Mary Satchwell, Hinsdale D86 Candidate

HINSDALE, IL – Mary Satchwell is one of six candidates for four seats on the Hinsdale High School District 86 board.

Here are her responses to the Patch questionnaire:

Name:

Mary Satchwell

Town of residence:

Hinsdale

Age:

44

Campaign contact email:

unitedistrict86@gmail.com

Family:

Husband Matthew & two kids, a sophomore & 7th grader.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education:

Ph.D. in School Psychology from Loyola University, Dual Masters degree in Elementary Education & Special Education from St. Joseph's University, Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from DePauw University

Occupation:

School Psychologist (PreK - 12th grade), Adjunct Faculty in School Psychology (Graduate Educator)

Previous or current elected or appointed office:

I've been a member of the Maercker District 60 Board of Education since 2017. I've served as Secretary and President, and am currently serving as the Vice President of the Board. I’ve also served as a Governing Board Member for the Illinois School Psychologists Association since 2010, serving as President of the Association in 2019-2020. I have served as an appointed member of the Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership since 2013.

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

The trust between the Board/District Administration and community has been eroded in recent years. Several transitions in top level employees and turnover of Board members in the past few years have caused instability and confusion about where the district is headed. I believe that the effective functioning of our district’s school board is the area most in need of attention at this time. The Illinois Association of School Boards gives boards six fundamental duties for effective school district governance - to clarify the district purpose, connect with the community, employ a superintendent, delegate authority to the superintendent, monitor performance, and to take responsibility for itself. Aligning the work of the board to the fundamental principles of effective school governance will provide direction and clear priorities to drive all district operations. My experience serving on a school board for the past eight years has shown me that diligent adherence to these principles makes the work of the board and administration clear and straightforward. Identifying the district purpose and direction through a comprehensive strategic plan will help clarify what needs to change or begin in order to address our district’s most critical concerns – student learning and organizational effectiveness.

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

I am the only candidate who has served on a School Board for more than one term. Only one other candidate has any experience serving on a School Board for another elementary feeder district in the area. I’ve also served as a Board Secretary, Vice President, and Board President. The learning curve for understanding the role of a School Board member and what effective governance looks like is steep. I have direct experience working collaboratively with a superintendent and district leaders, engaging all stakeholders in a comprehensive strategic plan, overseeing school district budget decisions, negotiating contracts with labor groups, and engaging meaningfully with the community. I’m well-prepared to hit the ground running in this role on day one.

Another critical difference between me and the other candidates is that I have over 20 years of experience working in Pre-K-12 schools as a special education teacher, school psychologist, and as a doctoral student intern in education administration. The insights I gained from working in schools across Chicagoland, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles have made me a better school board member. I have a strong understanding of data-based decision-making, effective curriculum, instruction, assessment and grading practices, conflict resolution, as well as supporting student social, emotional, and academic development.

Finally, I am one of two candidates from the Maercker district area of our community. Our elementary district serves students who go on to attend Hinsdale Central, Hinsdale South, and Downers Grove North high schools. I’ve seen the importance of each district working closely to effectively prepare and support students in their transition to high schools with varying expectations and opportunities. Our board and administration must work cooperatively and collaboratively with each of our feeder districts to best support students for their high school experience. Having board members from various areas of the district only makes us stronger in our efforts to connect and unite the communities we serve.

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

As a school board member and as Board President, I have worked closely with our Superintendent and fellow board members to oversee annual budgeting, engage in the successful negotiations of labor contracts, create and monitor performance of ambitious goals for our superintendent and district, administer the efficient spending of community investment in our facilities updates, and to approve updates to curriculum and technology for students. Serving as Board President during a pandemic was challenging, to say the least, but taught me much about how to effectively engage with staff and community members in times of crisis and upheaval.

Additionally, I have served on the board of the state professional association for School Psychology for over a decade and serving as President of that association helped to further develop my skills in intentional leadership, strategic planning, organizational development, effective communication, budgeting and financial planning, and managing the needs and interests of multiple stakeholder groups in education and youth mental health.

Serving in scout leadership, coaching sports, volunteering at many PTA events, and teaching faith education have allowed me to engage with youth and families in our communities through outdoor education, conservation, citizenship, service to others, and healthy competition. Each of these roles has brought incredible joy and taught me the importance of supporting our youth to develop their interests outside of the classroom while building confidence, independence, and character. The insights I’ve gained through these roles have made me more effective as a board member serving the students and families in our district communities.

