Questions & Answers

What is the importance of the District 137 School Board to your constituents?

The Rantoul City Schools District with its five schools serves to educate the Village of Rantoul’s pre-K thru 8th grade children, empowering them as learners to grow emotionally, behaviorally, and academically. Our children are our community’s future and a quality education is the foundation to the community’s success in retaining its youth, attracting new families, and developing an educated workforce toward attracting new businesses and higher payer jobs.

Why are you qualified to be on the School Board?

The key of any successful organization is strong and positive leadership. I possess proven leadership skills and experience acquired throughout a lifetime of public service. My leadership experience includes the U.S. Army’s Military Police Crops; a career in a county Sheriff’s office with promotion through the ranks as a supervisor, manager, and to the executive position of Assistant Sheriff; five years on my previous city’s planning and transportation commission; and most recently having served four years as an elected Champaign County Board Member. To achieve educational goals the school board develops polices and hires the district superintendent, who in turn hires their administrators, teachers, and other support staff. Also important, the school board needs strong experienced leadership to represent the interest of the community to include the children, parents, taxpayers, and businesses.

If elected, what is something you want to accomplish on the School Board, and how long will it take?

Two important goals I plan to accomplish are increased transparency and improved PARCC assessment scores. To achieve transparency I will advocate for the production of an annual report not to the school board but rather to the community and its stakeholders. Where the report serves to inform the public of the superintendent and staff’s performance toward reaching the goals and objectives of the School Board. The annual report will outline the performance measures of the various educational programs and also provide a succinct financial accountability picture of the District’s funding and expenditures. With regard to the PARCC assessment, I will initiate and report to the other board a best practices review of successful schools. Based upon lessons already learned I will advocate for the adoption of best pedagogy methods and practices to enhance the district’s PARCC results.

Is there anything else you would like to say to an undecided voter?

We can’t fix what is wrong with Rantoul City Schools until we acknowledge that we have a problem. Leaders don’t mind what’s wrong and continue in the same failing ways. Of Illinois' 771 ranked school districts, Rantoul City Schools is ranked among the very lowest performing 763, eighth from the bottom. The bottom 1 percent. I believe our children are better and can perform much higher. Given the opportunity to serve on the school board, I will dedicate all my efforts and apply my experience to provide the needed leadership to turn our schools around.