Candidate Nominating Committee for School Districts 65 and 202 Evanston/Skokie, Illinois

2009 School Board Candidate Questionnaire Part I - Involvement Candidate for District 65 Name: Tracy Quattrocki Address: Telephone: Occupation: Former college instructor, now home with four children. Educational Background: ETHS graduate, Stanford University, B.A. in Classical Studies; Yale University, Ph.D. in Renaissance Studies. Volunteer or Community Activities: Dewey PTA President, Dewey School Reading and Writing Partnership Committee, Sheil School of Religion Steering Committee, Mikva Challenge, Book Worm Angels. Other Experience: Taught at the University of Maryland, Yale University, George Washington University, and Roosevelt University. Do you have children? If yes, what age(s)? Benedict, 12; Ella, 10; Oliver, 8; Caroline, 4. What school(s) do (did) they attend? Cherry Preschool, Dewey Elementary, Nichols Middle School. How long have you lived in Evanston? I have lived in Evanston since I was 15 years old. I left to attend college and graduate school but moved back 13 years ago, before my oldest child was born.

Part II - Platform Please complete the questions below using 12 spaces provided between questions.

Q and A, pg. 2

1. What motivated you to run for school board this year? A combination of a long-standing interest in the issues confronting the Evanston public schools and my personal investment in their success has compelled me to run for the school board. Because of my deep roots in the community, I am intimately familiar with both the tremendous strengths and persistent challenges of our school system. My husband, Neal Brady, and I are both ETHS graduates, and our children attend schools in District 65. We currently have two at Dewey, one at Nichols, and our last starts kindergarten at Dewey next year. Six nieces and nephews attend Dawes, Chute, Lincoln and ETHS, and my brother-in-law teaches history at the high school. Through my own experience and that of my extended family, I have long had an up-close view of Evanston’s schools and I care deeply about them. I would be honored by the privilege of serving on the school board because I believe my training, skills and life experience will enable me to bring leadership and vision to the board’s mission. I would also like to give back to the excellent public school system that provided me with so many educational opportunities throughout my life. 2. What personal qualities, training or experience do you have that would be of value as a school board member? (Please answer briefly in essay form and do not attach a resume.) I am an educator. As such, I have insight into the perspectives and experiences of our teachers - those on the front lines in the classroom every day. Inspired at ETHS to develop what has become a life-long love of learning, I studied classics at Stanford University and then earned my Ph.D. in Renaissance Studies at Yale University. During this time, I gained valuable experience teaching at the University of Maryland, George Washington University and Roosevelt University. To make real and lasting improvements in our schools, we must understand the rewards, frustrations and challenges of those who are actually teaching our children. In addition, my direct involvement and leadership roles in the schools have given me the opportunity to better understand what is working in our schools and what is not. Since my oldest child started kindergarten, I have organized school-wide events and participated in the classroom on a regular basis - as a Junior Great Books discussion leader, literary circle facilitator, and leader of a before-school writing program for K-2 children. Three years ago I served as Dewey PTA president, which gave me the opportunity to work with and get to know principals, teachers and parents at other D65 schools. 3. If elected, what do you consider to be your priorities as a school board member? First and foremost, we must be tireless in advancing what is at the root of all our efforts – the highest possible achievement of every child. This requires setting high expectations for all students and finding innovative ways to ensure these goals are met. Whether the objective is closing the achievement gap, addressing the needs of special education students, or providing enrichment, we must guarantee that opportunities and services are consistent for all children throughout the district. I also believe that we must work even harder to ensure that the needs of our special education children are addressed as comprehensively as possible. The unique challenges of these students have appropriately been an area of deep concern in our school community for many years. While the special education teachers in our district are working valiantly and effectively in the classroom to help some of our most vulnerable children, I believe the district’s approach to the placement of special education classrooms and the transparency of the IEP process needs to be reconsidered.

End Page 2 Q and A, pg. 3

Part II – Platform (continued) Please complete the questions below using 12 spaces provided between questions.

4. What do you think the school board’s responsibility should be to the community? The primary responsibility of the school board is to make smart, strategic, and forwardlooking decisions that take into account the functioning of the entire district. Every family moving to Evanston should be confident that the public school they choose provides the same quality education as every other school in this district. One key to good decision-making is promoting communication that is both meaningful and productive. The board must solicit input from all stakeholders—parents, teachers, and administrators—and then listen carefully to their responses. The decision-making process should be transparent, and the community’s perspective should be solicited early in the decision-making process. The administration and the board should gather community input as they develop proposals, rather than soliciting reactions only after they put them forward. 5. What are the major strengths of the school district? How can we build on them? One of the greatest strengths of our district is its commitment to choice and innovation. By piloting the African-Centered Curriculum, introducing the Two-Way Immersion model for ELL students, allowing for the K-8 magnet schools, and experimenting with math curriculum at the middle school level, our district has demonstrated time and again that it understands that all students do not respond to the same educational models, particularly in a community as diverse as ours. In order to continue approaching educational challenges creatively, however, we must make data-driven decisions about the success of our innovations. We must put in place a process to evaluate every program on a regular basis. Another of District 65’s most important assets is the quality of our teachers. At the same time, low teacher morale has been an ongoing problem, and ensuring that we address it effectively is critical to our continued success. The district must support teachers not only through better communication, but also through professional development and the infusion of resources directly into the classroom. Teachers must be allowed to balance the need for student assessments with the freedom to teach creatively and effectively. We must also hire earlier in the school year to ensure that the quality of our teachers remains high. Our district also maintains relatively small class sizes. Although not consistent in every school, District 65’s class sizes are below state averages. Research shows that class size is one of the most important ingredients of academic success. We must, therefore, work to keep this a priority in our district. Finally, perhaps our most enduring strength lies in our diverse, active and involved school community. In order to encourage an environment of trust and openness in which this vibrant community involvement can continue to thrive, the board must promote open communication among staff, parents and teachers, greater cultural and racial sensitivity, and a stronger sense of unity. Our collective conviction must be that we are not 17 different schools—we are one district. 6. Describe your understanding of School Board Governance. As set forth in the IASB manual, the school board is primarily responsible for employing the superintendent and holding him or her accountable for managing the schools in accordance with state law. The board must define the educational goals for the district and evaluate whether the superintendent and his staff pursue these goals effectively. Moreover, the board serves as a trustee of district funds, connects with the school community, delegates authority, monitors performance and takes responsibility for itself. But as becomes clear at many board meetings, the line between governance and management is not easily drawn. While the administration

