Meet Meagan Doornbos: Kirby School District 140 Candidate

TINLEY PARK, IL — Meet Meagan Doornbos, write-in school board candidate for Kirby School District 140. The Consolidated Elections are April 6.

Doornbos recently filled out the Patch candidate survey, and her answers can be seen below.

If you are a candidate for the April election, and would like to answer our Patch candidate questionnaire, please email yasmeen.sheikah@patch.com.

Meagan Doornbos

Age (as of election)

39

Town/city of residence

Tinley Park

School District

KSD 140

Family

I am happily married to my husband, Paul Zima (40). We have two daughters, Emily (15), who is a freshman at Andrew High School and Adelyn (11), who is in sixth grade at Grissom Middle School

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education

Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education- Saint Xavier University, Chicago, IL *Masters of Education with Emphasis on Administration-Type 75 Certification-Concordia University, River Forest, IL

Occupation

For the last 5 years, I have served as the Assistant Principal at Palos South Middle School in District 118.

Campaign website

https://www.doornbosforkirby140.com

Previous or current elected or appointed office

None

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The obvious answer here is providing in-person learning to students for a full day of school. I have been advocating for a safe full day return to school since the fall. Because the District is planning to bring students back for a full day beginning April 7th, I will move to the next pressing issue. The social and emotional wellbeing of our students is my greatest concern. While we have resources like Second Step, I do not believe that the current implementation of this program or teaching of these standards are rooted in best practice. Currently, the building counselors are delivering this instruction which limits the opportunities for students to personally connect with multiple adults within their buildings. In order for there to be a true sense of classroom and school community, all members of the staff must be vested in such learning. This way, these important lessons can be emphasized across all areas of our schools. Additionally, I see great merit in adopting a social/emotional screening tool to help staff identify students who are at-risk or in need of additional support. Screening tools are important for schools to utilize whether we are experiencing a global pandemic or not. There is direct correlation between carrying out Social Emotional Learning (SEL) programs effectively and academic success. It is no secret that the achievement and opportunity gaps in education have widened during this pandemic. While the district will need to work to first identify those gaps and create action plans for closing those gaps, it would be in the District’s best interest to provide professional development to all staff. This way, they can adequately address the impact school closing, remote learning, and the pandemic have had on our children.

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

While some of the candidates have experience in serving on the board, I believe it is time for a fresh voice and forward vision in our district. As mentioned previously, I have experience wearing multiple hats in the field of education.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

As mentioned, I stand for enhancing our current Social/Emotional Learning programming and creating a shared vision for supporting all learners in a post-pandemic world. Additionally, I believe the District needs to develop a transparent communication plan to meet the needs of all stakeholders, and provide the highest standard of education while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

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

In the last 16 years, I have served in multiple roles in the field of education. For the first seven years of my journey, I was a proud classroom teacher who met the needs of all types of learners. After attaining my Masters in Educational Leadership, I moved on to serve as the Dean of Students for four years. In this role, I recognized the need for creating a cultural diversity committee so that our school community could embrace each other’s differences, learn about cultures other than our own, and create a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. For the last five years, I have served as an Assistant Principal. In the last two years, our building has earned an Exemplary Rating (Top 10% of schools in the state) based on Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In addition, we also received National Recognition for becoming a Say Something School. This award is given to only 6 schools in the nation who demonstrate excellence in violence prevention programming. This award was earned based on the important work I facilitated being a huge proponent for student safety and social and emotional well-being. I consider my greatest achievements as a leader in education a direct result of my daily interactions with students.

Why should voters trust you?

Voters should trust me because I am a true champion for kids. I believe that it is time that we put our kids first and politics aside in public education. Not only that, but I am educated in the field and am not afraid to ask critical questions and challenge the status quo. I believe that there is always room for improvement, and that we need to take a hard look in the mirror and be honest with ourselves if we are truly looking to grow.

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

I believe in having high expectations, striving for excellence, and accountability.
Currently, two of our seven schools have earned Exemplary summative designations based on Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). I would like all seven of our schools to earn Exemplary summative designations during my term in office.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

I believe that the spending of District dollars should be aligned to the District’s Improvement Goals or Strategic Plan. As a Board Member, it is our duty to review financial reports and approve budgets.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

I believe in racial equality everywhere. I also support the right to attend or participate in a peaceful demonstration.

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 do not think our current board has done enough to support racial equity. To my knowledge, our district does not have a Cultural Diversity Committee. I believe that we should be looking to form this committee as a starting point. This will help the District approach decision making from various perspectives, and in turn, will support the mission of ALL KIDS CAN.

What are your thoughts on the district’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic? Are you in favor of remote learning, in-person learning or a hybrid of the two? Do you support a mask mandate for students and school staff, or mandatory coronavirus testing for both students and staff?

Personally, I feel as though the District should have been looking to bring our students back for a full day of in-person instruction far sooner than they are. I am in favor of offering in-person and remote options for families. This allows families to make an election based on their comfort levels. I support a mask mandate for all students and staff during this time. I do not feel that mandatory testing for students and staff is necessary. The safety precautions the district is following such as the self-certification process and daily temperature taking have proven to work considering we have not had any transmission within our schools.

When the vaccine is available to them, do you support mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for students and staff?

I personally believe that getting the COVID-19 vaccination should be an individual’s choice.

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

I look forward to 4 years or more of service to our community!

The best advice ever shared with me was ____________

Stand up for what is right even if you are standing alone.