Charles Cush: 2025 candidate for Naperville Unit District 203 board

Bio

Office sought: Naperville Unit District 203 board (Vote for 4)

City: Naperville

Age: 54

Occupation: Marketing consultant; adjunct marketing professor

Previous offices held: Naperville Unit District 203 board member since 2016

Why are you running for this office? Is there a particular issue that motivates you?

I am seeking re-election to the school board for the same reason I ran the first time, and that is because I still believe I can make a difference. I have a passion for helping others achieve their full potential.

I believe that District 203 has a responsibility to provide a learning environment where every student can maximize their potential; and I want to continue to be part of helping to fulfill that responsibility. I have two daughters who graduated from the district, and I have seen how their time in our district has prepared them to be successful at the next level, and I want to provide that support to all students and their families.

Helping others succeed is really what motivates me, and it has shown up in multiple areas of my life, from mentoring others during my time as a corporate executive, to authoring a children’s book to instill in kids the belief that they can achieve anything, to my role as an adjunct marketing professor and serving as a member of the school board in this community. Helping to prepare our students to succeed in an evolving world is what energizes and motivates me.

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

The role of the board of education is to represent the best interests of the total community, and to serve a governance role to set the goals and vision for the district, and providing the resources to the district administration and staff to be able to manage the day to day. The board serves a governance role not a day to day operational role.

Day-to-day operations are performed and managed by the staff and administration. With respect to curriculum this means setting the direction for the superintendent in terms of the outcomes we would like to see from the curriculum (i.e. better math and reading scores for students) and then monitoring whether the plans that have been implemented are moving us in the right direction, and if not ensuring that there is a course correction.

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

While our academic scores have nearly recovered from the pandemic, we still have work to do in math and must continue supporting students with extra resources in that area. Additionally, we need to focus more on skill development. The skills required for future success differ from those of the past, and we must be forward-thinking to prepare students to compete in an evolving world.

Our work to refine the district’s mission statement is a positive step, but we must now bring that vision to life. Integrating strong communication skills, adaptability, and critical thinking — three key tenets of our new mission — into the curriculum is essential. Providing students with opportunities to strengthen these life skills while maintaining our tradition of academic excellence should remain a priority.

This work has begun, but the board will need to focus attention on identifying new ways to measure skill development and assess its impact on our graduates’ future success.

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?

My approach to having difficult conversations or confronting controversy starts with doing my homework. It is important to understand the facts to engage in meaningful and productive discussions. Many controversies lead to difficult conversations because they involve strong points of view, often driven by deep emotions. This makes it even more essential to bring facts to the table.

Another key factor is a willingness to be influenced. Few situations are purely black and white; most involve nuances embedded in the facts and shaped by the unique, and sometimes competing, needs of various constituents.

Being open to other perspectives allows difficult conversations to lead to the best possible outcome for the ~16,200 students and their families in this district — because ultimately, they are the constituents I am entrusted to represent.

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

Over the course of my career as a marketing executive for several large companies, I have worked in many group settings that required building consensus among multiple points of view. I have also done this as a member of the board.

My approach to consensus building is straightforward. First, it starts with understanding the reasons and rationale behind my own position and recognizing any potential biases. Being aware of my biases makes me more open to being influenced, which leads to my second point: listening to other perspectives.

Listen for understanding. Listen for the underlying differences in assumptions and lived experiences to grasp where others are coming from — because the best solution must be shaped by the same range of perspectives as the people it will impact.

Lastly, seek common ground and lean into it when developing a final solution. If we can first align on what we all agree on, progress can be made. Focusing solely on differences often creates bottlenecks and prevents workable solutions from emerging.

I believe this approach fosters effective action and leads to the best decisions for our district and the students and families we serve.

What is your assessment of the school district's diversity and equity efforts? Do you support the continuation or enhancement of such programs, or would you rather see them diminished. Please explain your reasoning.

While the district has made several strides in diversity and equity, I believe there is still work to be done. Part of that work is ensuring the community has a good understanding of what these efforts entail. The district has expanded its diversity and equity initiatives to include Belonging, recognizing through research that a sense of belonging is critical to student success in our district and beyond.

Importantly, belonging impacts all students — across every race, income level, and gender. The need for this became even more apparent during the pandemic. Building a sense of belonging, along with expanding mental health services, has become a key focus for the district in recent years.

The district has made significant progress in fostering belonging among all students and increasing support. Our belonging survey scores have risen year over year since we began measuring them three years ago. This is work I am proud to have been a part of, and I fully support its continuation.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

I have proudly served on the Naperville 203 school board since 2016, and during my eight years in this role, the district has strengthened its reputation as a high-performing school district, currently ranking in the top 1% of all districts nationally. My record of service reflects a deep commitment to our community and its students.

Beyond my board service, I bring extensive experience from the business and academic worlds. I have 25-plus years of experience as a marketing executive, working with several Fortune 500 companies — primarily in the health care industry — leading teams, fostering collaboration, and delivering results.

As a business consultant, I help organizations solve challenges and unlock growth potential. I also serve as an adjunct marketing professor at St. Catherine University and the College of DuPage, further demonstrating my passion for education.

These experiences equip me with the leadership, strategic thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills essential for effective board service. If re-elected, I will continue working tirelessly to ensure excellence in education for all students.

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

One big idea for me is finding a way for every student to earn some level of college credit before graduating. This doesn’t mean that they must go to college, but having students gain some level of exposure to what college is like has many benefits.

First, it will help students better understand the field of study they are interested in and provide a glimpse of what it looks like to pursue it at the next level. Second, there are financial benefits to students and parents, because every credit they earn now is one they don’t have to pay for when they are in college this could provide a real, quantifiable savings. Third, the higher level of understanding will give them an advantage over their peers when seeking internships or even full-time jobs.

The groundwork for this is already being put in place, but I see tremendous opportunities and benefits from making this prevalent in our schools. We are already providing diploma endorsements in certain career pathways, but this would take in to the next level.