must be given appropriate latitude in performing its management function, I do not believe that asking tough questions of the administration or requesting more data to support district proposals should be considered micromanagement on the part of the board. End Page 3 Part II – Platform (continued) 7. Select two major decisions made by the school board within the last four years about which you have a strong opinion. Explain why you agree or disagree with these decisions.

Most recently, I agree with the board's decision to hold a public hearing to consider the district’s proposed change in the time for the start of the school day. This is the kind of decision that affects every family in the district, sometimes in unforeseen ways, and it should not be rushed. The district should have notified families at the outset about the various proposals that were under consideration. By giving the community a chance to hear about the proposed changes and provide feedback, the board will afford the community an important opportunity to influence a decision of this magnitude. I also believe the board’s vote on the administration’s technology plan put forth last year was an example of a well-functioning board. The administration convened a committee that made wide-ranging recommendations, which the board in turn considered and balanced against the constraints of the budget. The board made sure that individual schools were treated equally— giving those with fewer computers per child greater technology funding. By contrast, I disagree with the board’s decision to place a single strand of TWI at Willard. When the board considered the placement of the six single strands of TWI, their decision to allow the Willard strand was poorly conceived. The school community articulated many valid concerns about the potential overcrowding of the school and the relatively low number of Latino students in the Willard attendance area. Had the board listened more closely to these community voices, the resulting overcrowding at Willard might have been avoided. Part III – Student Achievement 8. If elected, describe how you will contribute toward enhancing student achievement.

I applaud the district’s goal to observe rigorous standards for student growth in all academic areas. I would fully support using the Tomlinson model of differentiation, which strives to “meet each child where he or she is” and to “bring them to where he or she ought to be.” We must be careful, however, not to overburden our teachers with the demands of too many curriculumbased assessments, and we must ensure that we give them the tools to use this data effectively. I also support the innovative use of co-teaching, push-ins, and extended day as a means to address the achievement gap. Board members can influence student achievement by setting ambitious but achievable goals and by holding the superintendent accountable for reaching these goals and meeting clear benchmarks along the way. But success is more than test scores--we need a curriculum that enables students to think critically, creatively and independently, and we must make sure resources are available for the professional development necessary to support this more nuanced learning. To this end, we must also require that enrichment materials be available and utilized across the district, not just in isolated classrooms. My experience as an educator and a parent of four children helps me understand both the challenges schools face in improving student achievement, and how any proposed changes in curriculum or instruction will impact the classroom, the children and their achievement. Part IV – Student, School & Parental Partnerships 9. Explain your vision that supports student, parent and school partnerships.

The current strategic plan sets new core values for the district, two of which speak directly to the issues: “We value collaborative decision-making, and the role of parents/guardians as partners in the education of their children.” I envision a school system—on the district, school, and classroom level—in which collaborative partnership governs every aspect of communication, decision-making and the educational endeavor. At the district and board level,

parents and guardians need to be informed of board planning and action. At the school level, they need to feel welcome and included. In the classroom, parents need to be in contact with their children’s teachers not just at conference time but also throughout the year so that they can reinforce at home what their children are learning at school. Evanston is a unique community. Our children will succeed if we harness that strength by ensuring that the community works together to provide them the exemplary education which is possible only through genuine, inclusive collaboration. Q and A, pg. 5

Part V - Budget Please complete the questions below using 12 spaces provided between questions.

1. How will you influence fiscal efficiencies at the school district? The current strategic plan sets new core values for the district, two of which speak directly to the issues: “We value collaborative decision-making, and the role of parents/guardians as partners in the education of their children.” I envision a school system—on the district, school, and classroom level—in which collaborative partnership governs every aspect of communication, decision-making and the educational endeavor. At the district and board level, parents and guardians need to be informed of board planning and action. At the school level, they need to feel welcome and included. In the classroom, parents need to be in contact with their children’s teachers not just at conference time but also throughout the year so that they can reinforce at home what their children are learning at school. Evanston is a unique community. Our children will succeed if we harness that strength by ensuring that the community works together to provide them the exemplary education which is possible only through genuine, inclusive collaboration. Final