Linda Nudera: Elmhurst D-205 School Board Candidate – Bolster Basic Ed

Editor's note: The following is a reader's commentary. This is unrelated to Patch's reporting on the race.

Mrs. Linda T. Nudera, Elmhurst school board candidate, answered voter questions to provide an overview of her positions and perspectives regarding school board issues. Each of the nine candidates listed on the April 2023 ballot for District 205 School Board positions were asked to answer the same set of questions, with additional questions for current Board members.

We appreciate that Nudera, who is also a teacher in another district, is dedicated to working with parents to further their children’s education. She explained that she has, as an educator, worked well with parents, and is a “good listener, often taking notes, keeping the child's education at the center of the conversation. Parents are a child's first educator and their input, positive and negative, is essential when building an educational community.”

This is also true when it comes to curriculum oversight. Nudera explained that she would provide a unique perspective on the Board, because her years of teaching experience provided her with “insights into programming that is successful. As an educator, I want to know that the chosen curriculum is working for the majority of the students and being modified for students who are struggling. Parents need to be involved with their child's education, helping with time management so homework is prioritized and accomplished on a regular basis.”

Nudera explained that when a parent has a concern, she as an educator welcomes their input so that a dialogue can begin. She further emphasized that it is the role of school principals, department chairs, and ultimately the board to have a dialogue, and be informed on, these issues because, “we cannot assess and adjust what we do not know about.”

The current board has also been excoriated for not listening to parents, particularly in the face of falling test scores and concerns about administrative indifference to parents’ concerns, particularly involving controversial issues.

Nudera diplomatically observed that the Board has not “always appropriately addressed the concerns from parents who want to ensure that curriculum is being objectively presented,” citing as evidence the fact that, “I see and hear the same complaint being addressed at board meetings from a variety of parents. My observations have been that the board listens but does not respond.”

Nudera explained that student learning is not optimal when students merely “complete assignments for ‘the grade’” or “write what the teacher wants to hear.” This is the point of a controversial issue policy—having teachers “present all facts in a scholarly and objective manner will encourage students’ own “independent thinking.” She committed as a board member to properly enforce district policies, present material objectively, and be willing to initiate discussions with all parties and, “if necessary, interventions will be put into place.”

Nudera explained that from her own experience as an educator, parents appreciate her efforts to “present all sides of a topic giving equal time and enthusiasm” because it will create a more welcoming classroom environment. A hotly debated topic in the D205 community has been the impact of the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) practices that the district voted to pursue in 2011 district-wide, and which has led to a considerable drop in school test scores.

Nudera noted that class time dedicated to SEL is something currently mandated by the state of Illinois. She acknowledged that SEL evolved out of good intentions: “the need to work with students who were not receiving basic skills at home. The motivation for SEL is honorable and many students, especially those in underserved communities where parents are not engaged, have needed this intervention.”

However, Nudera also explained that the state “allows each district to decide how to implement the material. It can be broken up into daily activities or presented as a class once a week. It could also be an online course that the students participate in outside of the classroom or during the summer.”

Nudera noted that teacher SEL time “should not replace the valuable minutes our educators have to teach math, writing and core skills. A good educator will naturally embed social skills and expectation into everyday activities. Parents are also responsible for teaching SEL so their children. They need to teach how to navigate safe environments, display appropriate behavior, and be respectful of other. If this is being done at home, there won't be a need to have it taught at school.”

In view of the consistent decline in test scores that D205 students have experienced, which D205 finally acknowledged in November 2022 as “nothing to celebrate,” and the importance of a school district that provides a high quality education to Elmhurst residents, we asked Nudera about strategies that the district should employ to improve this chronically unsatisfactory situation. She explained that this is evidence that “basic education needs to be reinforced,” including “phonics, spelling, math facts, sentence structures, and the eight parts of speech,” all of which “are the foundation” for all higher level learning. Ensure that students have appropriate reinforcing homework and testing, and “you will have a student able to conquer grade appropriate materials.”

Nudera reiterated that focusing on “tried and true curriculum, often simple and comprehensive,” also often “better serves our students and the parents because they can understand the dynamic supporting their student at home.”

School board members must also ensure the financial health of the district. In 2018, D205 made a big push for a $165 million dollar referendum to increase property taxes to support new school buildings. At the time, critics warned that the district was over-promising and would under-deliver. By May 2021, overages were reported; by March 2022, the overspending had risen to $18.1 million. Standard construction overages for the industry are 3 percent or less to account for unforeseen conditions; the district is now over 10 percent of the original referendum budget.

Nudera reiterated that her experience as an educator allows her to understand where there is a considerable amount of wasted expenses that do not lead to better outcomes in the classroom. She committed to “cut wasteful contracts that do not serve the students. Our teachers provide more valuable data than an outside observer. New and ‘innovative’ does not always translate to a better education for our youth,” and this applies to building construction as well.

Ultimately, Nudera emphasized that as a school board member, one of her top objectives will be to
“instill confidence in our students. Students are naturally curious and want to learn. When in a safe environment, they will engage with the content and feel secure in their knowledge. This confidence spills over into everything a child is involved in: music, clubs, and athletics.” The strategies can look “different for each child,” and a good board member will do the proper oversight to ensure that each of our students “receive the attention needed to succeed,” “practice what they have learned,” and are excited to “share the knowledge.” This is an area where Nudera emphasized that the district needs to help parents understand their key role, because this process of practice, engagement and sharing “is an important step in solidifying long term recall. Once confidence is built, creative, original and higher order learning will follow.”

Nudera is a long-term resident in the Elmhurst community. We appreciate her responses to our questions, and recognize her deep comprehension of the issues our key stakeholders face, as well as her enthusiasm and passion for promoting a better education for our D205 students.