Dana Blumberg: Candidate For Deerfield School District 109

DEERFIELD, IL — Ahead of the April 6 consolidated municipal elections, Deerfield Patch provided questionnaires to all candidates on the ballot.

Eight candidates are vying for four seats on the Deerfield School District 109 Board of Education on Election Day. They include two incumbents (Andrew Morrison and Sari Montgomery) and six challengers (Dana Blumberg, James D’Angelo, Valarie Hays, Kelly Jakymiw, Jonathan Silver and Maureen G. Wener). Current trustees Kate Bittner and Scott Kluge are not running for reelection.

Deerfield Patch is publishing all responses submitted by candidates verbatim.

Dana Blumberg

Age (as of election day)

41

Town/city of residence

Deerfield

School district

Deerfield 109

Family

My husband Mike and I have been married for 13 years, and we have 2 daughters, Noa (10), and Lilah (6) who attend South Park Elementary School. We have lived in Deerfield for 11 years.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

B.A. University of Wisconsin-Madison, M.Ed DePaul University

Occupation

Current: Educational Life Skills Program Coordinator for District 21; Prior: School Counselor, Chicago Public Schools (13 years)

Campaign website

http://www.abcdeerfield.com

Previous or current elected or appointed office

No

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

The single most pressing issue at this time is Post-pandemic learning. As a district, our immediate focus must be to answer the basic question “what is school going to look like next year?”

As we all know, this has been a very difficult year. Our children have had to endure long-term remote learning, constantly changing schedules, loss of family members, and isolation. If we go back to school next fall and only focus on academics or “catching up”, we are missing a huge piece of the puzzle. We have to address our students’ social & emotional needs, teach them coping skills and provide them with additional supports and resources as needed. We need to focus on providing an education for the whole child that focuses on relationships, connection and community.

In order to develop a plan, the district first needs to conduct a needs assessment for our students, teachers and families. Utilizing this information, along with other data, will help prioritize where the most needs are and guide the next steps in formulating a plan.

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

I think my background as a school counselor and current role as school administrator have given me a unique perspective. It is important to have an educator on the Board who is in a school everyday, working with teachers, school leaders and students. I know how a Board decision will trickle down and affect instruction.

I am in this for the long haul. I want Deerfield 109 to be a leader in providing an education to the whole child. I want our schools to inspire and excite our students. Our schools should be a place where students are given the freedom to take risks and learn to face obstacles and persist when they are struggling.

My vision goes far beyond our current health crisis. The pandemic has shed light on many of the issues we face when educating our children. The country’s obsession with test scores and standards has had many negative unintended consequences. We may have higher test scores, but at what cost? We have far too many students facing anxiety and depression as a result of the added
stress. We now have a unique opportunity to examine our priorities as a district. Deerfield is a leader in education and can pave the way for other districts.

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

First, let me say that any person who takes unpaid time out of his or her life to try to help shape educational policy is likely really trying to help. That being said, I believe our board has lacked
transparency and open communication in their decision making processes, creating distrust in the community. People won’t agree with each decision the Board makes. However, the
community wants to know how the decisions were made; they also want to know that their voice matters, and is taken into consideration when decisions are made.

For example, we received an email on Friday, Oct. 16th at 5pm that our children were transitioning to remote learning in 3 days. Families, childcare and work schedules were not considered. It put many families into crisis mode. It felt very reactive and frantic, and seemed as though not all
stakeholders had been considered.

As a governing body, the Board has a responsibility to its constituents to communicate how decisions have been made. I think we can find more effective and simpler ways to build trust with the community and develop a more collaborative relationship.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Strategic plan-We need a long-term plan for our district, and this is an excellent time to start that conversation. If we start the conversations around the question “What does a 109 Graduate look like?" with district stakeholders.

A strategic plan goes beyond academics and addresses the entire system. A well-developed strategic plan helps hire and retain strong talent. It defines priorities and the direction of the district. Astrong strategic plan should take into account the bigger educational picture and include collaborative conversations with all stakeholders.

Transparency & Communication-The Board must be transparent about the decision making process. There should be easily accessible ways to view the Board agendas prior to a meeting. It would be helpful for the Board to send out more regular communication, and make it clear which items they will be voting on during public meetings. In addition, the roles of the Board of Education & district administration need to be clearly defined and explicit. The pandemic has blurred these roles in many districts, and we need to ensure our roles as Board Members do not overlap into the roles of district administration.

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

I am an experienced educator and leader, and if anything I have learned to be flexible, collaborative and open-minded. Working in Chicago Public Schools as a School Counselor for 13 years taught me to be resourceful, efficient and a strong student advocate. I served on the Local School Council at Edison Park Elementary School, which functioned as a mini-school board.The LSC oversaw principal evaluation and contracts, budget approval, and school improvement plan.
I have experience bringing in and implementing new social emotional programs, developing community partnerships, managing a team of teachers, and forming strong relationships in the community.

Why should voters trust you?

I am honest, transparent and I want what’s best for our children and our community. I believe in saying “I don’t know”, when I don’t have an answer. I am willing and ready to work with current board members and look forward to collaborating and working together.

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

I would feel accomplished if the Board of Education works closely with the district, the community and each other to develop a long-term strategic plan. This would address many of the problems we have faced over the past few years (including transparency and communication), and would ultimately lead to a more trusting and collaborative relatioship with the community.

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

As a Board of Education member, we are responsible for being stewards of our community’s tax dollars. We are a very well-resourced district, but we need a strategic plan to drive our spending decisions and plans for the future.

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 support Black Lives Matter and the right to peacefully protest. The system is unjust and I stand in solidarity with all those fighting for equity and social justice.

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

With the formation of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee, our district has started the process to bring diversity and multiculturalism into our curriculum. I believe schools have the responsibility to teach our students the value of racial equality, social justice, and the impact of systemic racism. However, teachers need tools and training to teach these highly sensitive topics, and I hope this is part of the district plan in the future.

The conversations around race and inequity need to start at the elementary level, and continue throughout students’ time in 109. I welcome these lessons and conversations in my children’s classrooms. The Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee has just started their work, and I look forward to hearing more about their plans moving forward.

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?

I fully support in-person learning and the return to full day instruction March 8. In looking back on the past year, I think the district was trying to make the best decisions with the information available at the time. Our district had interim superintendents tasked with extremely difficult challenges. That being said, I felt that the Board of Education did not communicate the same sense of urgency at getting our students back to in-person learning that our community was feeling. That disconnect was clear and felt by the community.

As community leaders, I wish the board would have addressed some of the struggles our community was facing. After listening to hundreds of phone messages detailing families’ struggles such as job loss, children experiencing anxiety and depression, and the lack of affordable childcare during remote learning, I believe the community felt abandoned .A stronger relationship with the community, addressing these concerns publicly, and offering some community based solutions would have helped avoid some of the division within our community.
I support a mask mandate for staff and students as long as the experts recommend it. I support student mandated testing, as long as there are exceptions as needed.

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

No, I do not.

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 ____________

My mom always used to tell me “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” I always try to keep the big picture in mind.