Full Name: Katherine (Kate) Policheri

What office are you seeking? District 158 Board of Education

What is your political party? Non-Partisan

What is your current age? 46

Occupation and Employer: Pharmacist for Walgreens

What offices, if any, have you previously held? None

City: Union

Campaign Website: www.kate4d158.com

Education: Associate of Arts from Winona State University, Winona, MN

Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Illinois at Chicago

Community involvement: I have a strong belief in service and connection to our community. I am an assistant coach for Huntley Youth Football, a coach for Huntley Park District Basketball and a Make-A-Wish Illinois Wish Granter. I have also been an active member and coach at CrossFit Huntley for almost 12 years.

Within District 158, I have participated in the Special Education Advisory Committee since the beginning, the community engagement sessions, and volunteer for the Huntley High School Medical Academy. I started a partnership with our Huntley Walgreens pharmacies to accept students for job shadowing.

Marital status/Immediate family: My husband Jim and I have been married almost 20 years. We moved to Huntley days after we got married. We have three sons in District 158. My oldest son is a junior with high functioning autism. He is in main stream classes and has a 1:1 aide. My middle son is a freshman in honors classes. My youngest son is in 7th grade and works hard in school while playing sports. My sons are completely different which is why our district mission statement ALL STUDENTS ALWAYS, is so important to me.

Why are you running for office?

I feel that I have many ideas that would benefit our students. Supporting our teachers is a large part of student success. When we support our teachers with resources, technology and training, students directly benefit.

I am very passionate about special education. My oldest son has high-functioning autism. He has been very fortunate to have educators and support staff that genuinely want to help him be successful and the best version of himself. All of our students deserve that kind of support. The LIGHT program has caught my attention as parents of students in LIGHT have voiced their concerns in board meetings regarding the location of the program at Marlowe Middle School, experiences available to students, transportation, and an expected storefront. I look forward to engaging with the LIGHT parents and students in order to make that program be the best it can be for our students.

What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?

Our current school board is made up of 6 men with business or financial backgrounds, and 1 woman. It does not represent the demographic of our community.

I believe everyone on the school board should bring something different to the table. I believe in service and building relationships with members of the community. I have a strong connection to the community and schools. I am a coach for Huntley Youth Football and coach basketball for Huntley Park District. I am also a coach and active member at CrossFit Huntley. Within our school district, I participate in the Special Education Advisory Committee, community engagement sessions and the Huntley High School Medical Academy. I am also a Make-A-Wish Illinois Wish Granter. Being involved within the community and school district, allows me to talk to community members and hear their thoughts on the current topics the school board faces.

Have you sought and/or received any training to run for your local school board? If so, from whom?

I have read material available on the Illinois Association of School Boards website. There was a series of webinars about running for the school board that I watched as well.

Would you propose any changes to the curriculum? If so, what?

The field of computer science is rapidly growing and has many options for careers. Computer science classes can be beneficial to just about any career as they teach problem-solving skills! However, our high school does not offer as many classes as I previously thought. There are no dual-credit computer classes at McHenry County College. There are no advanced coding classes, which would assist in completing future certifications.

Are LGBTQ students treated fairly in your district?

I think inclusion is a big problem right now. All students should be able to attend school as their unapologetic, authentic selves and feel accepted by their peers regardless of race, gender, LGBTQ, religion or disability. They all have a right to the same education as well as support from their teachers and administration. However, bullying remains a problem in our schools. Telling a student who speaks up to ignore a bullying situation, does not solve the problem. There needs to be a protocol for bullying consequences.

What is your assessment of how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is handled in your school district?

I think improvements can always be made. I think if DEI was handled better, there would be less bullying. Our district developed the “Destination 158: An Equitable Approach to Education 2020-2025″, but I don’t recall seeing what the current status of the plan is. Right now, DEI is the task of many and no one is accountable for it. I have suggested The Nora Project to our district on more than one occasion. The Nora Project has developed programs that teach students about inclusion and empathy, specifically addressing disability and difference as part of human diversity. However, inclusion and empathy go beyond disability.

Do you believe the district needs to make any changes to improve DEI in your district?

Right now, there are many different individuals handling DEI. I would love for our district to create the position of Director of Inclusion and Equity, which would also include Diversity as well.

Inclusion benefits everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, LGBQT+ or religion, which is why I believe a director tasked with leading inclusion and equity would be effective for all students and staff. A sense of belonging is crucial to students’ health and well-being. A sense of belonging also leads to positive learning outcomes. Improving these areas will improve our current bullying situation as well. I want someone to be accountable for outcomes in these areas and someone to report to the school board and community on a regular basis.

Are teachers in your district paid adequately now and in retirement?

