Schools

District 96 School Board Candidate: Elizabeth Dietz

Dietz is one of four residents seeking election to three seats on the District 96 School Board.

Name: Elizabeth Dietz

Town: Long Grove

Incumbent? I was selected unanimously by the board from a field of eleven candidates and appointed to fulfill the term of a retiring board member in October,
2010.

Family: I have 2 children, Kaila (4th grade) and Kristen (2nd grade), currently attending Country Meadows Elementary School.

Community Involvement:
I have served on several non-profit boards. I am currently a School Board Member for Kildeer Community Consolidated District 96 and since 2008, a director on the Briarcrest Subdivision Board. Previously, I was treasurer on the Lincolnshire Community Nursery School Board.

I have been selected to serve on many District 96 committees both as
a board member and prior to that as an active parent.

Board committees include:

  • School Board Policy Committee
  • Stevenson High School Consortium BACC


As a parent, I have been active on the following District 96
committees:

  • Consortium for Educational Change System Assessment Process
  • Parent Review Committee (4 years)
  • Parent Representative on the Standards Based Reporting Committee
  • New Superintendent Interview Team
  • Search Conference and Search Conference Steering Committees
  • Standards Based Reporting Committee Parent representative


Why are you running for a School Board position?

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I believe it is important to be as involved as possible in the education of my children which is one of the most significant influences on their future success and ability to contribute to the community. In addition, the quality of a school district has a strong influence on our property values and taxes.

What are the key issues that the district will have to address in the next four years?

In the years ahead, our children are going to be faced with challenges of all kinds that we can’t even image. We need to be forward thinking and help prepare all students academically for the challenges of the 21st Century.

Our school district is fiscally sound with an excellent rating. Our continued challenge will be to maintain this rating in light of the financial difficulties at both the local and state levels.

And finally, the continued diversity in the student population will provide the opportunity to creatively address the needs of all students while developing good global citizens.

What are some of your goals as a board member?

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My goals are to maintain the high standards District 96 has achieved and contribute toward the further development of our premier district while being mindful of the financial constraints of the community.

We need to facilitate communications between the Board/School District and the communities we serve. It is important to spread the word of our achievements and the recognition the district has received within the state and nationwide. And, we also need to be aware of the concerns of all citizens of the district.

What are some of the district’s strengths?

Our district is recognized academically as one of the premier districts in all of Illinois, ranked as number 9 in the state in 2010, based upon state test scores. Financially we are ranked in the top 20 in the state for financial security and have been recognized as a high achieving/low cost district. In addition, our teachers and staff have attained numerous awards and recognition for their personal excellence and the excellence of the programs they have implemented. We have partnered with other schools to share our successes and learn from their challenges. But most importantly, our students demonstrate day to day their personal excellence. We are proud of their achievements as 65% of our students move into advanced classes at Stevenson High School.

What do you think could be done to improve the district?

We are always looking for opportunities for overall improvement. We need to continue to balance the needs of the communities with the resources of the district to deliver the best learning environment possible for our children. We need to continue to partner with other school districts and further the knowledge we gain by sharing our successes and challenges with them. We should look globally to other high performing districts to explore their best practices and experiences.

What distinguishes you from the rest of the School Board candidates?

I bring to the Board my overall life experiences in many facets of the field of education, including teaching experience at the elementary level; management experience for a major educational publisher, small business owner/entrepreneur, membership on several non-profit boards of directors and finally as a parent.

My experience enabled me to quickly become a contributing member of the Board. With the added knowledge of the workings of the Board and the district I will be able to contribute to furthering the high standards the district has achieved and help to facilitate communications between the Board/School District and the
communities we serve.


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