Richard Olejniczak: Candidate For Arlington Heights SD 25

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — Ahead of the April 6 consolidated municipal elections, Arlington Heights Patch provided questionnaires to all candidates on the ballot.

Eight candidates are vying for four seats on the Arlington Heights School District 25 Board of Education on Election Day. They include three incumbents (Gina Faso, Richard Olejniczak and Anisha Patel) and five challengers (Melisa Andrews, Katie Rausch, Gregory Scapillato, Deborah Tranter and Todd Witherow).

Arlington Heights Patch is publishing all responses submitted by candidates verbatim.

Richard Olejniczak

Age (as of election day)

51

Town/city of residence

Arlington Heights

School district

25

Family

Wife: Agnes Olejniczak and Daughter

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for.

No

Education

John Hersey HS: BS - Mechanical Engineering - West Point: Master's Engineering Management - Northwestern University: MBA - DePaul University

Occupation

Technology Management - Data Analytics - with over 25 years experience

Campaign website

Arlingtonheightsforward.org @OnwardwithOlejniczak

Previous or current elected or appointed office

Existing 2 term D25 Board Member

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Due to COVID, the immediate need is to address the Academic Achievement Gap caused over the last year and ensure that the Superintendent and Staff create a plan that the teachers can execute over the summer and through the next school year. We have great, dedicated teachers and staff, and with the support of the community we can quickly bridge the gap.
How we bridge that gap has options. The Board’s role based on community input, is to set the expectations as to what the schools are to achieve and how much the community is willing to pay for the achievement. The Superintendent will then bring forth the options. The Board may not agree on which option is the best and that is why there is a majority vote. Having a Board that always votes 7-0 is not representing the varied views of the community.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

There are several differences that set me apart from the candidates:
1) Perspective – I have a daughter that recently completed her journey through the School District attending three schools. Therefore, I have experienced many different programs, experienced the differences and similarities between schools and have a unique insight. For example, at the recent board meeting I was the only one that questioned the use of the recent testing results and their impact into advanced placement. I asked simply because I had experienced the process. In addition, I have the perspective of a taxpayer that is paying for the schools but does not directly have a student in them. Therefore, I represent the perspectives of even a larger pool of residents that do not have children in the district. Yet are impacted by the investment and strength of our schools. Where over 60% of the budget comes from property taxes, carrying that perspective is critical.
2) Background – I am a first generation American. My parents immigrated to the US with nothing and pushed education and a hard work ethic. I attended West Point, was an officer in the Army, visited many parts of the world, I have two masters’ degrees, I have over 25 years experience working in business operations, technology and analytics. I teach Graduate School in business and analytics. This varied background allows me to apply critical thinking to issues and challenges, and “connect the dots” on seemingly unrelated facts and weigh all options, to determine an appropriate course of action. One of the significant attributes that I bring is the ability to provide goals for planning and apply concepts of Change Management. There are still many questions about what the future holds. Having someone that handles the fluidity and can manage the movement through it is critical.
3) Collaboration but independence of thought – We are fortunate to live in a democracy where freedom of choice and one’s vote count. I have demonstrated collaboration with my fellow board members but also voting in a way that I felt was in the best interests of the students. We do not always agree and that is why we have the rule of the majority.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district?

Though not a challenger, I believe in self-reflection. I personally feel that over the years, collectively, the Board became complacent and delegated the responsibility of engaging with the community to the superintendent. As listed in our policies, engaging with the community in 2-way conversations is the School Board’s duty. I have demonstrated my willingness to engage and will continue to advocate for 2-way communication. However, I am encouraged in the amount of dialogue with my colleagues and the community’s involvement.
Per the Open Meetings Act, the only way the seven Board Members can meet to discuss, exchange ideas, ask questions or debate an issue is in publicly open Board Meetings. I am encouraged that over the last few months members of the Board are expressing their different independent views and perspectives and not simply displaying a rubber stamp or “group think” mentality. This type of inclusive open discussion ensures that all diverse thoughts and comments are welcomed, presented and included in decisions. Without that, yes, our meetings would be shorter, but I feel we would be doing a dis-service in ensuring we communicate the community’s desire for how to educate the children.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Though I feel the board must ensure that the district is meetings the community’s expectations in the near term, a longer view from Board Members is needed.
Full Day Kindergarten – All the surrounding schools and private organizations offer Full Day Kindergarten, SD25 does not. There is no question as to the long-term benefits. Our enrollment continues to be down in line with the Enrollment Projections presented by Dr. Kasarda freeing up classrooms and based on the current split of the 25 AM / PM sections, we would only need 5 additional teachers. With an average salary of $75k, that’s ~.7% of our budget. We cannot afford to miss this type of long-term opportunity for our community.

Special Education / Achievement Gaps – We need to meet the needs of all students. When reviewing the data on the Illinois School Report Card, District 25 students with Individual Educational Programs have a larger achievement gap by over 40% for ELA and over 50% for mathematics than the state average. This is not acceptable. There are similar gaps when looking at various demographical groups. With a wide diverse community that is focused on inclusion, these gaps are not acceptable.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

This would be my third term as Board Member thus have collaborated with my fellow colleagues as well as worked through many issues over the last few years. For example, the buildout of schools. Or more recently, collaborating with the other Board Members and the staff to gradually increase the number of students in schools.
More recently, I demonstrated my commitment and responsibility to the community by engaging with the community and responding to the hundreds of emails to ensure that I represented the community’s input.
On my professional side I have a track record for creatively solving problems and recognizing how to reach the end goal. I have successfully negotiated multi-million dollar contracts for a variety of products and services, including union contracts. The key in these contracts is ensuring there is alignment on the end state as well as understanding the long-term financial implications of decisions. With the ATA contract expiring in 2022, and over 70% of the SD budget tied to salaries, I would continue the collaborative relationship and leverage my professional experience to ensure the continued financial strength of the District and focus on educational services.

