Orland District 135 Board Candidate Patti Thanos: Election '23

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Name: Patti Thanos

Age as of Election Day: 50

Town/city of residence: Orland Park

School district: District 135

Family: Pete Thanos - Husband, 54 / Corissa Thanos - Daughter, 20 / Alexis Thanos - Daughter, 16

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

Education: Masters of Science - Information Technology

Occupation: Applications Developer, 28 years

Campaign website: https://135united.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 most pressing issue is declining performance, which has been reflected in lower test scores relative to surrounding districts. I would like to reinstate the ABC grading, which encourages and rewards hard-working students. Along with this, I would like to enhance the peer-to-peer tutor programs for students who may be struggling, and celebrate students who take on these challenges. I believe this will ultimately lead to higher test scores overall.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post? I want to see more local control over our school policies and curriculum. Instead of blindly adopting federal and state recommendations, I will look for input from our community, parents and local tax-payers, and re-instate strategies that work for our children.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district? In recent observations, the current board has tried to help students and parents understand Standard Based Grading, while our school performance continues to decline since it was implemented. Not once, have I heard anyone suggest going back to ABC grading, which was working. If students and parents are still struggling since the implementation in 2017, I don't see any amount of work will help SBG to succeed.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform. I bring leadership skills with a strong desire to work collaboratively. I have been able to bring teams together in the past, and I believe this quality can add value to the current board to benefit our children, families and community.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? I have the ability to learn and understand a variety of different situations. I have been at the same telecommunications company for over 28 years. In that time, I held a variety of different roles, including but no limited to Call Center Representative, Call Center Manager, Project Manager, and most recently Applications Developer. I managed a team of Union Employees for 11 years during that time. I am familiar with negotiating contract terms and was actively involved in collective bargaining agreements.

Why should voters trust you? I am a mom with children who have been publicly educated. I am confident I can relate to and understand issues from all grades.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success? 1) An increase in performance objectively measured by student proficiency scores and their performance in high school, 2) an increase in extra-curricular program participation which helps broaden a child’s educational experience and 3) implementation of a successful peer-to-peer tutor program(s).

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking? District 135 is the largest single tax line on a residents’ property tax bill. We need to be responsible with taxpayer money and spend it wisely to have the best performing schools we can. Additionally, the state does not meet its constitutional funding mandates. I will work with our local elected officials to pressure our state representatives to meet their funding obligations which help us provide property tax relief to our residents.

What are your thoughts on how the district has handled the COVID-19 pandemic? I believe the board poorly handled the pandemic. They were among the last to go back to school and end forced masking. Their stated reason was to receive American Rescue Plan funding, which was not true. Public schools in the region that offered full-time and mask optional attendance received ARP funding.

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? We need more transparency, not less. It is up to the board to control the meetings (after all they are business meetings) while still listening to parents and residents. The board sets the tone by disagreeing respectfully, not maliciously.

How do you feel about sex education being taught in school? Should an LGBTQ component be included, and why or why not? Age appropriate sex and health education should be taught, with an option for parents to opt out. Additionally, while some of what is in the national sex education standards makes sense, some of it does not. This is where the board needs to exert local control and ensure that inappropriate subject matter is not taught. Sexuality should be a discussion between parents and children. The school should not interfere with parental rights and responsibilities. Therefore, D135 should not engage in teacher-led LGBTQ discussions.

What are your views on critical race theory and whether it should be taught in the district? Absolutely not. Children need to be taught history, the good and the bad, but should not divided on race.

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

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? Go back to ABC grading as previously explained. Standards Based Grading has been a failure and school performance has declined.

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 ____________: My grandfather, Sam once told me to make everyone feel important. He said, "People will probably forget most or all words you speak, but they will ALWAYS remember how you made them feel".