sally Pofcher
district 203 nths school district
candidate video
responses to voter guide questions
1. Why are you running for school board and what are your qualifications?
I am a long-time Wilmette resident with three daughters – two that are New Trier graduates (2018 and 2020), and one who is in 5th grade at Highcrest. I am running for New Trier School Board because of my deep belief that strong public schools and thoughtful fiscal stewardship are essential for a vibrant community.
· My substantial business leadership experience, as well as my deep insight into New Trier as leader of the Parent Association, make me deeply qualified to be an effective school board member.
· Over the past 30 years, I have had a successful business career that includes being a CEO of two different national companies, partner at McKinsey, partner at a leading private equity firm, and serving on multiple boards. I have the financial acumen to assess budgets, strategic plans, resource allocation tradeoffs, and investment returns. More importantly, these leadership roles have honed my style of listening and asking questions to get the best out of teams with diverse perspectives and strengths, making hard choices, and communicating effectively. I believe these skills are well suited to constructive board engagement.
· Alongside this business career, I have volunteered extensively at New Trier – leading the New Trier Parent Association for four years, participating in the 2030 Strategic Planning process, and as “pitch night” judge and career day speaker.
· I have seen the power and impact of New Trier schools in the development of my three very distinct children - through curriculum, programs, school culture, and mostly the people (teachers and staff). There is nuance to addressing highly varied learning styles, mental health pressures, and the building of character and passions. I believe that New Trier’s mission is foundational to the vibrance and character of our community (and country) – whether you have a child at New Trier or not.
2. What are your top priorities for D203 and what do you hope to accomplish as a board member?
The 2030 Strategic Plan for New Trier represents the good minds, talents, and a lot of work from a cross section of the community, students, administration, and parents. I have a lot of respect for this work and would start with this roadmap for D203 as the foundation of my engagement as a board member. There are many nuances to implementation of this plan, and things may change a bit over time, but as a board member, I hope to ensure that the administration makes measurable progress in each of the six priority areas. I do not have a personal agenda and believe that the most effective board members are those with an open mind to hear the issues identified by education professionals (teachers and administration), students and the community, and apply their best skill sets to thinking thru the approach, pacing and resources necessary address these issues. My past experiences as a business leader and board member prepare me well to be an effective board member.
3. How should D203 address the different needs for all students?
There is a lot of diversity present at many levels, even in our seemingly non-diverse community. I am the mother of three daughters with extremely varied learning styles and natural academic aptitudes, hobbies/interests and mental health/executive function regulation. As a result, I need and tap into very different parts of our public schools for each of my kids. New Trier does not provide a “one size fits all” approach, and the differing academic levels, club & extra-curricular activities, range of course topics, tutors, mental wellness support structures is intended to ensure every student can find their place. The role of the advisor system is intentional to ensure that each student has a “hub” adult that aims to connect them into the best courses and activities to help them find community and flourish. Without question, there are always students and families struggling to solve for their own unique needs, so this endeavor is ongoing and always creates opportunity to do better.
4. What are your views on New Trier High School’s Curriculum?
As a parent, I have experienced only a subset of New Trier’s expansive curriculum thru the lens of my oldest daughters, who engaged in very different levels and topics. The New Trier School Board responsibility starts with hiring and overseeing a great superintendent (who in turn hires and oversees talented educational experts representing the best thinking in teaching for our community). New Trier School Board Members are not meant to be curricular experts or have a political agenda, but to be informed on the entire curriculum review and approval process and ensure the rigor and consistent application of policies (which includes the current policy of professional privilege). New classes must be deeply reviewed at many levels and approved by the Board, as part of the statutory responsibility under the Illinois State Board of Education. There is also a formal process for families to raise any concerns on materials in existing courses and get a response.
5. What do you feel the community’s role should be in public high school education?
I believe that the community is essential to public school education, and always needs to be part of the process. As an example, there was substantial community involvement in the development of the 2030 New Trier Strategic Plan. The school board is a particularly important representative body of the community, as stewards of policy and in charge of the selection/oversight of a superintendent to lead the education efforts of the school and oversee the school’s annual plans and performance. I believe each board member must genuinely be an active listener and represent a perspective in their role. The New Trier School Board Caucus – a body of ~40 people representing each feeder district in the township communities - was established by a nonpartisan political organization in 1954, with the sole purpose of vetting and slating candidates to run for open seats on the New Trier Board of education. The caucus process enables the community to have an even more informed “start point” on the important work of deciding who to vote for as school board members.