Adequate means satisfactory or acceptable. No, I don’t think so. Who wants to be paid an “ok” amount? Being paid “ok” doesn’t attract new teachers. I think in order to attract new teachers and retain current teachers, we need to offer competitive salaries. Although our teachers have rewarding careers, our teachers must be able to provide for themselves and their families. In the state of Illinois, teachers do not contribute to social security, all they have is their pension. We should do better than just “ok”.

Would you support changes to teacher pay scales? If so, how?

Teachers deserve to be paid for their education and years of experience. They deserve to be paid for certifications they earn. I would love to hear teachers’ opinions on the pay scale. Do they feel they need to be changed or are the happy with the with the current set up?

What is your assessment of the district superintendent’s compensation?

I believe our superintendent receives a competitive salary to area superintendents when you compare salary and number of students in area unit school districts.

Would you make any changes to how the district superintendent is compensated?

No, I wouldn’t. I feel as long as we are offering a competitive salary, we will be able to retain our superintendent in his current role. I am not in favor of incentives for the superintendent for student improvement. The focus must always be on our students and their achievements.

Do you support the current superintendent? Please explain.

Yes, I support Dr. Rowe as our superintendent. He and his family are members of our community. He is invested in our community and the students that reside in it. I believe he has a clear vision for our district and wants to provide our students a quality education and positive experience.

That being said, I believe school board members should always support the superintendent. The school board must be a united team with the superintendent and have mutual trust. The school board must allow the superintendent to manage the day-to-day operations of the school district and not micromanage him. The school board is focused on the goals and the superintendent is focused on achieving them. At the end of the day, everyone must work together to do what is best for all students.

Should schools in your district adopt and teach sex education according to the National Sex Education Standards? Please explain.

I believe that our local school district should maintain control of the sex education programs taught to our students. Not every community is the same. Parent and teacher opinions should be taken into consideration as well. Parents must be proactive and given sexual education materials to view prior to instruction. Parents should always have the option to opt their student out if they are not comfortable with information being taught. Some students may seek sexual education information as it pertains to their gender identity or preference. Those students should have a resource they can look to. If resources are not provided, they may look to social media or the internet and not receive valid information.

What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?

I think the school district handled it as best they could. It was new territory for all involved. We followed the state and county guidelines. It’s very easy to pass judgment when you aren’t the one making decisions. I would have liked to see the district adjust the guidelines to fit our schools. We should have allowed students struggling academically to be back in school sooner. Knowing students were isolated at home, we should have checked in with their mental health at the beginning of the pandemic. We can learn from the pandemic though and if God forbid it happen again, we can be ready.

What did you learn from the pandemic?

Hindsight is 20/20. We know students learn better in-person. We know some students experienced learning loss and struggled mentally during this time. Teachers experienced burnout and also struggled mentally as well. We need to be more proactive in addressing learning loss and mental health whether we are post-pandemic or not. We cannot allow students to fall through the cracks both academically and struggle with mental health.

Although students learn better in person, we also saw some students thrive remotely. Our large high school may cause social anxiety for students. A loud environment with many people may be too much for some. We should further explore the possibility of remote learning for those that are interested in it. Our high school currently offers about four classes. I would like to see those students surveyed and give feedback regarding their experience.

Are voters that support your district taxed at an appropriate level?

Illinois has the second highest property taxes in the country, with McHenry county having some of the highest property taxes. However, our district is only receiving 70% of the funds it should from the state. Unfortunately, the remaining gets passed on to the community. No one wants to pay taxes, but they are crucial to fund our district. Now with the recent tax levy approval, those taxes were increased. I would have liked to see the school board take the community into consideration and ask for the same amount as the year before or less to ease the burden of rising costs of food, gas and everything else.

Would you support any plans to raise taxes in the district? If so, what should the additional revenue be spent on?

See next question which addresses this one and the next!

Would you support lowering taxes in the district? If so, what programs or services in the district would you cut?

I am in favor of being fiscally responsible and that the district only asks for what it needs. We need to adequately pay teachers, administration and support staff. However, I do not want to cut taxes and then resort to cutting student programs and losing teachers because we cannot offer a competitive salary. There needs to be balance. We also need to consider the entire community when making decisions regarding taxes. The community of Del Webb Sun City makes up almost one-third of Huntley and has no children attending our schools. As a pharmacist, I see the rising drug costs that directly affect them. They planned for their retirement and how to live on their limited income. They likely did not plan for increasing drug costs or large tax increases.

Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?

Yes

What is your position on open, transparent government?

The taxpayers deserve an open and transparent government. They have the right to know how money is spent. They have a right to know why decisions and policies are made. They have a right to question these decisions. It may affect how taxpayers vote in elections.

Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records?

Yes