Candidate: Gina Scaletta-Nelson

Please tell us about yourself and your life.
I am a married mother of two girls, ages 6 and 4, and a lifelong resident of Willow Springs. I went to Pleasantdale School as a child and graduated from Lyons Township High School. I began college at Moraine Valley earning an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Arts. From there I went to Illinois State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Science. Two years after college, I began working for the Cook County State’s Attorney Office in the homicide and sexual assault divisions of the Victim/Witness Unit. After nine years with the SAO, I returned to school to pursue a teaching career and received a Master’s Degree in Teaching from National-Louis University. Before I began teaching, I travelled around the country as a transportation consultant in the special events industry. Two events I am most proud of were managing airport operations for the 1997 Presidential Inauguration in Washington D.C. and for the U.S. State Department during the G8 Summit of World Leaders at the Denver International Airport. In the fall of 1997, I began teaching school and taught for several years before my oldest child was born. I am currently working part time as an administrative assistant for the Village of Willow Springs and recently wrote a grant to benefit the students of Pleasantdale Elementary School called the Safe Routes to School Grant. The purpose of this grant is to build sidewalks and install traffic calming measures on the streets leading to the elementary school to ensure safe passage of neighboring students that chose to walk to school.

What prompted you to run for the board?
I decided to run for the school board for many reasons. First of all, I want to keep the focus of educating all children a top priority. There is more to educating our children than what can be measured on a standardized test. Success is not a test score. I am also running in order to build a more transparent and open form of government. We need to engage the community so they know their involvement and opinions count and decisions concerning the district will be based on a wide range of views rather than the opinion of one. Residents that attend board meetings should be welcomed, their voices heard and they should leave with the knowledge that their concerns will be looked into and considered. Another reason I am running is to make sure that the district is responsible and prudent with each and every tax dollar that this community pays to the district. We have to remember that our community is much, much larger than the 500 or so families that go to Pleasantdale. It also encompasses empty nesters, senior citizens, families that attend private schools and young people just starting out. We have to do what is right for the entire community, not just a few hundred families. If it weren’t for the generous support of all the residents in our district, our school would not be what it is today. Finally, I am running to give back to the school and community that gave so much to me while growing up. I have very fond memories of my years at Pleasantdale and I hope this will continue for future generations.

What experiences and qualifications do you feel you have that will make you an effective board member?
Having attended every board meeting for the past 12 months, I have gained plenty of insight and knowledge on what it takes to be an effective board member and not just a rubber stamp. I am currently serving on Pleasantdale’s Communication Action Team so I understand what it takes to work together as a team to create an action plan. I have been on both sides of the aisle so to speak, as a teacher and as a parent. I know the difficult job teachers face, but even more so in our district. I understand the concerns and needs of the residents of this district because I listen to them, I am mindful of their concerns and issues and I care about doing what is right. It is far better to do what is right than what is popular. Finally, I am a taxpayer in this district. In these tough economic times I want to make sure that every dollar taken in is spent wisely because, after all, it is my money too.

What do you feel are the key issues facing the district?
Some of the key issues facing the district are early education, lack of technology in the classrooms, low teacher morale and a school board and administration that gives rise to hopelessness and apathy throughout the community it serves.
When you have a preschool and extended day care program that has been losing several hundred thousand dollars a year for the last several years, it is time for the district to re-evaluate that program to figure out what they are doing wrong. This program, which is not accessible to those that need it most, benefits a very small percentage of families, yet the entire district is paying for it and its losses.

The technology program in our school district is seriously lacking. Our middle school computer lab is staffed with a teacher that has no expertise in the subject of modular technology. It was a poor decision of the administration to make this staff change that put our students at a disadvantage. While surrounding school districts are forging ahead in the area of technology using things like Smart Technology and Mimio Interactive Boards, our district has remained stagnant. The future lies in technology and it is time for our school to get on board and keep pace with the advances in technology that will in turn benefit our students.

We have wonderful teachers and staff working with our children but we must work to re-establish morale throughout the district. Teachers need to be able to make their own decisions and allow for creativity and critical thinking in the classrooms. When a teacher’s main focus is preparing students for the next standardized test their passion for education goes out the window. A school district cannot move forward with so much discontent among its students, administration and staff members.

Finally, our school board must work to build trust, understanding, support and participation throughout the community. We need a school board that will be responsive and receptive to parents, staff, students and the community by encouraging an open dialog. An effective school board takes input from all groups and weighs the facts before making a decision. Our school board must place a higher priority on community involvement. It must be welcoming and accessible to the community it serves. Our district hosts a town hall meeting once a year with topics that do not appeal to or apply to the majority of its residents. A town hall meeting should offer school board members a chance to hear from the public and to engage in conversation with those in attendance. Unfortunately, the format of our town hall meeting discourages questions and comments from the general public unless they are specifically related to the topic at hand. We should be encouraging and engaging rather than discouraging and alienating. When you have a school district made up of approximately 2,890 families, and only 22 people show up at your town hall meeting, you have to ask yourself some serious questions about the involvement of not only the district residents, but also about the families of the students that attend that school.

What would you like to accomplish as a board member?
I would like to bring a fresh perspective to the board and help to establish greater board independence. It is time to get back to the business of democracy where the school board provides checks and balances to the superintendent. Decisions should be based on a majority vote following public deliberation rather than on the executive order of one person. I want to build community involvement and pride in our school system. The school board represents the community’s voice in education, providing citizen governance for what the public schools need and what the community wants. A school board member is a trustee to the community that elects him or her. They have a responsibility to the community to not only be accessible, but to work together with all parties involved to achieve the best possible education for the children entrusted to them. I fully support a free full day kindergarten program and a more accessible preschool program so that all children have an equal opportunity to a quality education. I want to equip our students and staff with the latest technology has to offer. There is no reason a district like ours should be falling so far behind in the area of technology. I support a district wide homework policy that aligns itself with the current research. I support and encourage creativity and critical thinking in the classrooms. I believe we should be seeking out all available monetary sources and researching and applying for each and every grant that is available to us. I want to work toward improving staff morale because I believe teachers are the cornerstone of a solid education for the children of the district. Finally, I support and encourage open and transparent government. I would like to see our school board meetings taped and broadcast to those unable to make it to the meetings. I want community members to become more engaged with the school district and know they can approach the school board with their concerns and leave with the knowledge that their concerns will be considered.

What is your vision for the future of the district?
My vision for the future is to take our school district to the next level. I want to see the usage of technology in our district more than double. I want to see our teachers passionate about educating students and harmony returned to the district. I want to empower students with a solid education so they can actively pursue a college degree or a career of their choice.