Why should voters trust you?

I am a veteran. Commitment, responsibility and loyalty are engrained in me. I have demonstrated that I am willing to learn about the topics and have the fortitude to ask tough questions to seek clarity and understanding but vote based on my individual understanding of the community’s intent.
I represent the community and their expectations.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success?

Simply put, this position is not about me. Rather I would see success if we ensured that every child reached their potential. It’s an ambitious goal, but working together as an entire community we can make progress toward that goal. As Condoleezza Rice stated: “I’m an American, nothing is impossible!”

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

We are fortunate to be in a District with a strong staff focused on fiscal responsibility. The District was quickly able to source additional supplies and make commitments based on the financial strength of the district. In large part due to the strong community and property taxes which fund over 60% of the budget.
I believe in a long-term approach to capital management. Our employee salaries make up over 70% of our expenditures. With state and federal fund being reduced on a yearly basis, the pressure on the local community to off-set those loses is also limited, thus we must continue to effectively manage the largest expenses and focus the resources on the highest value investment. To that end, roughly ten years ago the ATA and the Board agreed to two different salary schedules within the contract, simply because the long-term projections demonstrated that the salary structure was not financially viable for the long term. The new salary schedule reduced the complexity, yet provided for a very competitive salary. Our current average teacher salary is ~$75,000 per year for ~ 180 working days. We are fortunate to have a good partnership with the ATA that recognizes the long-term fiscal responsibilities that the School District must maintain.
I will continue to advocate for better measures that demonstrate the value of tax dollars we are receiving. For example, in the recent School Board meeting, I questioned what measure would we use the over $600k in federal funds the district will receive to demonstrate to the community we were making prudent choices in how we used those funds.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

I feel that fundamental rights, equality and openness are principals that continue to drive the success of our community. I am saddened by the countless unnecessary deaths that occur on a daily basis. I hope that the memories of George Floyd, Jacob Blake and countless others will not be in vain and through reflection and discussion we will move us forward.
I strongly support free speech and the right to peacefully demonstrate and voice concerns in public forums. As leaders we must continually advocate and encourage 2-way conversation and seek to understand.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so?

The current Board policies speak to the we support equal education for all. However, in my view this is more passive. Policy 1:32 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, is the first step that specifically says that we will financially invest in this effort. Now the challenge is placed to the Superintendent and Staff to determine the “How”. Then present and recommend an option for the Board to vote on for implementation.
An idea of something more that we could do:

a. Rather than just reach out to local colleges and universities actually go and spend time in the classroom to connect with the student body. Not the best example is the head football coach of Northwestern, Pat Fitzgerald is able to secure players from TX and Florida because he and his staff personally spend time with the high schools in building that relationship.

b. I know teachers need to be certified in our state, but can we reach out to other states and then those interested, cover the costs to be certified?

We must also recognize that this will not be solved via a policy or some statement, rather this is a journey so long as diversity is not welcomed.

What are your thoughts on the district’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic? Are you in favor of remote learning, in-person learning or a hybrid of the two? Do you support a mask mandate for students and school staff, or mandatory coronavirus testing for both students and staff

We are a learning organization and that is no different for the staff and Board. Information and recommendations evolved and continue to be fluid. Though on the surface one may say that we were divided, I feel we were actually doing what is expected. In an open forum we discussed various courses of action and recognized that we will not always agree, but we are aligned on the long-term goal. I was very supportive of gradually increasing the number of students in the classroom while strongly supporting a parent’s need for choice. On 4 different survey’s over 70% of the parents responded in support of in-person learning. In fact, currently one of the schools is over 93% in-person. Thus, the challenge is to meet the needs of all children regardless of whether they are in person or remote.

Reflecting on the current model. The environment where a teacher is trying to simultaneously address the needs of those in-person and remote is not sustainable. And the teachers have done an incredible job over the course of the school year.
As for any mitigation strategies like mask wearing, I would continue to use the recommendations of the CDC and IDPH. Following their guidance has allowed us to safely increase the number of children in our schools.
At this point the CDC and IDPH are not mandating vaccinations thus would look to their guidance. Currently none of the four approved vaccines are available, nor recommended for children. Should a vaccine become available for children, I would look to parents to make informed decisions about whether to vaccinate their children.

When the vaccine is available to them, do you support mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for students and staff?

This is a great question to demonstrate how the Board has evolved over the last 7 months and demonstrates my continued push to look and plan for the future. Led by several of us, we have provided more community expectations to the Superintendent and Staff. Through this, the district was able to be one of first Districts to offer on-site testing and one of the first districts to have offered and immunized their staff. While others are planning, we are moving forward.
To the direct question of mandatory vaccinations, I believe in choice. Therefore, I would refer to the experts in the CDC to determine the best course for vaccinations. My focus is ensuring the students and staff have a welcoming, safe environment from which to be and fulfill the primary mission of educating the District’s children.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

None. I have demonstrated to commitment, loyalty and responsibility to the children of the district and community and will continue in that process.

The best advice ever shared with me was ____________

“The more you know, the more you realize how little you know.” - Mr. Kaltsas – Hersey Biology teacher in the ‘80s To me this represents that one must be a life long learner and realize that there are always questions that need to be answered.
“The days go by slow, but the years go by fast. So live today and plan or you will regret tomorrow.” - Major General James W. Warr. I served as MG Warr’s Aide De Camp. A great leader who helped me realize the important things in life