(Vote for 3 of 4)
Louise Dechovitz
Sumit Dhar
Gretchen Witte Glader
Dr. Robyn L. Schiffman
Sumit Dhar
Gretchen Witte Glader
Dr. Robyn L. Schiffman
Louise Dechovitz
Biography
I am currently serving my first term on the Avoca D37 School Board, and have been the Vice President for the last two years. Prior to this I was very active on the Parent Teacher Council for over 4 years and served on its Executive Board for two years. I am an international tax consultant by training and worked for Ernst & Young and Deloitte & Touche for 17 years. I am a Wilmette resident and have two children in 5th and 7th grades.
Voter Guide Responses
What do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to the Board of Education? Please explain why these goals are priorities for you.
If I am re-elected to a second term on the D37 Board of Education, I will continue the good work of the School Board in helping the District balance competing financial priorities while maintaining focus on all activities that directly impact the education of our children. In addition, I will work with fellow Board members to help our District build upon its commitment to maximizing the unique potential of every child in core academics, in the arts, in our high achieving and special needs students, and in our community values. Another priority is to ensure we maintain our position as a highly attractive place to work and build a career in education so that we continue to attract and retain the best faculty for our District.
How would you approach the next budget and tax levy cycles given the current financial picture of the district and its short-term and long-term needs?
I have served on the Finance Committee for the last two years, and our priority has always been to consistently monitor our principles and the framework through which we consider financial priorities for the District. While we may not know the specifics of any future changes in Springfield, we do know as a community what is important to us, which elements of education are non-negotiable, and where there might be opportunities to be creative in areas outside of classroom spending. Our priority continues to be to shield our children from any negative effects of potential funding changes and ensure the absolute best educational experience for them. Our District is currently operating at a deficit, and we have been looking thoughtfully and creatively at ways in which we can better balance revenues and expenditures to plan our way out of the deficit position.
What if any changes would like to see in the way District 37 handles school security, either in security procedures or in communications to the community?
A school district’s number one priority is the safety and well-being of its children. The Avoca School District continues to work collaboratively with local law enforcement on regularly reviewing and updating security procedures, consistent with the values of our community, as new strategies evolve to better protect our children and personnel. In addition, the District engages security consultants and based on their input, security updates are made to our buildings. Every year, our Administration carefully reviews and communicates with our families school policy regarding admittance to our buildings. Security is our priority.
What is your view on the current plan for the Avoca Center? Consider the extent to which it appropriately balances the financial needs of the district with the expressed wishes of the community.
In the last couple of years, we have consulted with the community in relation to the strategy for the Avoca Center property. Our objective has been two-fold: to ensure the land remains available to the Avoca community in the years to come, and to agree a solution that is financially viable for the District. The current plan is to lease the land to another educational institution, thereby retaining ownership of the property for the long-term in the most cost-effective manner. We are creating an income stream for the future while making the newly created playing fields available for use by students and community.
What other challenges or issues do you think are affecting the schools at this time, and how would you recommend that the Board of Education address them?
The biggest challenge affecting schools is to ensure that they operate within the financial means of their community while providing the best education for their children. It is incumbent upon a School Board for all of its members to work collaboratively, responsibly and respectfully to carry out the mission of its District.
I am currently serving my first term on the Avoca D37 School Board, and have been the Vice President for the last two years. Prior to this I was very active on the Parent Teacher Council for over 4 years and served on its Executive Board for two years. I am an international tax consultant by training and worked for Ernst & Young and Deloitte & Touche for 17 years. I am a Wilmette resident and have two children in 5th and 7th grades.
Voter Guide Responses
What do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to the Board of Education? Please explain why these goals are priorities for you.
If I am re-elected to a second term on the D37 Board of Education, I will continue the good work of the School Board in helping the District balance competing financial priorities while maintaining focus on all activities that directly impact the education of our children. In addition, I will work with fellow Board members to help our District build upon its commitment to maximizing the unique potential of every child in core academics, in the arts, in our high achieving and special needs students, and in our community values. Another priority is to ensure we maintain our position as a highly attractive place to work and build a career in education so that we continue to attract and retain the best faculty for our District.