How would you rate the performance of the current school board majority? Explain.

I’ve observed the functioning of the current school board while attending and listening to board meetings as often as I can the past two years. In that time there has been significant turnover in district leadership and within the board. These transitions have made it difficult to see the board and district leaders working effectively together as a cohesive unit. When professionals and board members choose to leave an organization it can signal that the health of the organization is in turmoil. The current board has shown a decreased commitment to transparency, accountability, and open communication that has served to erode the trust between the board and district leaders/staff as well as between the district and community.

Looking ahead, a renewed commitment to upholding the principles of effective governance can strengthen the board and bring stability. Clarifying the district purpose through a comprehensive strategic planning process will provide direction and priorities for the administration. Engaging meaningfully with the community in shaping those priorities will rebuild trust between all stakeholders. Delegating authority to our superintendent and holding him and his team accountable for effectively pursuing the district’s priorities will reset the relationship between the board and its employees on a healthier path.

Do you support keeping Catherine Greenspon as the school board president? Why or why not?

I have served as Board President for 4 of the 8 years I’ve been a part of the Maercker District Board and attended IASB training specifically for Board Presidents. I understand well what the role entails. An effective board President works closely with the superintendent and fellow board members to create agendas for meetings, runs efficient meetings with meaningful public engagement, acts as spokesperson for the board with the community, and fosters a relationship based on trust and respect with district leaders, staff, students, families, and the community. This is a challenging role, even in the best of times, and I learned very much serving as Board President through a pandemic. It is easy to judge and question the actions of others, but we as community members are not always privy to the breadth of information impacting the board’s decisions. An effective board and board leadership should seek to be as transparent as legally permissible to foster trust and accountability with the community. Taking time to fully and openly discuss impending actions being considered and actively seeking input from all stakeholders are critical to building and sustaining this trust. We may not agree with every decision the board makes, but we should at least be able to understand how and why they came to the decision.

If I am fortunate enough to be elected to serve on this school board I will work collaboratively with each fellow board member and district leadership to engage openly, meaningfully, and respectfully with students, staff, administrators, parents, and community members. The board President sets the tone for this work and I will support any board member who demonstrates the ability to commit to these shared values.

Why do you think the district experienced a surge in administrative turnover last year?

With a rotation of interim superintendents, there was a lack of focus and direction from district and board leadership. In the absence of clear direction from leaders and an increase in acrimony between the board and district staff, it’s not surprising to see top-level administrators choose to seek employment elsewhere.

Are the district's property taxes too high, too low or just about right? Explain.

The five-year financial projections indicate that our district’s budget is in line with the current tax levy as a small deficit or minimal surpluses are anticipated. Working to set an appropriate tax levy for a school district is a challenging task that requires close coordination with the district’s financial professional and open communication with community taxpayers. Working with our CFO to make sure we have exhausted all options for additional funding sources will help to minimize tax increases year over year. For example, state and federal grants can be used to offset costs for capital projects and facilities updates that often take up a significant portion of a school district budget. Additionally, preparing early for effective and collaborative negotiations with our teachers and other labor groups will help to ensure healthy district finances as salaries make up the bulk of the district’s budget.

What is your view of students' performance on standardized tests? What can be done to improve scores?

Annual reports of student performance on standardized tests show concerning trends across curricular areas that need to be examined along with other measures of student growth. Working closely with our feeder districts can improve coordination in preparing students for our high school curricula and standardized assessments. Analyzing additional measures such as student growth metrics and sub-domains within a subject area can help us to pinpoint areas of our curriculum or groups of students for targeted intervention. Reviewing course assessment data alongside annual standardized test results can help teachers refine their instruction and assessments for improved student outcomes. Each of our schools should have building goals as well as our overall district goals for student growth and achievement. Without a stated goal and high expectations for all students, there cannot be a meaningful plan for improving student performance.

How can the district narrow the gap in performance between low- and high-income students?

A focus on student growth is a good first step to be sure we are setting high expectations for all students and supporting them to achieve their full potential. Engaging meaningfully and frequently with our feeder districts will help to better align on curriculum and assessment as well as helping to make effective course recommendations for incoming students. Identifying support that is needed both within and outside the classroom can help to address challenges students are facing in getting to school, attending regularly, and accessing additional academic help as needed. Partnering with community organizations to provide free or low-cost tutoring, food, clothing, laundry access, or transportation access may help to further support students in our district.

