Bolingbrook Election 2013 Candidate: Chrystal Hansen

Campaign information 

• E-mail: hansenc@vvsd.org 
• Phone: 630-805-0546
• Address: Bolingbrook

Personal information 

• Age: 49 
• Family: Married to my husband, Ken, for 29 years with three adult children. 
• Education: BA in Applied Sociology and Political Science from Lewis University, Romeoville 
• Occupation: Development and Operations Pastor 
• Political party affiliation: This is a non-partisan race. 
• Previous elected offices: Current VVSD School Board Member since 2011. 

Applicable experience qualifying you for the position: 

Chrystal has served on numerous local committee organizations and boards over the past several years as well as having served the past two years as a VVSD school board member. She was one of the Founding Board Members of BAAWG (Bolingbrook Academic Achievement Working Group). This organization works to close the achievement gap of students involving the community in grassroots efforts such as college readiness seminars, volunteering as mentors, FANS, lunch buddies and tutors. Chrystal also has served on VVACY (Valley View Area Coalition for Youth) Homeless Youth Task Force, addressing the problem of homeless youth attending high schools. In addition, she had served as a community member for the BHS - IDM (Instructional Decision Making) for two school years. Her volunteerism also extends to two Will County organizations. They are the Housing-Plan to End Homelessness Committee and the Leadership Committee for the Will County Continuum of Care (CoC). And finally Chrystal founded a not-for-profit organization, Emerging Life Solutions. A group committed to serving homeless students in the local area. 

Candidate questions 

Why are you running for this office? 

As a current VVSD board member I desire to continue the work of aiding this school district in achieving the highest possible academic achievement for students coupled with sound financial spending and budgets. 

What will be your most important priority if you get elected? 

The most important priority is always our student's educational experience and opportunities that open future choices as a result of good education. Families desire their children to grow and succeed academically. Therefore it is our responsibility to give them the best educational experience that affords them the highest possibility for academic achievement, positioning them for numerous secondary education and vocation choices. 

What sets you apart from the other candidates? 

It's not my intention to be set apart but to find collaborative running mates that seek a common vision in advancing the district toward higher academic achieving students, standards and fiscal responsibility. This is why I have chosen to team with Ronnie Bull, Dan Falese and Debbie Sykora. It is through teamwork that good education advances. Teamwork must involve all stakeholders from students, families, the community, administration, teachers and the school board. 

How long have you lived in your community and/or been active in local issues? 

I have lived in Bolingbrook for 21 years. During these years I gave my time to be involved with the schools as my children grew up in this district. In the last several years I have involved myself in several community organizations in addressing local issues that affect our students and community. Those are listed above. 

What's your favorite thing about Valley View School District 365U. 

VVSD has for my family been a very positive experience. All three of my children grew up in this district and gained an excellent education that allowed them to make their future choices. This education included openness to parental involvement that I took advantage of, great teachers, good extra-curricular choices in both music and sports and an ability to experience diversity of cultures in the classroom and community. To name my favorite thing about VVSD would be the wonderful interactions of the teachers and administrator that I met along the way.

What's your opinion of the "New View" and the general direction the school district is headed? What do you agree with? What would you change? 

I must say that I respect any individual/organization that is willing to look at processes and outcomes honestly, regardless of whether that data is a positive or negative reflection. I also respect laying forth a strategy based upon those results and moving toward bringing better outcomes for the sake of all stakeholders. I find in the New View an honest look at where we are and where we need and desire to be. I also find an administration that is willing to move with a strategy that will give opportunities to raise the level of learning for all students. This strategy brings challenge and accountability to all involved form the students, teachers, administration and the community. I am pleased to see the rigor of our curriculum raised to a level that enables students to exceed. Also, I am pleased that our district has chosen to move to all-day kindergarten, which raises the learning curve for our first-year learners. I do believe we are in the early stages of seeing positive outcomes, should those outcomes not prove as positive as desired, then change should be discussed and acted upon. 

What is the biggest challenge facing Valley View? 

I have on several occasions heard wonderful reports from the families of our community regarding their children's educational experience. If we desire these experiences to grow and see positive results in our testing scores we must continue with a strategy that will bring accountability to all involved in the education of our children. The challenge is the fact that accountability is not always easy or invited, but it is crucial to success and positive outcomes. If all stakeholders are held accountable with the goal of educating children, we will see well-educated students prepared to enter adulthood with varied choices ahead of them. 

As a board member, how do you plan to promote academic achievement while remaining fiscally responsible. 

As a current board member of VVSD 365U, I feel I have promoted academic achievement through the various actions passed by fellow board members and myself these past few years. The initiating of all-day kindergarten, aligning the curriculum from K through 12, resourcing the early grade levels and raising the common core standards within our class studies are to name a few. Remaining fiscally responsible is essential due to the current state of affairs economically. At every turn in the financial matters that have been presented to myself as a board member, I have chosen to cast my vote accordingly while weighing the fiscal picture of VVSD in its entirety. I am pleased that our administration is open to all who may have questions and inquiries concerning finances. I believe this openness and transparency keeps the board and administrator accountable to sound fiscal principles and outcomes.