Ben Zulauf, District 205 Board Candidate

ELMHURST, IL — Ben Zulauf is one of nine candidates for four seats on the Elmhurst School District 205 board. Here are his responses to the Patch questionnaire:

Name:

Ben Zulauf

Town of residence:

Elmhurst

Age:

36

Campaign contact email:

bzulaufd205@gmail.com

Campaign website:

https://bit.ly/zulaufin205

Family:

Wife - Katie Zulauf; Two children - John and Evelyn

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

• No

Education:

• Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (2009) - University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
• Master of Education in Literacy (2012) - Judson University
• Doctor of Education in Literacy (2017) - Judson University
• Masters in Educational Leadership (2020) - National Louis University University

Occupation:

Director of Reading and Language Art in Cicero SD 99
Previous or current elected or appointed office: None

The single most pressing issue facing the school board is ______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing the school board is making sure that our curriculum, instruction, and assessment all aligned with research.

The single most pressing issue facing the school board is making sure that our curriculum, instruction, and assessment all align with research. I don’t think that it’s the job of a school board member to insert yourself into what the district administration is trying to accomplish, but we do need someone on the school board who has the knowledge to ask the right questions.

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

• I have a more extensive background in education than anyone else running. This is just my second year as a literacy director, but in that short time, we’ve: eliminated practices and programs that don’t align with research; created instructional routines to assist students with early reading; designed and delivered sequential and cumulative professional development for teachers; implemented a universal screener and diagnostic assessment; selected a new literacy curriculum for ALL students; started the conversation about effective assessment practices; and started our summer literacy institute. My knowledge and experience in education will help me ask the right questions as a school board member.

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

• I have always prided myself on being a hard worker. Earlier in life, much of that effort was put into athletics, and competing as a division 1 athlete while obtaining my bachelor’s degree was challenging. Professionally, I’ve always had simultaneous responsibilities. When I taught, I also coached, presented at conferences, and consulted with other school districts. I stopped coaching so I could obtain my doctoral degree while still working full time. I currently have several initiatives at work that go beyond the scope of my contract such as assisting with the development of an in-house podcast, creating our literacy institute, and collaborating with other school districts to assist them with their literacy initiatives.

What can the school do to counteract dropping standardized test scores?

• We need to make sure that we are following the research when it comes to instruction and assessment, and this needs to start at the beginning. We can diagnose dyslexia by the age of 5, which means that we need to have the correct universal screeners and diagnostic assessments in place to catch those students early and provide the appropriate instruction to remedy issues before they make an impact. In our shift to Wit & Wisdom, the district has recognized that knowledge matters. That’s why we chose a knowledge-building curriculum. But if knowledge matters, then we need to do everything we can to increase the amount of time devoted to science and social studies. Ideally, these things would be taught every day. We also need to make sure that students are being asked to write throughout the school day. Writing is not a standalone subject. It’s something that students should do in every subject, every day. Model schools and school districts already exist that saw dramatic improvements in test scores simply by ensuring that students were writing across the curriculum. We also need to make sure that we have better assessment practices. Currently, most school districts over assess students, which cuts into instructional time. Understanding what assessments actually tell us and how to best use that information will lead to more and improved instructional time.

Do you generally support the work of the school district's administration? Why or why not?

• I support the work of the school district’s administration that is supportive of students experiencing more success. I applaud the work that’s being done to improve foundational reading instruction, but I’ve been told that the district is leaving practices such as guided reading, which doesn’t have a research based, in place as well. I love the shift to a knowledge-building curriculum, but I don’t understand why we would select a curriculum that does not have a dual language component when we have a dual language program. The new strategic plan has wonderful language, but it’s going to be incredibly challenging to meaningfully monitor and measure more than 20 objectives. I support some of the work of the administration, but not all.

Do you support the district's recent decision to raise the property tax levy by 5 percent, the maximum allowed under state law?

• At this point in time, I do not support the property tax levy. With more than $40 million available if needed, I don’t understand why we would increase taxes by 5% only to come back and annual abatement discussions. Increasing taxes the maximum amount only to come back and abate part of those taxes every year seems like the opposite of fiscal responsibility.

What is your view of critical race theory? Is it being taught in the local schools? If so, what evidence do you have of that?

• Critical race theory is and has been reserved for graduate level courses, and it is not being taught in our schools. One goal for D205 moving forward is to increase the amount of time devoted to the content areas. We’ve just implemented a knowledge-building curriculum, but it would be ideal if we could pair that with time dedicated to social studies so that students are building their worldly knowledge. There’s a lot of talk in education about helping students become critical thinkers, but the number one thing students need in order to be critical thinkers is knowledge. Students need to be able to analyze various historical and current events through multiple lenses, which means we need to take every opportunity to build their knowledge.

What is your view of sex education in local schools? Should an LGBT component be included? Why or why not?

• I think it’s important to include evidence-based sex education in public schools once students have reached an appropriate age. This helps our students make healthy and informed decisions that will protect them and their bodies

Will you take questions from the media if you are elected?

• Of course. If elected, I am a public servant, so I should take advantage of communicating with the public whenever possible as long as it’s not in opposition to board protocols.

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:

• The best advice ever shared with me was: “When you get your masters, your responsibility is to take and steal as much information as possible to take back to your classroom with you. It’s a time of learning and growing. When you get your doctoral, your responsibility is to create something worth stealing.” This has had a profound impact on my career because I am constantly working to create something that’s worth emulating.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

• My wife and I love Elmhurst, and we are excited for both of our children to go through D205 schools. We’ve been nothing but impressed with what we’ve seen at Madison so far. Some of my comments may sound critical, but I’m not a candidate out to “get anyone,” and I know it’s not my place as a board member to demand changes. I simply want to be able to use my experience and expertise to do anything I can to help move the district forward in a positive direction.