Election 2025: Orland District 135 Board Candidate Aisha Zayyad

ORLAND PARK, IL — The consolidated election is set for April 1, and there are four spots open on the Orland District 135 Board of Education.

There are 10 candidates vying for the seats, including incumbents Elizabeth Jobb and Nichole Browner.

Other candidates include Deborah L. Scumaci, Aisha Zayyad, Jennifer Durkin-Fekete, Ray Morandi, Chad Capps, Vince Oluwaleke, Kelly Chmielewski, and Daniel Finlayson.

Orland School District 135 is a 10-school elementary district serving roughly 5,200 students in Early Childhood through 8th grade. Its board consists of seven members each serving four-year terms.

Candidate:

Aisha Zayyad

Campaign website:

Aisha for Orland School District 135

Age (as of election day):

41

Town/city of residence:

Orland Park

School district:

Orland District 135

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

I’m married with 4 children

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for.

I have family members who work in public service-none are employed by Orland 135.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry

Occupation. Please include years of experience.

I worked in polymer science briefly (less than 2years) before moving on to food science. Many people are unfamiliar with the field of food science or what a career in food science entails. There are several types of laboratories in the food science industry. I worked in QA/QC (quality assurance/quality control). The QA/QC department is responsible for testing samples of the food products, flavoring components, and coloring components of the foods that a facility produces. As well as, conducting facility audits to ensure compliance (FDA, EPA, OSHA) and employee safety, ensuring proper labeling, generating nutrition facts, and determining qualification for various certificates (Kosher, Halal, non-gmo, etc).

I also worked as a court room translator for both Will and DuPage counties- as a private contractor, before deciding to stay home with my kids full-time. While I love the work that I have done, I want to devote more of my time to my children while they are young. The ability to do this is a luxury that I do not take for granted.

Previous or current elected or appointed office*:

N/A

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

The most pressing issues facing our district are 1) maintaining our district’s financial health. Our district is in excellent financial health and I intend to work with the board to maintain our financial health 2)supporting our most vulnerable students during a time of uncertainty 3) retaining staff

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

Noteworthy differences between myself and other candidates seeking this post are as follows: 1) my four children range in age from 3-13. We are at all grade levels across the district. As parents, we tend to know the goals and the challenges of current kindergarteners when our children are in kindergarten, and middle schoolers when we have a middle schooler. Having children at various grade levels across the district gives me intimidate knowledge of what students, teachers and families are facing whether they have a student at the primary, intermediate, or junior high level. 2) I have had the pleasure of working with our amazing special education department as the parent of a student with an IEP. Special education is near and dear to my heart. The needs of our special Ed students and staff is of high priority to me. When test scores rise across the district, I am always cognizant of the fact that there are still students who are struggling and it is so very hard to struggle in a sea of flourishing peers. I am intimately aware of this and I’m committed to advocating for all of our children. 3) I am part of the large and growing MENA community in Orland Park. As the demographics of Orland Park change it is important that we bring diverse perspectives to the table to create understanding, cohesion, and a true sense of community within Orland 135.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district?

I would like to see more receptiveness to stakeholder concerns. Many parents have found that when they raise concerns, those concerns go unaddressed. The fact of the matter is, when a parent/staff member/stakeholder raises a concerns they are offering useful data. Engaging them and discussing their experiences helps us to do better.

I would also like to see more feedback collected from teachers in a way that allows them to express concerns honestly and freely. This would be excellent for both improving student outcomes and retaining our talented staff. When data from staff surveys is reviewed, we often hear that there was a lower number of responses than desired. I do not believe this to be due to a lack of interest on the part of staff.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

1) school safety and security 2) strengthening student writing, math and phonetic skills; as well as command of non-tested subjects-e.g. history, geography, science 3) retaining staff and providing them with the resources that they need to support our students; including professional development

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

In food safety, you must look for potential problems before an actual problem occurs. You conduct safety audits that identify the potential for contamination, the potential for human error, a potential gap in safety protocol. Working in this field has conditioned me to think several steps ahead, consider all of the variables that may impact outcome and keep an eye out for ways to eliminate risk. This way of looking at things has served me well and I believe it will serve our schools well.

At home, I am the mother of four. I wear many hats- nurse, driver, schedule coordination, teacher, conflict manager. I am up to the challenge!

Why should voters trust you?

1) The success of our schools is very personal to me- my own children are Orland 135 students.

2) I know what it’s like to struggle to be heard in the public school system. As a board member, I will make myself available and accessible. I will be your advocate. If I have a seat at the table, you do, as well.

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

There are many great things happening in our district right now: building improvements, literacy curriculum upgrades, collaboration efforts between buildings across the district. I look forward to supporting all of these initiatives. I would consider my term a success if the needs of all students are met- especially our most vulnerable students.

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

As a district, it is our responsibility to make sure that students come to and return from school safely each day. I am committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for all students, ensuring they feel protected, valued, and empowered to succeed. As a board member, I will advocate for policies and resources that not only keep our schools safe and welcoming but also provide clear guidance and support for staff to uphold these standards.

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

Orland 135, does not teach gender studies and our district opted out of NSES. I believe this to be an accurate representation of the desires of Orland 135 families. We also have an opt-out option for families that chose to opt-out of the sex ed program.

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

Cell phones can be a huge distraction. They should be silenced and put away during school hours. Students should be allowed to have their cellphones with them at school, however, as most families rely on them to coordinate pickup from various after school activities.

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?

There are so many things that are being done well, in our district. For the purpose of this response, I am going to focus on things that we need to work on.

1) Our special education department is understaffed and struggling to meet student needs in several areas. Our professionals (teachers, speech language pathologists, social workers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, etc) know what resources they need to meet student needs. The first step towards addressing this issue is asking our professionals what they need.

2) I would like to see more emphasis on writing skills. Strong communication skills are essential to success in all professional fields. An emphasis on written communication prepares our students to succeed. This can be addressed through practice. Students write far less than previous generations. As a result, they struggle more with writing and organizing their thoughts. I would like to see a focus on writing well rather than writing well enough for IAR testing.

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

No.