How would you approach the next budget and tax levy cycles given the current financial picture of the district and its short-term and long-term needs?
I have served on the Finance Committee for the last two years, and our priority has always been to consistently monitor our principles and the framework through which we consider financial priorities for the District. While we may not know the specifics of any future changes in Springfield, we do know as a community what is important to us, which elements of education are non-negotiable, and where there might be opportunities to be creative in areas outside of classroom spending. Our priority continues to be to shield our children from any negative effects of potential funding changes and ensure the absolute best educational experience for them. Our District is currently operating at a deficit, and we have been looking thoughtfully and creatively at ways in which we can better balance revenues and expenditures to plan our way out of the deficit position.
What if any changes would like to see in the way District 37 handles school security, either in security procedures or in communications to the community?
A school district’s number one priority is the safety and well-being of its children. The Avoca School District continues to work collaboratively with local law enforcement on regularly reviewing and updating security procedures, consistent with the values of our community, as new strategies evolve to better protect our children and personnel. In addition, the District engages security consultants and based on their input, security updates are made to our buildings. Every year, our Administration carefully reviews and communicates with our families school policy regarding admittance to our buildings. Security is our priority.
What is your view on the current plan for the Avoca Center? Consider the extent to which it appropriately balances the financial needs of the district with the expressed wishes of the community.
In the last couple of years, we have consulted with the community in relation to the strategy for the Avoca Center property. Our objective has been two-fold: to ensure the land remains available to the Avoca community in the years to come, and to agree a solution that is financially viable for the District. The current plan is to lease the land to another educational institution, thereby retaining ownership of the property for the long-term in the most cost-effective manner. We are creating an income stream for the future while making the newly created playing fields available for use by students and community.
What other challenges or issues do you think are affecting the schools at this time, and how would you recommend that the Board of Education address them?
The biggest challenge affecting schools is to ensure that they operate within the financial means of their community while providing the best education for their children. It is incumbent upon a School Board for all of its members to work collaboratively, responsibly and respectfully to carry out the mission of its District.
Sumit Dhar
Biography
Sumitrajit (Sumit Dhar) is a Professor and Department Chair at Northwestern University. Sumit and his wife Julia have lived in the Avoca district since 2012 with their two children (currently in 3rd and 7th grades). Sumit would bring his professional and administrative experience in higher education as well as his experience serving on several not-for-profit boards to the District 37 Board of Education.
Voter Guide Responses
What do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to the Board of Education? Please explain why these goals are priorities for you.
If elected, the beginning of my term would coincide with the initiation of new leadership at the district. I would put forth every effort to help the new superintendent get acquainted with the needs and aspirations of our school district. Essentially the new members of the board and the superintendent and Director of Pupil Services, key leaders in the school district, will together start their Avoca journeys in governance and management, respectively. The opportunity to be a part of this renewal is exciting to me and I look forward to participating in that process. Continued fiscal prudence and strategic deficit reduction as well as investment is going to remain important. I look forward to understanding our budget in even more detail and assisting the board in the continued drive to achieve our educational goals without jeopardizing fiscal stability. I am committed to making broad opportunities in STEM, humanities, and language arts available to our students. I will collaborate with the board in ensuring continued emphasis on evidence-based, age appropriate use of technology in the classroom. Finally, I would like to assist the board and the school district in forming meaningful connections with the community of scholarship related to education and development around us. The goal there would be to seek every advantage to ensure that our school district is a national leader in implementing best practice.
How would you approach the next budget and tax levy cycles given the current financial picture of the district and its short-term and long-term needs?
