Deborah Willoughby, Hinsdale D86 Board Candidate

HINSDALE, IL — Deborah Willoughby is one of five candidates for three seats on the Hinsdale High School District 86 board. Here are her responses to the Patch questionnaire:

Name:

Deborah Willoughby

Town of residence:

Westmont

Attendance zone (Central or South):

Central

Age:

45

Campaign contact email:

deborahwilloughbyford86@gmail.com

Campaign website:

www.debbieforD86.com

Family:

husband JW Willoughby, step daughter Andrea Willoughby (29), son Eric Willoughby (16) currently a junior at Hinsdale Central, and son Brian Willoughby (14) 8th grade attending Hinsdale Central in the fall

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Not currently

Education:

B.A. Hanover College (dual major in Chemistry and Business); MBA Wake Forest University (dual concentrations in Finance and Entrepreneurship)

Occupation:

Head of Finance, Global Vegetables & Flowers at Syngenta

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 to ensure we have a qualified superintendent to help lead our district forward ensuring our district is back on the path of improving academic learning. I will work with the search committee to ensure we have a broad based and holistic search for our next superintendent. I will meet with prospective candidates to ensure that there is a clear vision and plan to focus on the district’s academic excellence and positive environment for our students and staff.

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

The community, the school, the administration and the Board of Education should all be working towards the same goal - educating the students of District 86 so they will be prepared to be productive members of our society when they graduate. I think it is important for us to be working together in a joint effort to meet this goal. We need to assess the data and facts that we are presented with and work together to develop the best approach for improvement. I think it is important for Board members to come in with an open mind and ensure they are acting in the best interests of our students as they work along their path to becoming adults.

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

I have worked for a large multinational corporation for almost 20 years. Throughout my career I have served on various committees and boards and have learned the importance of listening to all the perspectives being provided, asking challenging questions to understand the issues more deeply and focusing on the critical points.

I think it’s critical for everyone to work collaboratively to develop solutions that add value to our endeavor, ensuring we never lose sight of what our ultimate goal is. I think this type of collaborative leadership and keeping our goals in the forefront of our minds is critical for District 86 Board of Education.

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

The district needs to ensure that we continue to provide a robust educational curriculum with capable, competent, and creative teachers. Students should continue to have the ability to be challenged with various Honors and AP classes; however, we also need to ensure that all classes are also meeting student’s needs.

Do you support Superintendent Tammy Prentiss? Why or why not?

Ms. Prentiss became superintendent in 2019 shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic. She was able to navigate the district successfully through the pandemic working towards a return to in-person learning as soon as possible. In addition, she has focused on

• The district’s strategic plan and implementing changes over the past several years
• Pushed for alignment of the curriculum across both schools to ensure that consistent standards are being applied for all students
• Working towards sharing best practices across both schools
• Working towards equitable treatment of both schools

I think all of these are important achievements; however, given the recent contract changes the focus needs to be on finding Ms. Prentiss’ successor who will need to focus on returning to the district’s previous academic progress.

What is your view of Superintendent Tammy Prentiss' handling last year of the anti-racist consultant who called Hinsdale "dangerous"? Do you believe the school board should release the report from the investigation into that matter? Why or why not?

I think it is important for our community to be well informed and understand the reasons behind what is occurring. I think it was reasonable for Ms. Prentiss to read the letter from the consultant so the community could understand why the consultant resigned.

Do you believe there is equity between Central and South high schools? Why or why not?

Based on the academic results of the two schools it is evident that the two schools are not performing the same academically. I think it is important that the students of our district have the ability to access the same academic courses and opportunities across the district regardless of the school they attend.

Do you support a boundary change between Central and South to equalize enrollments? Why or why not?

No, I do not. I think it is important that the boundary lines stay as they are. Families move into certain areas planning on sending their child to that school and moving boundary lines put families at a disadvantage.

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 an idea that racial bias is a part of our society. Specifically, that it is part of our legal structure, since it was designed by white people. This theory is taught in higher-level educational environments, like law school, not at Hinsdale District 86.

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

I think the students at District 86 are young adults who should be educated and informed about the world around them so they can understand society from different perspectives. Sex education should be taught in schools so that students can receive factual information. This will allow them to be informed about any decisions that they may make in the future. In addition, an LGBT component should also be a part of the curriculum. It is important for all students to see how the curriculum relates to them personally as well as to take the opportunity to have students understand about those who may be different from them.

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

Yes, I believe an open and free press is key to government transparency and will work to be as collaborative as possible to ensure that transparency.

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:

Be yourself.

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

No answer.