Travis McGhee: 2025 candidate for Libertyville Elementary District 70 board

Bio

Office Sought: Libertyville Elementary District 70 board (Vote for 4)

City: Libertyville

Age: 43

Occupation: Senior executive

Previous offices held: District 70 board member (2021-24)

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

I am particularly interested in ensuring that District 70 is operating from a position of financial strength. Our success as a district is dependent on the strength of our balance sheet. With a strong balance sheet, we are better positioned to hire top talent, maintain district assets, invest in new curriculums, and innovate. When our balance sheet suffers, taxpayers suffer, the village suffers, and ultimately our kids suffer.

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

School boards are a governing body. As such it is the responsibility of the school board to enact policy, set curriculum, establish district goals, etc. That said, an important component of setting and monitoring any of the above is stakeholder involvement.

Therefore it is critical that the school board have a strong working relationship with the superintendent, administrators, teachers, etc. in order to make informed decisions that are in the best interest of our students. Those decisions, at the end of the day, should be reflective of the entirety of stakeholders, and not the opinion of one board member.

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

In today’s “global” world we must remain laser focused on math and science, and the gaps that exist not only between District 70 performance, when compared to surrounding districts, but also where our performance in math/science stacks up against other nations.

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?

I believe the role of a board member is to make every attempt possible to reach decisions that all board members, staff and community members can support.

In order to do so we must take in and consider opinions from all stakeholders, whether community, staff or legal. That being said, we are elected to make decisions.

At times such decisions may be difficult and/or unpopular, and run contrary to the opinions of some stakeholders.

As a board we must collectively stand together prepared to lead and guide our district, and to not shy away from making hard decisions. At the end of the day, the school board must own its responsibility to govern, not to make excuses.

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.

I’ve spent the past 4 years working directly with the District 70 policy committee in managing school policy. As I mentioned above, the school board is only as effective as the relationship it has with its stakeholders.

Decisions cannot be made in a silo, and to the best of our ability, should be reflective of the wider group. The stronger our relationship with stakeholders, the more confidence we as a board can have in the data, resulting in our ability to make better decisions for the district.

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.

District 70 prides itself in recruiting and hiring the top educator candidates in the nation. Diversity and equity is a reflection of our staff and their commitment to all children. It starts here.

Assigning an acronym to diversity and equity efforts, or creating “programs” does not always solve for this. We must remain laser focused on putting the best educators, curriculum, and investments in place. All supported by data.

What makes you the best candidate for the job?

My vested interest in this district (3 active D70 students) combined with my 25-plus years expertise in global finance, running large private/public organizations, and four years experience as D70 vice president.

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

Building a D70 center for innovation and entrepreneurship. The work environment is changing. It’s more global than ever with the evolution of the internet, technology, artificial intelligence, and now, cryptocurrency.

We cannot wait until high school to prepare the next generation for facing these challenges, otherwise we will continue to fall behind the curve. As a district we need to be out in front of these technological advancements, creating an environment where our children can learn to think outside the box, solve complex problems, and execute ideas that will transcend borders.