Jeanne Engelkemeir: District 73 School Board Candidate

Name: Jeanne Martinelli Engelkemeir

Age: 53

Family: Husband, Greg, Commercial Airlines Pilot; 9-year-old girl/boy twins, Brianna & Parker, 3rd grade Dual Language students; Rescues: Mustang yearling, "Caramel Fire"; Chihuhua-mix, "Manchas"; cats, "Bijou" and "Nick"; Mini-Rex rabbit, "Mr. Nibbles".

Education: MLS French, Lake Forest College 2011. MAT Secondary Education, National-Louis University 2002. MAT ESL (English as a Second Language)(all coursework) School for International Training 1997. MA Interdisciplinary Arts Education, Columbia College 1988. BS International Studies/Cross-Cultural Communications, School for International Training 1982.

Occupation: Certified classroom teacher (1980's -2012: Montessori school, middle school, public high school., alternative high school, community college, university; Chicago, suburban Chicago, South Korea, Senegal; English, ESL, TESOL, Oral Communications, Literature French (AP), Art, Cross-Cultural Studies) and at present, French Translator/French Customer Assistance and Creative Outreach for a small start-up, growing, international photography company.

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices: 2001-2003 District 214 Rolling Meadows High School Fine and Performing Arts Coordinator, Arts Unlimited Coordinator. 1993-95 State of Illinois Art Gallery Education Consultant. 1990-93 The Art Institute of Chicago Teacher Advisory Board Member. 1997-98 Korea TESOL National 2nd Vice President. 1997-98 Korea TESOL JALT (Japanese Association of Language Teachers) & ThaiTESOL (Thailand) Liaison. 1996-98 Korea TESOL “TEC” (The English Connection) Newsmagazine Cofounder & Editorial Board Member. 1996-98 Korea TESOL “TEC” “Cultural Corner” and “Name That Member” Columns Creator and Editor. 1996-98 Pan Asia Planning Committee Member (Japan, Korea, & Thailand) cosponsoring Pan Asian Conferences. 1996 Korea TESOL Pusan Chapter First Annual Mini-Conference Co-organizer and Cofounder. 1996-98 Pusan National University Faculty Advisor Korea TESOL Drama Team. 

Other community involvement: Kindergarten - present: Hawthorn Room Parent Coordinator and Party Volunteer, Classroom parent volunteer, Field Trip Chaperone, Art Adventure Volunteer. AFS (American Field Service) Student Exchange Program (former host family, former high school student abroad), Girl Scouts (former Troop Leader), Wild Horses/Mustang Advocate, Homeless Pets Advocate, ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Member, WIF (Women in French) Member, CHICTA (Chicago Area Translators and Interpreters) Member, ALTA (American Literary Translators Association) Member, MLA (Modern Languages Association) Member, AATF (American Association of Teachers of French) Member.

Position sought: Hawthorn Townline District 73 School Board Member

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Why are you running?

I am running because I wanted to be proactive in our school district! I’d spent so much time appearing before the board speaking out on various issues over the past couple of years (Spanish language, After School club, Teacher/Aide cuts), that while I’d thought I’d never want to be in the position of those school board members, when I was asked why I wasn’t running, I guess I thought about it and realized that it would be a way to be proactive!

Also, this is the first time I’m actually not teaching in my own classroom, either in a part time or long term temporary position, as I’ve been doing over the past nine years, after having resigned from my full-time permanent position after the premature birth of my girl/boy twins. 

And perhaps most importantly why I’m getting involved, why I’m running for school board, is because I’m modeling for my own children the kind of empowerment I want them to have, to feel, to make and be in their own lives – I want them to feel like they can have a say, can make a difference, can “be the change we want to see in the world” – not just sit back and complain or become bitter or apathetic. Our world does not get better – does not become the kind of place we want it to be if we don’t ALL take some kind of action – whatever that might be --- however big or small a role we might play! (Maybe it comes from being the oldest of five children growing up (!) and fighting to be heard, while championing the causes of my brothers or sister!)

In what ways would the school district benefit from your service? 

I’m passionate, I’m fair, and I’m not afraid to ask questions or do work or research to make sure that what’s what is so or not. . . I LOVE talking to people, and I love sharing and exchanging ideas and information. 

I’m not afraid to try new things – I’m not afraid to tweak or keep current structures or systems. I want to look at a whole picture and grasp what makes the most sense. What works, what could be better. “Change is the only constant reality” is a little “credo” I came up with, while undergoing the most experiential gut-opening time of my life as a high school year-long AFS exchange student to New Zealand.

The subtleties involved in “Change” can be on the more intense end of the scale, like the move my family and I are currently undergoing from one home to another (still in district!), to the less stressful end of the scale, like the sun sets and the moon rises – honestly change is inevitable, a natural innate part of our life, of our being, and I strongly believe that change does not, or is not inherently “bad” or “scary” or “negative” but for different security levels and needs people have, it can feel more threatening at some times than at others. I feel that the more confidence and TRUST we as a community have in our district and board, teachers, staff and children, the more we can genuinely work together to create whatever – however big or small – any “change” might be. 

Creative problem solving and critical thinking skills are strong assets, especially cultivated from my path of global educational experiences, from teaching and attending university in Senegal, West Africa, to teaching in South Korea, and traveling around eastern Asia speaking at and educating other teachers at international conferences. (Besides high school abroad in New Zealand as already mentioned.) 

