaged educators. It is a solid foundation to build upon. My family and I have been residents of the CUSD 200 community for 10 years. We have three children in the district. They have attended Jefferson, Pleasant Hill, Monroe, and Wheaton North schools. They are active in co-curricular and extracurricular activities in addition to their academics. Our district schools have served them tremendously well, and I want to make sure that every child in our community has similar opportunities to grow and flourish.

Q: What is the role of the school board in setting and monitoring curriculum?

A: The board is responsible for establishing the strategic plans and objectives for the district. In CUSD 200 this includes refinement of “Vision 2026” (and its eventual successor) and “Portrait of a Graduate,” as well as the specific objectives and goals behind those. Based on state of Illinois requirements, as well as the objectives, goals, strategies, and metrics established by the board, the experts then author the curriculum.

I very much value expertise, and educators and administrators have the education, training, and skillset to create a curriculum and to determine how that curriculum may be most effectively delivered. The board then has an oversight role, reviewing and approving the proposed curriculum in order to ensure that it satisfies state requirements and is consistent with strategic plans and objectives. The board also has a responsibility to monitor the effectiveness of the curriculum in achieving desired outcomes, including of course academic achievement.

Q: Are there curriculum issues within the district that you feel need particular attention from the board?

A: The curriculum is sound. Making sure that it is delivered (with appropriate learning supports) to all students, with a focus on measurable progress and achievement, is the opportunity. CUSD 200 did a good job keeping students in-class and in-person throughout the pandemic, but COVID was disruptive to academic and social development, and not all students were impacted equally. Those lagging in achievement fell further behind. Learning acceleration plans need to consider how differentiated and focused delivery of the curriculum can catch students up. With improved online learning capabilities, I'd like to see the addition of courses that weren't historically feasible. Courses may be delivered across schools and districts, or as independent learning opportunities.

Lastly, I feel that the value of alternative (to 4-year college prep) educational paths needs to remain a focus, with our district offering strong technical, trade, and professional course offerings that all students may explore.

Q: How do you view your role in confronting policy or curriculum controversies: provide leadership even if unpopular, give a voice to constituents — even ones with whom you disagree, or defer to state authorities?

A: I believe that my role will be to listen to the community that I represent, and to incorporate their desires into district policy and strategy.

This requires both acknowledging the desires of the majority but respecting the rights of the minority. It also requires clear communication with the community, and a commitment to transparency. It means listening to those who are experts in their field and integrating their professional viewpoints into respectful debates around curriculum and policy.

It means recognizing that responsibility for education ultimately resides with the state of Illinois, and that only some decision-making authority is delegated to communities and their school boards.

Finally, it means that while I am also a parent, a community member, and a taxpayer, I will sometimes need to set aside my personal viewpoints and, based upon community input, law, and expert advice, make decisions that are not comfortable for me. This is a challenge that I am prepared to take on.

Q: Concerns are growing regarding a new resurgence of the pandemic. If another massive outbreak of infectious disease occurs, what have we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic that will guide your decision making?

A: The most important learning that I would keep in mind is that it is absolutely critical to keep schools operating, ideally in-person, even if a bit “clunky” and imperfect.

Academic and social continuity is of tremendous value to students, families, and the community. Our children, our students, are very adaptable and resilient; but they also benefit from stability.

While we are much better prepared should another outbreak occur, I would very much want to rely on the experience of fellow Board Members (with whom I already have a good working relationship) who guided CUSD 200 through COVID-19, on the counsel of administrators who developed “pandemic playbooks,” and on expert advice from other local government bodies and public health experts.

Q: Describe your experience working in a group setting to determine policy. What is your style in such a setting to reach agreement and manage school district policy? Explain how you think that will be effective in producing effective actions and decisions of your school board.

A: In both professional and volunteer roles I am often asked to reach group decisions on matters of policy. I begin by identifying key stakeholders and meeting with them individually to understand their points of view and concerns.

I work to orient decisions around data, while trying to understand the emotional needs of stakeholders. I try to be forthright and fact-based in presenting my own point of view, and dedicate more time to listening than to advancing my own view. In this way I can identify “common ground” and guide discussion toward broad areas of agreement rather than narrow areas of dispute. When we ultimately meet to discuss and decide, it is easier to quickly align around a decision, with even dissenters able to say, “I disagree but I am aligned — let's try to make this work.” Ultimately decisions may involve but should not require a vote — as we have true consensus. “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.”...Martin Luther King Jr.

Q: What makes you the best candidate for the job?

A: Building consensus, creative problem solving, empathy, project management, the ability to approach topics from different angles, knowing when to engage experts, and an ability to develop and execute strategy are strengths that I bring to this role. I care deeply about children, our schools, and our community. I believe that CUSD 200 is on the right track, and I look forward to navigating the challenges of today and helping our schools improve to meet the opportunities of tomorrow. I served on the CUSD 200 Citizens Advisory Committee for five years, including chairing the committee. I continue to contribute, volunteering for PTA events and financially supporting district foundations, fine & performing arts programs, and booster clubs.

I remain engaged with the board and administration, follow activity within the district, speak at board meetings, and meet with members of the administration. My family and I serve and support nonprofits with causes that align with our values.

Q: What's one good idea you have to better your district that no one is talking about yet?

A: Over the past four years we learned that technology, intergovernmental cooperation, and private-public partnerships can be more powerful than we imagined.

We can leverage these to create educational opportunities for our children. I would like to see us partnering across schools and districts, and with respected universities, to create new course offerings and to make some existing ones more economical.

A Mandarin Chinese course that our enrollment and budget might not support could become feasible when done in cooperation with adjacent districts through hybrid eLearning. Dual-study courses, in partnership with respected universities (whose credits will transfer) can expose students to new topics and rigorous coursework, while helping families to reduce the costs of higher education. A foundational reading course that might allow struggling children to catch up with their peers and build their confidence could reach more children when offered via independent summer eLearning.