Kelly Asseff, District 205 Board Candidate

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

Name:

Kelly Asseff

Town of residence:

Elmhurst

Age:

46

Campaign contact email:

kellyasseffd205@gmail.com

Campaign website:

kellyasseffd205.com

Family:

Husband - Paul
Children - Yasmeen (13), Eliza (10) and Vale (7)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (B.A.), Indiana University, 1999
Master's in Education with a School Counseling Specialization (M.Ed., S.C.E.),
Florida Atlantic University, 2005

Occupation:

Current full-time parent and D205 volunteer; former professional school counselor

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 community has been focused on district achievement and proficiency over the past few years. I believe this is a concern, however, when analyzing important contributing factors, the mental health of our students must be considered. Our students encounter many daily stressors, and factoring in the setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic, intermittent school attendance and potential academic and social deficits, it is not surprising achievement and proficiency have declined. Currently there is not a D205 board member with professional mental health experience. I will bring the missing component of an educator with direct school and mental health professional experience to the board and advocate for more emotional and social programs, while bolstering the existing resources. Research shows students who participate in strong emotional and social programs, improve achievement scores by 11 percentile points, compared to students who do not participate in these programs. They also have improved classroom behavior and attitudes toward themselves, school and others.

I will additionally collaborate with the board and administrators to identify learning gaps in the curriculum and use current data to find growth opportunities and create actionable plans to improve outcomes. I will work with the board to continue on the pathway already established in the Elmhurst D205 Strategic Plan and hold administrators accountable to delivering improved proficiency and achievement outcomes.

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

I bring to the D205 School Board the unique and impactful perspective of a K-12 professional school counselor, a long time D205 volunteer and 3 children currently in the district. There is not another candidate who has all 3 of these qualifications. I have the educational and professional mental health experience missing from the current board, along with being on the PTA Executive Board for 6 consecutive years as a PTA President and Lead Fundraising Chairperson. Next year, I will have a child at each level - high school, middle school and elementary school, giving me the advantage of direct insight into each educational stage and a long-term vested interest in D205's success.

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

As a K-12 Licensed School Counselor, I led a comprehensive school counseling program which includes individual and group counseling, classroom guidance, parent and teacher consultation, college/career planning and state achievement test administration.

I worked with many diverse populations throughout my career:

I served on the gifted and talented board determining criteria for the program and analyzing individual student data to select students for the program; I served on the Individual Education Plan (IEP) and 504 Plan teams to initiate the special education evaluation process, determined eligibility for services and implemented IEPs and 504 Plans to students with disabilities and special needs; I served on hiring committees to interview and select highly qualified teachers and administrators; I am trained in the nationally recognized, evidence based Student Success Skills Program, which emphasizes teaching students executive functioning skills, character development, study skills and time management, in order to improve achievement scores and future readiness.

While on the PTA Executive Board, I led initiatives bringing in over $60,000 for Field, Edison and Sandburg schools, directly benefiting teachers and students.

My experience, accomplishments and expertise in child/adolescent development and mental health is evidence I am the right candidate for the D205 School Board.

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

Raising student achievement is a primary focus of the D205 Strategic Plan currently underway. In order to attain the district's long range goals, it is essential to identify student needs, create actionable plans and acquire the necessary resources to deliver outcomes. The administration's role is to develop interventions and programming that will have a positive impact on proficiency scores, and as a board member I will hold administrators accountable and monitor progress by requesting frequent updates, reviewing data and ensuring we are making the best decisions to move our students and district forward.

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

I am supportive of the school district administration and their work, as long as they are meeting the needs of our students. I have been impressed with the new Superintendent, Dr. Campbell and feel she is moving our district in a positive direction. Under her leadership, we have already seen some improvement in achievement outcomes. With consistent leadership and the long term vision of the strategic plan, I look forward to the future of our administration and District 205. As a board member, I will seek opportunities to raise expectations and outcomes whenever possible for our students and district.

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

At the time of writing this response, the levy is only a request from the district to the county for a 5 percent tax increase and has not yet been approved. Complicated decisions must be made considering expenses are increasing, the US is in an inflationary period, a new transportation contract will soon be negotiated and we will continue to hire highly qualified teachers. Some of the taxpayer burden will be alleviated, as the board is set to vote on abatement at an upcoming board meeting. If elected, I will be a diligent steward of taxpayer dollars, while ensuring students receive robust, high quality educational opportunities.

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 a theory developed at Harvard Law School decades ago to help explain racial inequalities. CRT is not currently being taught in D205 and is not a part of the curriculum or standards outlined by the Illinois State Board of Education. I do feel it is important and necessary that every student sees themself in the curriculum, and all students are exposed to multiple historical perspectives and varied points of view so they can form their own values and perspectives. We must prepare our students to live in a multicultural and diverse world that extends beyond Elmhurst, in order for them to be future-ready and successful in 21st century society.

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

I am supportive of developmentally and age appropriate, medically accurate sex education aligned with the Illinois Instructional Mandates and the National Sex Education Standards. Research shows sexual health instruction, when done comprehensively, promotes self confidence and a sense of belonging and can prevent unintended pregnancy, health problems and some forms of relationship violence.

As required by state law, the Illinois Learning Standards for Comprehensive Personal Health and Sexual Education are the National Sex Education Standards. Of those standards, gender identity and expression and sexual orientation and identity, are two of the seven Illinois Standards, in addition to consent and healthy relationships, anatomy and physiology, puberty and sexual development, sexual health and interpersonal violence. I believe sexual health instruction is important for all students, however, I support each parent's choice to seek exemptions from sexual health curricular content and exercise their right to "opt out" of this curriculum as established by Illinois School Code and followed by D205.

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

Yes, I will take questions from the media while following current media protocols the D205 School Board have established.

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 I ever received was, "Seek first to understand instead of being understood". My experience has taught me that to lead, collaborate best with others and develop meaningful relationships, it is more important to understand other people's perspectives than for other people to understand mine.

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

I am a dedicated education/mental health professional with D205 volunteer experience and 3 children in the district. I have demonstrated over my 25 year career working with children and adolescents in diverse settings that I am committed to making decisions that will be in their best interest and will positively impact their futures. I have the expertise in child/adolescent development and the biological and emotional changes that occur from birth to adolescence and care deeply about the emotional, social and intellectual needs of our students. I feel strongly about supporting and promoting programs that assist students in forming healthy goals, mindsets and behaviors to achieve current and future success.