I would bring all this and more to benefit our children via Hawthorn District 73 School Board!

What is the biggest challenge the school district faces and what should be done to address it?

The biggest challenge our school district faces is “change.” And I don’t mean that in a scary or a silly way. But just in the way of it all comes down to how you frame it. Are we embracing our opportunity to move on and become even better than what we have been in the past?

Or are we finger-pointing and casting blame for what’s been done “or not” before? Or are we educating ourselves to calmly look at current situations (AYP) for options, while looking historically and big picture to see what “AYP” (or any issue/concern) means within context? Are we factoring in how other outstanding districts around us are all in this same boat, so as to not freak out or escalate “crisis”?

Why not frame it as what exciting challenging times we are facing, to meet our District goals as verbalized a few years ago at our weekend Future Search planning conference, and doing so within given financial constraints? How do we change those financial limitations? For example, what about some kind of an educational foundation, set up to help offset costs to the district, for our kids, as the District financial task force has started fleshing out.

How to we sincerely create and improve learning across the board for all our children – at all ends of the skill level and learning ability scale – those having special needs to be met, be it best so with an aide to attend class in a regular classroom, or those needing more challenge for greater learning. What about our Dual Language children needing a learning experience continuing throughout all of their elementary years and middle school years – not just stopping short at grade five, to be a gap until high school, where loss has surely occurred while not keeping up the momentum of the immersion started in K-5.

The biggest challenge our district faces is simply to keep all our children in mind and think what and how will this best benefit our children, and not be afraid of the tweaking it takes to make that fit for our Dual Language kids, or our “mainstream” students, or “special needs” or “gifted/talented” students. Labels can be such a pain and are scary with issues of their own, but for lack of better explaining right now – we have to assure ourselves as parents, and all stakeholders in our district that we can and will work together and communicate and validate everyone’s needs as best we can so that no one will feel like they are having anything rammed down their throats or being pushed upon them, but that we as models for all our children, and for the world we want them and us to create in the name of justice and fairness – we will come up with a working structure – a functional synthesis of all our best practices and ideals. Not a win/lose or give/take, where it sounds like there are winners and losers – but a new way of engaging where people can have the confidence to fully connect together to be the best we can be together. Simply put, Maria Montessori, the great Italian educator said, “Follow the child.” And so we shall as a district, to see that the children receive the support and services they need to grow into the kind of compassionate and humane individuals we need to service our globe!

What do you think the district does well?

And the district does well at hiring amazing teachers. AMAZING FABULOUS TEACHERS who love, love, love our children and give give and give of themselves!! Our district has also done an amazing job of keeping our arts, music, and physical education program – those ever so important subjects for our students. Our wonderful art teachers, working above and beyond again, for our kids, with programs like “Artsonia” and the District 73 Student Art Show currently hanging at Aspen Drive. And the wonderful jumping rope for heart health the PE teachers involved our students in. The “Girls on the Run” after school program for our girls, led by our teachers totally volunteering their time and effort! And the district does well at trying new things! Yes! For as much as complaints and criticism can be levied at “They’d tried the International Baccalaureate and that didn’t work” or “There are buses running around all over the place for the different ‘choice’ schools that aren’t any different from one another”, the district has always at least tried! There’s been a willingness and openness to excel for the sake of our children.

That same strength of commitment for the best learning possible for all our district kids will continue to guide us for the best possible future of all our children.

What should be some of the school district’s priorities over the next four years?

Priorities as always – the children first. The children first for the best environment to learn. Learning and growing in all styles and variations studies have shown us that learners do differently – not just teaching to a standardized test that destroys the richness and diversity of our learners and proves nothing other than the country and state in efforts to “do something” have taken another stab at “a standardized test” to “prove learning”.

“Proving learning” is a much more slippery steep curve than any one standardized test can show you. Studies over and over again have proved how ethereal and mysterious “true” learning really is to measure and prove! It occurs not in any kind of linear fashion, but may seem to be a delay, then have a great burst and “gain” then may slow down again – or “learning” may manifest through drawing in one child, and in verbal retelling in another. So, our district must find that fine line between meeting state and national “benchmarks” as they send them down – while at the real heart of the issue, know our own children and how they each uniquely must be allowed room and support to grow and develop in their own style. . . If each child can at least have her or his own feet planted in the ground of the strength and the right to their own voice being heard, then they will be able to walk forward and sing – no matter what language --throughout their lifetime, sometimes in unison, sometimes alone, but always in step, allowing for updates and recharges along the way, as feedback that we as a district are doing as mandated.

What else would you like voters to know?

We are fortunate – we don’t have students simply being passed from grade to grade, without the ability to read or perform simple math problems. We have teachers who don’t just “show up and collect a pay check.” We have parents who care, and teachers and staff who really care, and administrators, a superintendant, and school board members who care, too. As a community we come together to inspire our children to learn and always want to do more. To do their best. As a school board member I strongly believe that is our job – to genuinely work with all community members – to advocate for the best learning experience possible for each and every unique and different child in our district. No students falling through the cracks. No teachers feeling unsupported, no parents feeling voiceless or powerless. We can do this together. And why not. I am willing to play my part. To do my share. 150%+!!! I am here. We are all here together. I am accessible, open, and dedicated to working on behalf of our children’s best interests and welfare. . . My family and I love this district and our teachers. And our community of fellow families and friends. Thank you!