Forest Ridge D142 Board Candidate Dr. Matthew Beasland: Election '23

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Name: Dr. Matthew Beasland

Age as of Election Day: 40

Town/city of residence: Oak Forest

School district: Forest Ridge District 142

Family: Julie Beasland, Wife Age 37; Charlotte Beasland, Daughter Age 11, Victoria Beasland, Daughter Age 7

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? N/A

Education: Doctor of Education, Northern Illinois University; Master of Arts in Educational Administration, Bachelor of Arts, Governors State University; Associate of Arts, Moraine Valley Community College

Occupation: Higher Education Administrator (Nine years as an administrator, Four years in instructional/support staff roles at the college)

Campaign website: N/A

Previous or current elected or appointed office: None

The most pressing issues facing our (board, district, etc.) are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them. The most pressing issues facing our district are: Bullying, student achievement, and access to quality programing for all students.

If elected I plan on having a comprehensive evaluation of where and when the bullying activities happen on school grounds. From there staffing will be evaluated and adjusted to ensure that there is proper supervision during the times and locations where bullying most occurs. Bullying is not just the responsibility of the school districts, which is why we need to have parent education classes to assist in building our Safe Schools.

Our IAR test results indicate that dist 142 is performing below the state average. The good news is that we are not far from being average, but I believe that our schools should be above average, especially when it comes to academics.

As a parent to two wonderful daughters who attend district 142, I want the best possible programs for my children, as do all parents in the district. To accomplish this we need to have additional and appropriate enrichment programs for our schools. While there are some great programs in 142, it does not seem like there are additional academic enrichment programs for our gifted students. On the other side of the coin, what type of enrichment programs do we have for the students that are struggling to keep up with their class? To me educational enrichment is more than completing some exercises on the ipad after school. What we need are meaningful enrichment activities for our children.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? I come from an educational background and offer an outside voice.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district? If you follow the local Facebook pages you can see that the bullying is out of hand in 142.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: Safe Schools, Achievement for All, Making All of Our Schools Above Average

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? I am the educational administrator with 14 years of educational experience and a doctorate in education. From 2012 -2022 I served on the board of directors for the Illinois Adult & Continuing Educators' Association and held the roles of Junior/Senior Director for Region 1, Secretary, and President. I have spent most of my adult life serving the community. Prior to being in education I was in the National Guard and served a tour of duty in Iraq. I believe that I can handle a position on the board.

Why should voters trust you? Voters should trust me because I have the same concerns that they have.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success? A reduction in bullying, above average test scores district wide, and having a meaningful enrichment program.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking? There should be complete transparency on how public tax dollars are spent. If there is a question on how funding was spent we should be able to provide that information quickly.

What are your thoughts on how the district has handled the COVID-19 pandemic? I believe they did the best that they could given the situation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some school boards saw extremely heated disagreements during public meetings. If elected, what changes, if any, need to be made to ensure meetings are run efficiently while still allowing open discussions? No answer.

How do you feel about sex education being taught in school? Should an LGBTQ component be included, and why or why not? Sex education is very important for young people and I support it being taught in our schools, and yes LGBTQ components should be included. Our students should feel safe and loved in our buildings and exposure to all people of all backgrounds should be allowed. I am 100% in support of our LBGTQ students and families.

What are your views on critical race theory and whether it should be taught in the district? It is my opinion that critical race theory should be taught in schools. There have been some truly horrible things that have happened in American History, and we need to teach our children about all aspects of American History even if it is uncomfortable at times. We cannot ignore the mistakes of the past if we want a better future.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so? I cannot speak directly to this since I am unfamiliar with the staffing of all of the schools, but I can speak to the fact that a vast majority of the district administration is Caucasian. I would like to see the make up of our schools employees to match the student body. I would like people of all backgrounds to feel safe and welcome in our schools.

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? According to the IAR test scores the grade schools are doing well keeping up with the state. Where there seems to be achievement gaps are at the middle school level. The district had a great idea to move the buildings towards a center based approach. This would have lead to having the ability to provide more differentiated and targeted instruction. I would like to revisit that conversation with the incumbent board members and see why that never happened.

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 ____________: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work