What should the district do to close the disparity between Central and South, in which South has a smaller selection of courses?

With different numbers of students and staff, there will consistently be challenges being able to offer the same menu of courses at both schools. Examining this fully through the work of a special board committee will help to identify all contributing factors and possible solutions for ensuring that both schools offer a robust catalogue of challenging courses that students are interested in taking. Stacking classes with smaller enrollment, offering classes in the summer or during the Early Bird period, or considering a hybrid block schedule could support the district’s goal to provide access to more courses at South.

Would you adjust the attendance boundary between Central and South? Why or why not?

I would not adjust the attendance boundaries between Central and South. Moving the boundary will create more problems than it will solve and cause significant disruption for families who often choose their homes because of the schools their children will attend.

Should the board consider the possibility of dropping property values when changing the boundary between Central and South? Why or why not?

I am not in support of changing the attendance boundary for our district schools. Addressing opportunity gaps, supporting all of our students to achieve high expectations for academic and extracurricular success, and our mission to help all students leave our schools college and career ready should be the focus of our work as a board and as a district.

What is your view of the skyrocketing legal bills over much of the last year?

The historically high spending on legal fees in recent years is particularly concerning as these costs come directly from the district’s education fund. Every dollar spent on attorneys is a dollar that is better spent in our students’ classrooms on salaries for staff, updated curriculum materials, technology, or extracurricular opportunities. Limiting the expense of legal representation as much as possible is critical to ensuring that as much of our budget as possible is reserved for the education of our students. In my experience on a school board, board members are not in regular communication with district attorneys separately from necessary communications that also include the superintendent.

Should the district have removed nine years' worth of public records requests from its website? Why or why not?

Based on my experience on another school board, I see that our district continues to go above and beyond in providing copies of FOIA responses to the community for ongoing access in a searchable manner. However, the choice to scale back the ongoing access to these FOIA responses by community members was not communicated well or in a proactive way to help the community understand why the changes were being made. This action further eroded trust between the board and community as it served to reduce transparency and accountability to the community.

Is the district teaching critical race theory, Marxism or any other ideologies? If so, what should be done about it?

I have not seen any credible evidence that our district is teaching students about critical race theory, Marxism, or other ideologies. My observations and conversations with others indicate that our teachers adhere to the standards and best practices for instructing students across all areas of the curriculum and prioritize teaching students how to think, question, and solve problems, not what to think.

Do you support the school board majority or the teachers union in the battle over the social studies curriculum?

Curriculum updates should be made through a comprehensive process that engages staff as our education experts, district leaders, students, parents, and community members in a collaborative and meaningful way. The average school board member is not an expert in curriculum or instruction and should give appropriate weight to the recommendations of our experts in these areas. The engagement of the community in meaningful two-way communication can help us to ensure that our course offerings align with state and national standards for education and effectively prepare students to be competitive in their chosen college program or career pursuit.

Was the attorney general right to find the school board in violation of the Open Meetings Act when members originally decided behind closed doors to suspend the superintendent? Why or why not?

The decision of the attorney general correctly identified a violation of the Open Meetings Act when the board took action in a closed meeting to suspend the superintendent. The training board members receive on OMA is very clear while confidential discussions can take place in closed session the action of the board must occur in public. Adhering strictly to these expectations helps to establish transparency and trust between the board and the community.

How is the district doing in getting good and bad news to the community?

It’s wonderful to see the frequent updates on the amazing accomplishments of our students, teachers, athletes, and performers during board meetings, in weekly email communications, and on social media. When bad news must be shared, the district sometimes struggles to communicate openly and early and is met with confusion or frustration within the community. A comprehensive communication plan should be established and refined continuously to be sure we are effectively connecting with the community.

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

No. I am committed to serving out the full term of office if elected.

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

Families move to the communities served by our district for nothing less than the best possible opportunities for their children. Alumni return to raise their children here or to work in our schools. Maintaining & building upon the excellent academic & extracurricular opportunities we provide for all students must be our primary purpose. We must recruit, retain, and develop the very best educators and leaders; ensure we are providing students with robust curricula and rigorous instruction; and nourish student talents in the arts, athletics, and extracurriculars. There is incredible passion, engagement, and expertise in our community - we must actively seek and effectively use the insights of students, families, teachers, district leaders, and community members in our pursuit of excellence.