Bill Curtin: Candidate For Summit Hill 161 Board Of Education

FRANKFORT, IL — The consolidated election, which features several local races, will be held on April 1, with early voting already started on March 17. As a way to help keep voters informed, Patch offers candidate questionnaires for all candidates in local races.

One of those races in Frankfort is the race for Summit Hill District 161 Board of Education. There are two candidates running for one unexpired 2-year term; and eight candidates running for four 4-year terms.

The Summit Hill race is slightly crowded and contentious, in part due to a December 2023 vote by the Board to close two of the District's schools. The school district boundaries pull students from parts of Frankfort, Frankfort Square, Mokena and Tinley Park.

One of those candidates is Bill Curtin, who is running for a 4-year term. Curtin recently filled out the Patch candidate questionnaire, and his answers can be found below:

Your Name:

Bill Curtin

Campaign website:

bill4summithill.com/meet-bill

Age (as of election day):

42

Town/city of residence:

Frankfort

School district:

Summit Hill 161

Family. (Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share.)

My wife Martha (36) is a former educator who now works as a Physician Assistant. Our daughters Annie (6), Ellie (4), and Maddie (1) will attend Summit Hill schools for the next 13 years.

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:

I hold a BA in English Education with Honors from Illinois State University, minored in History and Spanish, and earned a Master’s in Educational Administration from Governors State University.

I completed additional graduate coursework at Southern Illinois University and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

Occupation. Please include years of experience.

I am a National Board Certified English Teacher and also taught Spanish and History for 13 years in Calumet City, Kankakee and Carbondale.

I left the classroom in 2019, and now I work for a nonprofit coaching school leaders to improve schools and empowering teachers to advocate for smart school policies that benefit student learning.

Previous or current elected or appointed office:

I was appointed to the State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board from 2016-2019. In that role I provided input and recommendations on how to attract and keep teachers, and reviewed the teacher training and certification process.

I was appointed to the Illinois Professional Review Panel overseeing school funding from 2017-2021. In that role I studied how funding impacted student achievement, and recommended changes to state school funding to ensure students and teachers had the resources they need.

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

Compared to most other districts in Illinois, our student achievement is strong, with an A rating from the state–but our student growth only gets a C. That means students come to us well-prepared and maintain a high level of achievement, but are not growing as fast as they could. Our district should be the envy of the south suburbs. To get there, we need a more coordinated approach.

As a board member, I’d work to create a district literacy plan to align our reading curriculum with the time, training, resources and personnel necessary to make sure every student learns to read at a high level, with particular attention to meeting the needs of English learners and special education students. Once that was in place, I’d do the same for math instruction.

My experience has taught me that how policies are developed is just as important as the content of those policies, so I would ensure that these plans–and every significant policy decision–incorporated the ideas and addressed the needs of students, teachers, parents, and community members through a transparent process with multiple opportunities for public review and feedback.

Should cell phones be banned during school? Why or why not?

Smartphones have been intentionally designed to capture and keep our attention, so it’s no surprise that students learn better when their phones are away. While it’s wise to limit distractions in the classroom, I’m not sure our district needs to ban phones entirely. If teachers and parents report a need to do more I'm open to that discussion.

If you are a challenger, what do you bring to the board and what may you plan to change?

I was a county teacher of the year, and now my day job is helping teachers speak up for students when policies aren’t working for them. I’ll bring that experience to the table to make sure the decisions we make as a board work to support students and teachers in classrooms.

My "why" as a school board candidate is simple: our school community has struggled with tough issues, and to heal we need leaders who will listen, work together, compromise, and set a positive example for the students we serve.

As the only independent candidate in this election, I'll be a bridge builder working to heal our community. My wife likes to tell people my superpower is bringing together people who disagree and finding win-win solutions. I've done that as an education leader before, and I'll do the same for our schools.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:

The one thing I hear consistently from everyone is that our teachers are amazing–and putting great teachers in every classroom is the most important thing a district can do to support students. We need to make sure that we support our teachers and provide them the resources they need to help students realize their potential. That means every policy decision at the board level must take into account how it will impact teachers and students in the classroom.

Other priorities are listed on my website: bill4summithill.com/priorities

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

As a member of the Illinois Early Literacy Coalition, I worked with reading experts to pass the Literacy and Justice for All Act creating a state literacy plan. Then I worked closely with the expert reading teachers developing the plan to ensure it served students and teachers.

I co-founded the future teacher organization Educators Rising Illinois that now serves more than 1,000 students on the path to teaching careers, I’ve served as Vice President of the Illinois Association of Teachers of English, and I currently serve on the Summit Hill 161 Community Outreach Committee to represent parents in our district.

Here’s a more detailed list of my leadership experiences and professional accomplishments: https://drive.google.com/file/...

Why should voters trust you?

As an Eagle Scout, I hold myself to the highest ethical standards, and I've got a long track record of success improving schools and delivering results for students as a classroom teacher, as a school leadership coach, and as an educational policy advocate.

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

Four years from now, I will consider my term as a board member successful if our district shows accelerated growth in reading and math for all students and closes achievement gaps for English learners and special education students. Another measure of success will be incorporating community input in the hiring of our next superintendent so that person enters the role with the full support of our community.

What guidance should staff be given for dealing with potential ICE enforcement at schools?

Administrators and front office staff should be briefed on relevant state and federal laws, and directed to follow them.

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

This is not my area of expertise, so I defer to our health educators when it comes to course content. I think the board’s role is to ensure clear communication to parents about what will be taught, so that families can have appropriate conversations at home and make the right decisions for their students.

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?

Our student achievement is strong, and our teachers are excellent, but as detailed above I believe we should develop comprehensive plans to make sure every student has everything they need to grow literacy and math skills, and to provide targeted support to those students who aren’t achieving at the same levels.

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

No, I am fully committed to serving in this role.

(If you are a candidate in the upcoming April 1 election, please email andrea.earnest@patch.com for a candidate questionnaire to share your positions with readers)

Frankfort Election Guide: What’s On The Ballot, What To Know

Here is a look at the candidates for Summit Hill District 161:

• Board Member, unexpired 2-year term (vote for one)
  • Katie Campbell (incumbent)
  • Melissa Ryan
• Board member, four-year term (vote for four)
  • Stefanie McCleish (incumbent)
  • Amy Berk (incumbent)
  • Adrian Chavez
  • Patrick Oliphant
  • Ronnie Petrey
  • Jim Martin (incumbent)
  • Cicily Gant
  • Bill Curtin