I am a long-time Wilmette resident with three daughters – two that are New Trier graduates (2018 and 2020), and one who is in 5th grade at Highcrest. I am running for New Trier School Board because of my deep belief that strong public schools and thoughtful fiscal stewardship are essential for a vibrant community.
· My substantial business leadership experience, as well as my deep insight into New Trier as leader of the Parent Association, make me deeply qualified to be an effective school board member.
· Over the past 30 years, I have had a successful business career that includes being a CEO of two different national companies, partner at McKinsey, partner at a leading private equity firm, and serving on multiple boards. I have the financial acumen to assess budgets, strategic plans, resource allocation tradeoffs, and investment returns. More importantly, these leadership roles have honed my style of listening and asking questions to get the best out of teams with diverse perspectives and strengths, making hard choices, and communicating effectively. I believe these skills are well suited to constructive board engagement.
· Alongside this business career, I have volunteered extensively at New Trier – leading the New Trier Parent Association for four years, participating in the 2030 Strategic Planning process, and as “pitch night” judge and career day speaker.
· I have seen the power and impact of New Trier schools in the development of my three very distinct children - through curriculum, programs, school culture, and mostly the people (teachers and staff). There is nuance to addressing highly varied learning styles, mental health pressures, and the building of character and passions. I believe that New Trier’s mission is foundational to the vibrance and character of our community (and country) – whether you have a child at New Trier or not.
2. What are your top priorities for D203 and what do you hope to accomplish as a board member?
The 2030 Strategic Plan for New Trier represents the good minds, talents, and a lot of work from a cross section of the community, students, administration, and parents. I have a lot of respect for this work and would start with this roadmap for D203 as the foundation of my engagement as a board member. There are many nuances to implementation of this plan, and things may change a bit over time, but as a board member, I hope to ensure that the administration makes measurable progress in each of the six priority areas. I do not have a personal agenda and believe that the most effective board members are those with an open mind to hear the issues identified by education professionals (teachers and administration), students and the community, and apply their best skill sets to thinking thru the approach, pacing and resources necessary address these issues. My past experiences as a business leader and board member prepare me well to be an effective board member.
3. How should D203 address the different needs for all students?
There is a lot of diversity present at many levels, even in our seemingly non-diverse community. I am the mother of three daughters with extremely varied learning styles and natural academic aptitudes, hobbies/interests and mental health/executive function regulation. As a result, I need and tap into very different parts of our public schools for each of my kids. New Trier does not provide a “one size fits all” approach, and the differing academic levels, club & extra-curricular activities, range of course topics, tutors, mental wellness support structures is intended to ensure every student can find their place. The role of the advisor system is intentional to ensure that each student has a “hub” adult that aims to connect them into the best courses and activities to help them find community and flourish. Without question, there are always students and families struggling to solve for their own unique needs, so this endeavor is ongoing and always creates opportunity to do better.
4. What are your views on New Trier High School’s Curriculum?
As a parent, I have experienced only a subset of New Trier’s expansive curriculum thru the lens of my oldest daughters, who engaged in very different levels and topics. The New Trier School Board responsibility starts with hiring and overseeing a great superintendent (who in turn hires and oversees talented educational experts representing the best thinking in teaching for our community). New Trier School Board Members are not meant to be curricular experts or have a political agenda, but to be informed on the entire curriculum review and approval process and ensure the rigor and consistent application of policies (which includes the current policy of professional privilege). New classes must be deeply reviewed at many levels and approved by the Board, as part of the statutory responsibility under the Illinois State Board of Education. There is also a formal process for families to raise any concerns on materials in existing courses and get a response.
5. What do you feel the community’s role should be in public high school education?
I believe that the community is essential to public school education, and always needs to be part of the process. As an example, there was substantial community involvement in the development of the 2030 New Trier Strategic Plan. The school board is a particularly important representative body of the community, as stewards of policy and in charge of the selection/oversight of a superintendent to lead the education efforts of the school and oversee the school’s annual plans and performance. I believe each board member must genuinely be an active listener and represent a perspective in their role. The New Trier School Board Caucus – a body of ~40 people representing each feeder district in the township communities - was established by a nonpartisan political organization in 1954, with the sole purpose of vetting and slating candidates to run for open seats on the New Trier Board of education. The caucus process enables the community to have an even more informed “start point” on the important work of deciding who to vote for as school board members.