CAMPAIGN NOTES

March 16, 2019: Very excited to volunteer at today’s Reading Games! District 58 kids across the district will be spending the day at O’Neill Middle School to compete in this annual event! My son and his team are participating and he’s very excited! Thanks to District 58 and all the parent volunteers for hosting this fun event that gets kids to read! #winning

March 15, 2019This morning I attended the Legislative breakfast sponsored by DG 58.

Rep. Terra Costa Howard and Hilary Denk, District Director to Congressman Bill Foster were there. It was a wonderful event filled with members of many district committees, board members and village officials.

It was a great way to talk about issues that affect public schools directly, like state and federal budgets, unfunded mandates and pension costs.

I am thankful to the current Board of Education and administration for inviting all DG58 school board candidates to this breakfast.

It was a great opportunity and I am grateful.

I’m hopeful at the next breakfast that I am a seated school board member for District 58.

March 13, 2019: Here's the sample ballot for the seats on the District 58 School Board.

March 13, 2019: Last night my son and I participated in McTeacher night for our school, Henry Puffer.

The whole place was wall to wall with families and teachers coming together to raise money for the PTA and student council. And having silly fun in the process. It was fantastic.

The collective energy when everyone works together and pitches in for a common goal is always so rewarding. I know this is true in every school and every PTA In Downers Grove.

Our community of engaged parents work hard to bring the best experiences for our kids. A school PTA is certainly a major contributor to delivering these experiences.

Together, with all 13 schools, we can accomplish big things in District 58 and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work for our community.

#votetracyweinerfordg58schoolboard

March 10, 2019 Tomorrow is the Monthly DG58 BOE meeting at Village Hall at 7pm.

At this meeting, they will be approving the last day of school (June 11) and approving the calendar for the 2019/2020 school year, among other things.

There has been some discussion on another FB page about the proposed "early dismissal" for DG58 on Mondays.

As a school board candidate, I believe in informed decisions that are evidence based and data driven.

I believe Justin Sisul, the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Learning and Dr. Jayne Yudzentis, Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Staff Development, satisfied that criteria and did their due diligence with this proposal.

The slides presented at the Curriculum workshop last month show evidence for needing these professional development days and showed data how other districts are already successfully doing some form of "early dismissal".

As a board member, I would continue to evaluate, monitor and insure that these days are being used most effectively and in the best interest of the students. I realize this proposal effects working parents and so this means we need to make sure we continue to evaluate the initiative.

I have often spoken up about Curriculum based on my participation on the DG58 Curriculum Council.

The teachers have long asked for "TIME" and "RESOURCES" to deliver the best educational experience for our students.

With three curriculum rollouts over the next three years, our district needs this time to get the teachers trained on these new resources to be impactful for our students.

This initiative is not about "checking the box" and saying it's complete simply by purchasing new curriculum materials. It requires time, reflection and collaboration to effectively deliver these new resources to our students.

I hope you'll consider going to the meeting tomorrow night to learn more.

The board is also hosting a "coffee" before the meeting at 6:15 and it's open to the public. The board decided to try this out after their "self evaluation" last year with their IASB representative. This would be an excellent opportunity to talk with board members one on one.

March 9,2019: As parents, we all want our kids to have a top notch education to prepare them for their futures.

Our community isn't just comprised of school parents however. We also have grandparents, retirees or people without kids in the school system anymore.

Excellent schools help all residents because when schools are great, they attract new families starting out looking for their first home and help maintain property values.

And that's good for all of Downers Grove.

For all the realtors out there, check out this upcoming event just for you! Learn about DG58!

As a school board candidate for DG58, I believe we all have to work together to provide a quality education to our kids and continue to make Downers Grove a great place to live.

March 8, 2019: Looking forward to another opportunity to meet community members and introduce myself!

And, being a voter myself, looking forward to hearing from candidates for Mayor and Commissioners.

Thank you for the invitation DGMarchers.

Hope to see you on Sunday March 17th.

March 6, 2019: I have been actively attending School Board meetings for 4 years now. I have spoken at many board meetings about decisions made that impact all students in our district.

One of those times was back in May 2016 when the Board approved eliminating Full Time Librarians at several schools. Belle Aire, Puffer and Indian Trail were all impacted by this Board's decision. (Note: Two of those running for re-election were sitting on that board.)

It was a packed house that night as our community rallied together to advocate for our students! I specifically remember meeting many great parents that night. Some weren't even from schools affected by the decision.

But, because we have an incredibly engaged parent community, they came to rally their support for the schools impacted. They even spoke before the board to fight to keep FT librarians at these schools that their kids don't even attend.

It was a powerful night showing we are one district and how we can work together for all of our students. Everyone in that board room believed in the importance of librarians in our schools.

A year later, the board and administration decided to bring back FT librarians. #togetherwithourschools

https://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2016/05/06/downers-grove-district-58-parents-protest-possible-library-staff-reduction/aqtn6n7/?fbclid=IwAR2ctRnS5Hpn44T1WiQ-ReVsOHaRbMJ4PE9F6C3nDMa29XHDOVYclrMct4M

March 5, 2019: Information about Voting for the April 2nd Election!

March 5, 2019: Check out my postcard flyer.

March 3, 2019: Feeling grateful for the chance to introduce myself to the community and meet engaged voters interested in learning about the candidates on the ballot! They asked really great questions!

Many thanks to the League of Women Voters and the American Legion for hosting today's School Board Candidate Meet and Greet!

The LWV asked us to make a three minute statement to introduce ourselves and answer this question.

"Name one major issue of the office you hope to hold and your insights into that issue".

I believe I answered the question honestly and with real examples based on my experiences on the Curriculum Council, Superintendent Advisory Council and the District Leadership Team.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to meet fellow community members and talk about the real issues facing our school district. And I know if we can all work together, we can make great things happen.

https://www.facebook.com/LeagueOfWomenVotersOfDownersGroveWoodridgeLisle/videos/2108731919162493/UzpfSTE5NzYzNDU5NzI0MTg5MjU6MjAxMjEyNTAzMjE3NDM1Mg/

February 17, 2019: Time to get the word out about my campaign!