Orland D135 Board Candidate Francis 'Frank' Lattyak: Election '23

Patch is providing candidate profiles for several races in the area. If you are a candidate seeking an opportunity to complete our profile form, please email lauren.traut@patch.com. Please note your position sought.

Name: Francis "Frank" Lattyak

Age as of Election Day: 38

Town/city of Residence: Orland Park

School District: Orland 135

Family: Wife Kelli; Daughter - 3rd Grade - Meadow Ridge; Son - Kindergarten - Prairie

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No.

Education: Masters of Science Mathematics/Actuarial Science - Governors State University; Bachelors of Science Biology - Loyola University Chicago; Secondary Education Teaching Certificate (6-12) Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Space Science, Environmental Science - Chicago State University

Occupation: Financial/Enterprise Risk Management & Internal Audit - 6.5 years; previously Secondary Education Science (Physics) 7 years

Campaign Website: www.dedicateddads135.com

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 single most pressing issue facing our school district over the next four years is maintaining financial stability and its influence on academic performance. Prior to 2019, financial mismanagement led to threats of enrichment and program cuts across the district. Additionally, the District School Report Card indicates stagnant or decreasing performance in English-Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics dating back to 2015, especially in relation to our neighboring districts. The Board is responsible for holding administration accountable to assess the effectiveness and return on investment of our academic initiatives to not only improve performance, but continue to attract and retain residents and businesses to our district. As a Board member, I will ensure engagement from all our stakeholders in designing and implementing research-based programs to ensure the improvement of academic performance in a sustainable fashion.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? My former role as an educator coupled with my current role in corporate finance, risk management, and internal audit provide me with a unique set of experiences to draw upon when discussing and weighing in on decisions. My training, professional experiences, and assets from working both in the classroom and alongside school and corporate administrators provides multiple lenses to critically examine the efficacy and practicality of any policy directives the Board may consider to advocate on behalf of our stakeholders.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district? While the district made strides to improve transparency by implementing the Board Advisory Committees and livestreaming of meetings, I’ve seen that transparency walked back over the last two years. A number of votes have been brought to the Board without passing through committee or presented with changes substantially different from the discussion agreed upon by its members (e.g., the vote to privatize the maintenance staff). Further, fewer meetings are retained for online viewing for constituents despite assurance of negligible difference in cost.. While an improvement over many neighboring districts, I think it is imperative for district transparency to not just be better, but to be the best reasonable version possible.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform. Communication, equity, and financial responsibility must strategically be addressed. Through my contributions and leadership, I look forward to supporting discussions and actions to address concerns of all stakeholders by partnering with the families, staff and community impacted by the success of OSD135. In my roles as an educator and auditor, my passion and capacity to foster clear, collaborative discussion of challenging content has amplified outcomes for students and invested stakeholders. In many cases, the Board has left out opportunities to provide and utilize data in their two-way communication process with the community. Opening the channels for informed two-way communication must be strategic, concise, and comprehensive. An essential priority for our students is ensuring equitable access, resources, and support to reach their highest level of success. Whether building or improving services for students in special and general education systems , supporting enrichment programs, or closing performance gaps across low-income and racial/ethnic groups, all students deserve our support to thrive within OSD 135. Last, but not least, it is necessary that we are not only cognizant of our commitment to fiscal responsibility, but that we strategically invest in our facilities, resources, , staff, and students to provide the greatest return on investment both academically for our students and in terms of increased property values for Orland stakeholders.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? As an educator, I implemented high leverage practices focused on real-world interdisciplinary collaborations. Students in my courses experienced exceptional growth through my supportive, innovative classroom techniques that were recognized by the district board of education. Additionally, I was able to serve in a leadership capacity as a presenter at the Illinois Computing Educators Conference. I earned multiple recognitions from my prior school board for my practices, and presented these techniques at local and state conferences.

As a union representative and negotiator, I successfully led a major restructuring of our contract to benefit the teaching and learning environment, while responsibly ensuring the long-term financial health of the district through solution-focused goal negotiations.

In my enterprise risk management and auditing role, I lead our team in analysis of both quantitative and qualitative feedback to ensure representation of all stakeholders in our strategic decision-making. My ability to form meaningful, trusting relationships that foster communication between individual contributors, management, and executives alike highlights my ability to ensure the voice I bring to the OSD 135 School Board accurately reflects those of our community.