Through deliberation with district leadership and other stakeholders, the board of education will have to continue the journey of deficit reduction without sacrificing educational opportunities. The board will have to understand the aspirations of the leaders of the school district as well as the teachers. It will then be the board’s responsibility to create a collaborative environment where the highest priorities and the most impactful programs are supported. This may well require creative and new approaches to diversifying revenue streams. My priority will be to ensure that opportunities are available to Avoca students as we balance budgetary stressors against educational and developmental goals. Strategic investments will have to be made keeping the interests of the entire community including those who do not have students in the schools.
What if any changes would like to see in the way District 37 handles school security, either in security procedures or in communications to the community?
While I have a lot more to learn about the intricacies of school security, my experiences so far have been satisfactory and reassuring. The entry procedures, screening, routing of guests have clearly been thought through by experts in this domain. Thus, I would like to pursue a path of continued vigilance with unfettered optimism about the common sense and practical sensibility of our community.
What is your view on the current plan for the Avoca Center? Consider the extent to which it appropriately balances the financial needs of the district with the expressed wishes of the community.
I believe the current plan for the Avoca Center exhibits a wonderful balancing of the variety of opinions and desires expressed by the community. The land will remain public. If the agreement in the works comes to fruition, the cost of demolishing the building and landscaping to create athletic or activity fields will be available. The current plan is a solution that allows the district and the community to continue to think creatively about the Avoca Center property.
What other challenges or issues do you think are affecting the schools at this time, and how would you recommend that the Board of Education address them?
Overall, the Avoca schools are exemplary, as endorsed by the community as well as organizations evaluating school standards. However, past success should not allow complacency in the present. The board of education, the community, district leadership, teachers, and staff have to continually maintain a growth mindset. Having spent my entire career in higher education, I am keenly aware of the rapid pace of innovation in the domain. The challenge then is in keeping abreast of these changes and being
able to identify practices worth implementing. This will require actively learning about new developments in the educational space and implementing practices that are most supported by evidence. We should consider setting our sights on meaningful outcome metrics that span the immediate-, medium-, and long-term success of our students.
My experience of having served on several not-for-profit boards I have come to understand that organizations function in a rapidly changing communication landscape today. Views become news and words spread faster than light. Leaders of our school district try their best to keep up with this speed of information dissemination. However, this can distract our leaders from their primary purpose and responsibilities. As a district we need to find regular avenues of information and opinion exchange between district leadership, the board of education, and the community at large. This is pivotal to ensure that a relationship of trust and confidence is maintained. I will put in every effort to build and sustain a collaborative environment with transparent and dependable communication channels between all stakeholders. Having lived through the Avoca experience between the community preschool and the seventh grade with our two children, I truly appreciate and cherish the asset that our schools are to our community. If elected, I will put in every effort to serve the board and represent the community to the best of my ability.
Sumitrajit (Sumit Dhar) is a Professor and Department Chair at Northwestern University. Sumit and his wife Julia have lived in the Avoca district since 2012 with their two children (currently in 3rd and 7th grades). Sumit would bring his professional and administrative experience in higher education as well as his experience serving on several not-for-profit boards to the District 37 Board of Education.
Voter Guide Responses
What do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to the Board of Education? Please explain why these goals are priorities for you.
If elected, the beginning of my term would coincide with the initiation of new leadership at the district. I would put forth every effort to help the new superintendent get acquainted with the needs and aspirations of our school district. Essentially the new members of the board and the superintendent and Director of Pupil Services, key leaders in the school district, will together start their Avoca journeys in governance and management, respectively. The opportunity to be a part of this renewal is exciting to me and I look forward to participating in that process. Continued fiscal prudence and strategic deficit reduction as well as investment is going to remain important. I look forward to understanding our budget in even more detail and assisting the board in the continued drive to achieve our educational goals without jeopardizing fiscal stability. I am committed to making broad opportunities in STEM, humanities, and language arts available to our students. I will collaborate with the board in ensuring continued emphasis on evidence-based, age appropriate use of technology in the classroom. Finally, I would like to assist the board and the school district in forming meaningful connections with the community of scholarship related to education and development around us. The goal there would be to seek every advantage to ensure that our school district is a national leader in implementing best practice.
