Eileen B. Kowalczyk: 2025 candidate for Mount Prospect Elementary District 57 board

Bio

Office sought: Mount Prospect Elementary District 57 board (Vote for 4)

City: Mount Prospect

Age: 53

Occupation: Elevator Inspector coordinator/office work

Previous offices held: Mount Prospect Elementary District 57 board member

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

I am running for reelection to the school board. I initially ran to learn more about how a school board works and to give back. I have thoroughly enjoyed being on the board. I am looking forward to the next phase of full-day kindergarten and building a new Lincoln.

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

The role of the school board for setting and monitoring curriculum is to approve or not approve the recommendations brought by administration. The recommendation is brought to us after a very thorough process. The process entails putting a committee together and sending out surveys to students and families.

Staff chooses 2-3 pilot curriculum programs that align with current learning standards. One of those is chosen then to be implemented. We, as a board, are given results of the process and a recommendation of which one is best.

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

Currently I do not. We are in different phases of several curriculum updates and changes. We have a new ELA/ reading curriculum that has been implemented. World Language is developing eighth-grade curriculum and has already implemented sixth and seventh grades. Lincoln science team is receiving professional development for Next Generation Science Standards. We, as a board and the community, get these updates from our superintendent goals update.

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?

As a board we always want to hear from the community if there is an issue they might have with a policy and /or curriculum. Our superintendent would work with anyone to discuss curriculum and try to resolve any issues.

In regards to policy as a board we have a responsibility to stay within our policy and abide by those rules. If there were a true issue then there would have to be a discussion to possibly change that particular policy. Since there is no specific policy or curriculum in question I can’t give a further response.

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.

We review policy three times a year. We use Pressplus policy software that assists us in updating and adding new policy. The majority of updates are due to new laws or changes in laws. We do get input from our attorney if we have any specific questions about whether we might have to incorporate or update a policy. We also look at our current policies to see what differences there might be.

Sometimes we adopt a new Pressplus policy, sometimes we keep our current policy and sometimes we incorporate both current and new. Examples of keeping current policy would have to do with staff and sick leave or their salaries. We would keep current because it references their contracts.

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

I think it’s good to have diversity and equity within our schools. Our students and families come from diverse and different backgrounds and it’s good to learn there are people different than you, whether it’s their skin color or they speak a different language or live in a multigenerational home.

I also think equity is a good thing because it helps all students. There are students who will need extra help with reading and/or math. There are also students who need more accelerated classes.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

The one thing that sets me apart is my length of experience on the board. I hope to continue to serve using the knowledge from my past experiences and challenges as we head into the upcoming years.

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

I don’t know that there is any particular idea that I have that no one else has thought of. I would like to continue to be a partner with our stakeholders and have their voice heard, and to make sure our students our prepared for the next stage of their education and that they keep growing and learning.