Why should voters trust you? I am a lifelong resident of Orland Park and am deeply committed to improving our community. As a former educator trained in meeting the needs of all students, I am attuned to the incredible opportunity to support students in pursuing their passions and supporting their individual growth. Additionally, I embody the principles I speak to and have consistently volunteered in leadership roles through Parents for Education (PFE), the Finance and Operations Board Advisory Committee, coaching, Boy Scouts, and leading academic enrichment opportunities.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success? Currently, two of the ten schools in OSD 135 are classified by the Illinois State Board of Education as Exemplary, signifying the top 10% in the state based on eight indicators of academic success and school quality. Increasing the number of our schools identified as Exemplary while continuing to build on the successes throughout the district would define a successful tenure on the board. These eight indicators speak not only to the academic success of our students, but also represent the sense of community developed within the district and village.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking? Fiscal responsibility is a duty and expectation that every board member and administrator should feel beholden to. Programs, initiatives, and capital projects should be systematically reviewed for effectiveness and impact across indicators across shared community values. Tax dollars should focus on funding evidence-based measures to increase school performance as these gains provide the most tangible value to all Orland residents in the form of increasing property values. Lastly, through my experience I have come to learn that educational finance rules are marred by dense language, and the role of financial planning is left in the hands of a few individuals. Increasing the training and exposure for members of our Finance and Operations Board Advisory Committee as well as district administrators would expand our conversations to more actionable items to improve the long-term financial health of the district and ensure financial responsibility to the community we serve.

What are your thoughts on how the district has handled the COVID-19 pandemic? The district’s decision paralysis prevented students from returning in a timely and well-designed manner. There was no question that in-person instruction is the most effective for overall student achievement, but a lack of clear program design was glaring, especially when compared to the comprehensive, scenario-based plan communicated by other local districts. While many of the decisions OSD135 administrators made were dictated by mandates or insurance requirements, the elements that were within their control were not only poorly designed, but were communicated in a last-minute fashion that did little to effectively integrate community feedback.

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? The biggest challenges revolve around the communication and transparency of the policy regarding citizen comments at Board meetings. Clarifying the expectations and legal rationale for these policies could mitigate frustrations at the meetings themselves. Additionally, clearer channels for issue identification outside of the standard meeting for consideration on the agenda would also work to address the frustration often seen at these public meetings.

How do you feel about sex education being taught in school? Should an LGBTQ component be included, and why or why not? Legislation like HB-5188’s attempt to implement the National Sex Education Standards was not only age inappropriate for the standards suggested, but also was an overstep in regards to curriculum, which should be determined at the district level.

What are your views on critical race theory and whether it should be taught in the district? Critical race theory is not an age appropriate topic for elementary students and does not belong in District 135. To my knowledge, critical race theory is not present in any district curriculum nor is it being advocated for.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so? Although not a problem unique to OSD 135, there exists an achievement gap of around 15% between racial/ethnic groups which is currently better than the state average; however, that gap jumps to levels consistent with the state at 25% among students from low-income households. Even more concerning is the below state-level performance gap for our students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), which balloons to 33% in English-Language Arts. As a Board, we need to leverage our resources within and outside of the traditional classroom environment to bridge the achievement gap for our most vulnerable students while implementing consistent support to allow students to achieve their highest potential. It is imperative that we foster an inclusive environment, while providing the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the differences within our student population. When students feel part of the school community, they perform at a higher level.

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 district has done an amazing job of employing compassionate, innovative, and inspiring teachers who challenge and support OSD135 students. I feel incredibly privileged for the exemplary teachers who have challenged and nurtured my children as OSD135 students. To amplify the impact of our human capital within the district, a closer look at our current academic programing is required. The Illinois School Report Card shows a steady decline in measured performance each year from when students begin testing in 3rd grade until they leave our district as 8th graders. What’s more, this same trend is not seen at the same level at many of our neighboring districts like Palos CCSD 118, Lemont-Bromberek CSD 113A, Frankfort 157C, Mokena SD 159, or Homer CCSD 33C. If our Board does not hold district administration accountable for a thorough program review, we will continue to be outpaced, risk losing our outstanding educators, and face a continual decline of our programs.

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 ____________: When you meet someone, you can’t always make them like you, however, you can make sure they know that you respect them and heard what they had to say.