How would you approach the next budget and tax levy cycles given the current financial picture of the district and its short-term and long-term needs?
Through deliberation with district leadership and other stakeholders, the board of education will have to continue the journey of deficit reduction without sacrificing educational opportunities. The board will have to understand the aspirations of the leaders of the school district as well as the teachers. It will then be the board’s responsibility to create a collaborative environment where the highest priorities and the most impactful programs are supported. This may well require creative and new approaches to diversifying revenue streams. My priority will be to ensure that opportunities are available to Avoca students as we balance budgetary stressors against educational and developmental goals. Strategic investments will have to be made keeping the interests of the entire community including those who do not have students in the schools.
What if any changes would like to see in the way District 37 handles school security, either in security procedures or in communications to the community?
While I have a lot more to learn about the intricacies of school security, my experiences so far have been satisfactory and reassuring. The entry procedures, screening, routing of guests have clearly been thought through by experts in this domain. Thus, I would like to pursue a path of continued vigilance with unfettered optimism about the common sense and practical sensibility of our community.
What is your view on the current plan for the Avoca Center? Consider the extent to which it appropriately balances the financial needs of the district with the expressed wishes of the community.
I believe the current plan for the Avoca Center exhibits a wonderful balancing of the variety of opinions and desires expressed by the community. The land will remain public. If the agreement in the works comes to fruition, the cost of demolishing the building and landscaping to create athletic or activity fields will be available. The current plan is a solution that allows the district and the community to continue to think creatively about the Avoca Center property.
What other challenges or issues do you think are affecting the schools at this time, and how would you recommend that the Board of Education address them?
Overall, the Avoca schools are exemplary, as endorsed by the community as well as organizations evaluating school standards. However, past success should not allow complacency in the present. The board of education, the community, district leadership, teachers, and staff have to continually maintain a growth mindset. Having spent my entire career in higher education, I am keenly aware of the rapid pace of innovation in the domain. The challenge then is in keeping abreast of these changes and being
able to identify practices worth implementing. This will require actively learning about new developments in the educational space and implementing practices that are most supported by evidence. We should consider setting our sights on meaningful outcome metrics that span the immediate-, medium-, and long-term success of our students.
My experience of having served on several not-for-profit boards I have come to understand that organizations function in a rapidly changing communication landscape today. Views become news and words spread faster than light. Leaders of our school district try their best to keep up with this speed of information dissemination. However, this can distract our leaders from their primary purpose and responsibilities. As a district we need to find regular avenues of information and opinion exchange between district leadership, the board of education, and the community at large. This is pivotal to ensure that a relationship of trust and confidence is maintained. I will put in every effort to build and sustain a collaborative environment with transparent and dependable communication channels between all stakeholders. Having lived through the Avoca experience between the community preschool and the seventh grade with our two children, I truly appreciate and cherish the asset that our schools are to our community. If elected, I will put in every effort to serve the board and represent the community to the best of my ability.
Gretchen Witte Glader
Biography
My name is Gretchen Witte Glader. I have lived in the Avoca School District for 9 years. I have one son who is 30. I am a psychotherapist and a retired school social worker. In my career I have been interested and active in education, I’ve taught at the pre-school level and at the university level, tutored for elementary and middle school gifted kids, and have worked as a social worker in schools at levels from pre-primary through high school. I am running for the school board because I feel it’s a responsibility of community members to be useful to that community in the best way they can, using the skill sets they have.
Voter Guide Responses
What do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to the Board of Education? Please explain why these goals are priorities for you.
I believe a school board member should possess these three qualities: An open and curious mind, A willingness to be an active part of the discussion at hand and, an ability to be a true representative of the community
How would you approach the next budget and tax levy cycles given the current financial picture of the district and its short-term and long-term needs?
If I’m elected to the school board my approach will be to be actively engaged in the decision making process and form my opinions with a measured thoughtful stance, making every effort to fully understand the needs of the communities that form District #37.
What if any changes would like to see in the way District 37 handles school security, either in security procedures or in communications to the community?
