Nancy Swart: Candidate For District 26 School Board

CARY, IL — Four candidates are running for three open seats on the Cary District 26 school board this election.

Patch.com reached out to District 26 candidates to get their responses to candidate questionnaires. Here are the responses we got from Nancy Swart:

Your name: Nancy Swart

Age (as of election day): N/A

Town/city of residence: Cary

School district: D26 Cary Elementary

Family. Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share: Married 44 years. 3 adult children all of whom graduated from D26 and D155

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: Bachelors in Education, Special Education discipline.

Occupation. Please include years of experience: Business Owner

Campaign website: www.nancy4d26.com

Previous or current elected or appointed office:

Board Member, Regional Office of Education McHenry County

The most pressing issues facing our (board, district, etc.) are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them:

According to the D26 School Report Card, our children are failing in the basics of academics, including reading and math. These should be a schools primary focus. I will be taking a critical look into D26 curriculum, at all grade levels. There has been a departure from, what most understand, as a basic education in the classroom. When teachers are asked to teach about issues happening outside their classroom it gives them less time to teach the basics. The report card shows that there is a breakdown between what is taught and what the children are learning. We all want our children to succeed, but they must first be given the correct tools to achieve that goal. What we are doing now is not working. Change is necessary. I intend to see that change happen. We should, and I will, KEEP THE CHILDREN FIRST!

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

I am not supported by any teachers unions. Since the board must negotiate with the union I believe this to be a conflict of interest. Can the 3 incumbents agree to not take union money or endorsements? Can they also agree that this indeed, is a conflict of interest?

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

Finances. In, Sept. 2022 the board voted to increase Cary property taxes by 5%. Property taxes are the majority income source for our district. To burden homeowners with more taxes during the present financial environment concerns me that the board thought this to be a wise move. Students are exiting the public schools, teachers and bus drivers have also left the employment of the district. This is due to decisions the board has made over the past 3 years. The board is called to be a good steward of our funds. Are they?

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

A child’s first teacher is their parent(s). When a child is unable to come to their parent(s) for help with their homework it creates a barrier between that parent and their child. This does not foster a trusting environment. Communication and transparency is key to fostering that trust. The introduction of Panorama (SEL), which I consider an invasion of privacy, also inhibits communication and transparency. There should be no hidden agendas! Things done in secret are not honest, and certainly not transparent. If it is good for a child then why would their parent(s) be kept in the dark?

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

Former Special Education Teacher
Created, along with 4 other women, Learning Tree Christian Co-Op, a Home School serving 65 students its first semester.
Served on several for profit and not for profit boards
Served as PTO President and Vice President while my children were in D26 schools
Have run over 5 small businesses
Served in several Leadership positions both inside of the business world and in my personal life

Why should voters trust you?

My heart is to see every child overcome their obstacles and succeed in life. As a former Special Education teacher and former D26 parent I can empathize with the challenges of the family dynamics of raising children. Finding balance can be difficult. I have a firm foundation on which I stand and I am not swayed by every wind of doctrine that presents itself. I have knowledge and wisdom gleaned by a life time of experience. I will not lie to you, the parents. I believe honesty is important in any relationship. I would appreciate the opportunity to show, you the voter, transparency in my time on the board.

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

While there are many issues, I will choose only one that I would consider a great accomplishment. With our schools receiving a failing report card it is imperative that we change how and what we are teaching. I will be taking a critical look at the curriculum(s) being used in the classroom. To better understand how and why Cary Schools are failing we need to go back to the basics of what and how we are teaching, and make a course correction.

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

We all know that the taxes in the state of Illinois are out of control. When the present board decided, in September 2022, to add to that burden by a 5% tax increase, I was disappointed. We have less teachers, less bus drivers and less students so we should have less overhead right? Not so, as the residents of Cary will be paying more! Didn’t we just get an influx of COVID funds? After the past 2 years is this really the best time to increase our taxes?

What are your thoughts on how the district handled the COVID-19 pandemic?

Inappropriate. The harm the present board’s decision HAS DONE to the children of D26 is outweighed by any imagined concerns of the past 2 years. If the Board had used knowledge and wisdom, not fear, in their decisions I believe things would have resulted in a very different outcome. The loss of teachers, bus drivers, and most importantly, the students is a direct result of the present Board’s decisions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some school boards saw extremely heated disagreements during public meetings. If elected, what changes, if any, need to be made to ensure meetings are run efficiently while still allowing open discussions?

Parents want, and need, to be heard. When the School Board calls the police and walks out on the parents, both of which I personally experienced, it creates a hostile environment. It tells the parents they, and their opinions and needs are not important. Matters that concern children are emotional. Should they not be given grace? They, parents, are the defenders of our most precious resource. That should be respected and honored.

A small change that can be made is to allow more time for the speakers. While we don’t want meetings to go on and on we do want to hear the heart and needs of the parents. If the meeting has, let’s say, 4 speakers perhaps give them 6 min instead of 3. If you have 10 speakers the 3 min restriction certainly makes sense. The parents, teachers, administrators and Board should be working toward a unified goal of PUTTING THE CHILDREN’S NEEDS FIRST.

How do you feel about sex education being taught in school? Should an LGBTQ component be included, and why or why not?

It is inappropriate for social/sexual issues to be taught in a public school setting. This infringes upon the parent/child relationship and the dynamics of the family unit. Public School is not a parent and as such should not interfere with a families dynamics.

What are your views on critical race theory and whether it should be taught in the district?

It is inappropriate for racism to be taught in the educational setting of a public school.

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 most qualified candidate to fill the position available should be the only consideration when hiring a teacher or administrator. Anything less does not serve our children well. We should KEEP THE CHILDREN'S NEEDS FIRST.

When it comes to student achievement, what are schools within this district doing well and what needs to be improved? How can those improvements be made?

STEM seems to be a component that students and parents like. I was disappointed when this was voted on by the present board without a plan for outcome or goal. If we are spending money on a program there needs to be accountability for it. I have covered, in the questions above, changes/improvements I would make.

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

No

The best advice ever shared with me was ____________

Forgiving others is for your benefit. Give the grace to others that has been extended to you.

“We all live at the same address, the door is just a different color.” Nancy Swart