Orland D135 Board Candidate Linda Peckham Dodge: Election '23

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Name: Linda Peckham Dodge

Age as of Election Day: 63

Town/city of residence: Orland Park

School district: Orland District 135

Family: Married. Daughter 31, Son 16 attending Carl Sandburg High School.

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

Education: Bachelor's degree from Duke University

Occupation: 40+ years in professional services

Campaign website: Linda4d135.com

Previous or current elected or appointed office: Current board member for Orland School District 135. Have been in the office for 6 years, currently Board President.

The most pressing issues facing our (board, district, etc.) are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them. The first and foremost issue is keeping the strong academic growth of our students going. The latest round of testing (MAP) shows great progress. The strength of our curriculum and additional programs like expanded summer school, and academic camps are working. Our intervention process identifies when kids are struggling and gets them the attention they need to succeed. The majority of our kids go to Carl Sandburg High School in District 230. The folks at Sandburg tell us our kids are ready for high school and doing great.

The second focus is our staff. There is a teacher shortage and our district moved up our hiring schedule to get a head start. It has worked and we're getting excellent candidates. We continue to struggle with support staff positions like paraprofessionals and custodians. All the hourly wages were raised in the new contract and that is helping. Our bus company has also had to raise pay rates as the bus driver shortage continues.

We have plans to expand 5 of our school buildings. These projects bring a much needed gym and classrooms to an intermediate school, Physical education space for one of our junior highs and additional classroom space for 3 of our other buildings.

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

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform. We need to put the children, families, staff and taxpayers ahead of any political agenda. The Board of Education needs to remain an independent board, free of any outside political interference.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? I have been a board member for six years. Our accomplishments include the formation of Board Advisory Committees. The committees include staff, parents and community members and advise the board on policy, finances, curriculum, etc. We also reorganized administrative staff for ongoing savings of over $1 million annually. Two of my years of service were during the pandemic, arguably the most difficult time to serve as a board of education member in recent memory.

Why should voters trust you? During my tenure on the Orland 135 board, transparency to the people of Orland Park grew exponentially. Our board meetings are live-streamed, we discuss issues in public, and decisions are made on the board floor. We have committees, which include staff members, parents and community members which are also live-streamed. Our full curriculum is available for review.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success? First and foremost, seeing our kids continue to succeed academically, socially and in High School. Next would be successful completion of our building projects while managing the money well to minimize the impact on taxpayers. All of this supports strong property values.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking? The number one source of funds for our schools comes from local property taxes. Orland 135 has one of the lowest tax rates as a percent of the tax bill and debt ratios in southern Cook County. We spend our tax money as close to our students as possible. This is evident by the fact that OSD135 has one of the fewest number of administrators to students, fourth best in Cook County. Many people don't know the reason your property taxes are high is because the State of Illinois, as detailed in the state constitution, is supposed to provide a majority of funding for education. They do not and haven't in over 40+ years.

What are your thoughts on how the district has handled the COVID-19 pandemic? Like almost all other districts and a vast majority of private schools, District 135 operated under a strict public health mandate, and we worked with all stakeholder groups to get the kids back in school as soon as possible. Receipt of Esser funds had no influence on when we went back to school and there was no masking requirement to receive the Esser funds.

No competent, responsible board should ignore the advice of legal counsel and the district's insurance companies. To do so would put millions of taxpayers' hard-earned dollars at risk, money meant for the education of the children of Orland Park.

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 changes needed because this was not an issue at our meetings. We have always provided a reasonable amount time for public comment, our meetings are live-streamed and everyone on the board is reachable via email.

How do you feel about sex education being taught in school? Should an LGBTQ component be included, and why or why not? District 135 is one of the 77% of districts that opted out of the state sex standards. I believe in local control of this issue.

What are your views on critical race theory and whether it should be taught in the district? Critical race theory is not and should not be taught in District 135. Our full curriculum - all grades - is available to review. Just call the District Office and make an appointment.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so? Yes, District 135 values every child.

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? We have 10 schools in Orland Park. In the last Illinois report card, 2 of our schools were rated Exceptional and 8 were rated Commendable. Our latest test (MAP) score growth support that our efforts in the classroom are working. There is always room for improvement, which is why we have a committee, which includes staff, parents and community members focused on this. The district is implementing new resources for our math curriculum, and our committee has been discussing a review of our reading curriculum.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family? None.

The best advice ever shared with me was ____________: Remember to take time to smell the roses.