If I’m elected to the school board my approach will be to be actively engaged in the decision making process and form my opinions with a measured thoughtful stance, making every effort to fully understand the needs of the communities that form District #37.
What is your view on the current plan for the Avoca Center? Consider the extent to which it appropriately balances the financial needs of the district with the expressed wishes of the community.
I believe that the district’s decision making process regarding the Avoca center was sound.
What other challenges or issues do you think are affecting the schools at this time, and how would you recommend that the Board of Education address them? If I were to list the three most important issues facing our district they would be:
1. Finances
2. Community engagement
3. A smooth transition for the new superintendent
Dr. Robyn L. Schiffman
Biography
Dr. Robyn L. Schiffman has over 20 years of experience in Higher Education, as a Literature professor, Associate Director of a Religious Studies Program, and as an Academic Dean at three institutions (public, private, and now at a community college). Her Ph.D. is from the University of Chicago. While her academic background is in the Humanities, she oversees the Early Childhood and Elementary Education programs at her current school. She has 3 children at Avoca and has lived in the district for 6 years.
Voter Guide Responses
What do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to the Board of Education? Please explain why these goals are priorities for you.
I hope to increase community engagement. Board of Trustee meetings should be packed with community members. Our Parent Teacher Council should not have to scramble for leadership. I hope to effectively communicate what the Board of Trustees does and create dialogues so that constituents can learn more. Since our district is so spread out, this has been a great challenge. Do we have a dedicated news section in the Beacon or Lantern or other local papers? District 39 makes news most of the time. We should have literature (Board Briefs, Agendas, Minutes) in kiosks at the local libraries, grocery stores, coffee shops, and recreations centers with contact information. People need to be informed at every level, especially those residents without students in our schools.
How would you approach the next budget and tax levy cycles given the current financial picture of the district and its short-term and long-term needs?
We have to look at personnel. Who is retiring? What positions are essential to fill? What do enrollment projections look like and how does this impact staffing levels? I am most familiar with Zero-based budgeting, where all expenses must be justified. Is that the process currently in place? It has been 10 years since a referendum was on the ballot and this is usually a last resort. When teacher contracts are being negotiated, can Collective Bargaining be used effectively to curb or defray costs? Are there certain contractuals that can be paid yearly when paying 3 years upfront does not provide such a great cost savings? These are some of the questions that would guide my thinking about short- and long-term district needs.
What if any changes would like to see in the way District 37 handles school security, either in security procedures or in communications to the community?
There should be a community wide committee that seeks opinions about school security. Surveys are a good measure to take the temperature and get timely feedback. The Raptor system in place with scanned IDs seems to work well. I worry and wonder about using public schools as polling places where security has the potential to be compromised while school is in session (at least with after school activities there are fewer people in the buildings). Lock down drills have become the norm at public institutions across the country. Those drills, tornado warning systems in conjunction with the Village, and fire drills, must continue to be practiced with lessons being taught and explained to the younger grades.
What is your view on the current plan for the Avoca Center? Consider the extent to which it appropriately balances the financial needs of the district with the expressed wishes of the community.
Since the cost for repairs or demolition is exorbitant, the new agreement to make the property able to be rented is a good compromise, which allows for revenue and less expenditure. It seemed the community was part of many discussions over a long period of time and input was sought. There needs to be data gathered and monitoring to ensure that both North Shore Country Day School and District 37 will benefit from any agreement. This should remain on everyone’s radar, in other words, because the central problem of what to do with the property has been temporarily solved but still remains.
What other challenges or issues do you think are affecting the schools at this time, and how would you recommend that the Board of Education address them?
Enrollment, state funding, teacher/substitute shortages, diversity (of learners and racial/ethnic categories), technology, and pedagogic best practices are a few. There should be monthly updates with best practices shared, subcommittees formed, outreach to peer institutions, and community input sought. I will focus on technology, for example. When my children were in Kindergarten, I had to join Twitter and Facebook to see what was going on in their class. I have now an additional 3 other apps on my phone to check what they eat, view class videos and projects, and message directory parents. Is that too many? Are we looking carefully at the relationship between technology and pedagogy for students? While they love screen time, is it too much at school? I, like many other parents, aim to achieve a healthy balance for our children. I aim to understand the district’s decisions and participate in discussions about technology in a more active way.
Dr. Robyn L. Schiffman has over 20 years of experience in Higher Education, as a Literature professor, Associate Director of a Religious Studies Program, and as an Academic Dean at three institutions (public, private, and now at a community college). Her Ph.D. is from the University of Chicago. While her academic background is in the Humanities, she oversees the Early Childhood and Elementary Education programs at her current school. She has 3 children at Avoca and has lived in the district for 6 years.
Voter Guide Responses
What do you hope to accomplish if you are elected to the Board of Education? Please explain why these goals are priorities for you.
I hope to increase community engagement. Board of Trustee meetings should be packed with community members. Our Parent Teacher Council should not have to scramble for leadership. I hope to effectively communicate what the Board of Trustees does and create dialogues so that constituents can learn more. Since our district is so spread out, this has been a great challenge. Do we have a dedicated news section in the Beacon or Lantern or other local papers? District 39 makes news most of the time. We should have literature (Board Briefs, Agendas, Minutes) in kiosks at the local libraries, grocery stores, coffee shops, and recreations centers with contact information. People need to be informed at every level, especially those residents without students in our schools.
How would you approach the next budget and tax levy cycles given the current financial picture of the district and its short-term and long-term needs?
We have to look at personnel. Who is retiring? What positions are essential to fill? What do enrollment projections look like and how does this impact staffing levels? I am most familiar with Zero-based budgeting, where all expenses must be justified. Is that the process currently in place? It has been 10 years since a referendum was on the ballot and this is usually a last resort. When teacher contracts are being negotiated, can Collective Bargaining be used effectively to curb or defray costs? Are there certain contractuals that can be paid yearly when paying 3 years upfront does not provide such a great cost savings? These are some of the questions that would guide my thinking about short- and long-term district needs.
What if any changes would like to see in the way District 37 handles school security, either in security procedures or in communications to the community?
There should be a community wide committee that seeks opinions about school security. Surveys are a good measure to take the temperature and get timely feedback. The Raptor system in place with scanned IDs seems to work well. I worry and wonder about using public schools as polling places where security has the potential to be compromised while school is in session (at least with after school activities there are fewer people in the buildings). Lock down drills have become the norm at public institutions across the country. Those drills, tornado warning systems in conjunction with the Village, and fire drills, must continue to be practiced with lessons being taught and explained to the younger grades.
What is your view on the current plan for the Avoca Center? Consider the extent to which it appropriately balances the financial needs of the district with the expressed wishes of the community.
Since the cost for repairs or demolition is exorbitant, the new agreement to make the property able to be rented is a good compromise, which allows for revenue and less expenditure. It seemed the community was part of many discussions over a long period of time and input was sought. There needs to be data gathered and monitoring to ensure that both North Shore Country Day School and District 37 will benefit from any agreement. This should remain on everyone’s radar, in other words, because the central problem of what to do with the property has been temporarily solved but still remains.
What other challenges or issues do you think are affecting the schools at this time, and how would you recommend that the Board of Education address them?
Enrollment, state funding, teacher/substitute shortages, diversity (of learners and racial/ethnic categories), technology, and pedagogic best practices are a few. There should be monthly updates with best practices shared, subcommittees formed, outreach to peer institutions, and community input sought. I will focus on technology, for example. When my children were in Kindergarten, I had to join Twitter and Facebook to see what was going on in their class. I have now an additional 3 other apps on my phone to check what they eat, view class videos and projects, and message directory parents. Is that too many? Are we looking carefully at the relationship between technology and pedagogy for students? While they love screen time, is it too much at school? I, like many other parents, aim to achieve a healthy balance for our children. I aim to understand the district’s decisions and participate in discussions about technology in a more active way.