Marie Gall, District 205 Board Candidate

ELMHURST, IL — Marie Gall is one of six candidates for three seats on the Elmhurst School District 205 board. Here are her responses to the Patch questionnaire:

T. Marie Gall

Age (as of election day)

56

Town/city of residence

Elmhurst

Family

Married to Albert C. Gall, retired Provost and Executive Vice President of Columbia College Chicago. Mother of Robeson (21), currently studying Social Work at Aurora University and Langston (19) currently studying Chinese Language & Economics at Western Kentucky University.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My stepson, Andrew Gall, lives and works in Washington DC. Currently interning with the House Select Committee at the capitol. None of my relatives work for D205.

Education

BA, Speech Communications, 1987, University of Minnesota; MA, International Education, 1992, Columbia University, NY, NY and MA, Education Specialist, 2015, National Louis University.

Occupation

Bilingual Elementary School Teacher, 15 years

Campaign website

https://sites.google.com/site/...

Previous or current elected or appointed office

None

The single most pressing issue facing our district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Without a doubt, the pandemic and it's effect on health and safety, is the most pressing issue. I intend to listen to concerns from staff, parents, teachers and community members as well as the guidelines provided by the CDC, state and local health authorities, in order to approve a reasonable plan for school attendance in the district.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

From what I can tell, the one advantage I have is that I am still in the classroom. Other candidates may have been teachers in the past, but most do not know the daily challenges of online instruction, student motivation, and technology changes. I am trying to support and assist students every day, and I am struggling with the same health and safety concerns other school employees are facing. My perspective would be relevant and appropriate.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district?

NA - The only current board member who is running in this election has done a very effective job at communicating with the many stakeholders of D205.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

In addition to understanding the current teaching situation, I have a long-standing commitment to ELL programs, transitional and dual language programs. I am interested in supporting foreign language instruction and York's World Languages Department as a school board member. I also appreciate the increased focus on STEAM classes and opportunities for children to explore engineering, design, environmental problems and global issues. I am interested in expanding D205 partnerships with Morton Arboretum, Brookfield Zoo and other learning or volunteering opportunities for students outside of the classroom.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In addition to understand the current teaching situation, I have previous experience as a higher education administrator. I spent 8+ years in residence life departments across the country. I understand building codes and construction management. I have planned for school openings and campus events. I have supervised community outreach, summer school and extracurricular activities. I have hired, supervised and evaluated staff. I have managed residence hall budgets and created student life programming. My work at The Juilliard School in NY, and on Northwestern University's Evanston campus, taught me collaboration, problem solving and long-term planning skills.

Why should voters trust you?

My life's work has been for education. From my Peace Corps Volunteer service as a Rural Health Educator in1987 to training staff members about culturally-responsive classrooms last spring, I have been both teacher and learner for over 30 years. Improving any aspects of k-12 education in D205 would be an honor and an opportunity.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success?

My hope would be to have improved communication between staff, students, parents and teachers in such a way that the school board is seen as a unifying group of education leaders. I want to be a part of a team of elected officials who are supportive and in-touch with the current concerns and interests of D205 families and employees.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

The D205 School Board's fiscal policy should be to always consider the long-term projects (renovations, enrollment) and planning (maintenance, upkeep) when determining priorities. We must seek all funding opportunities, when made available through state and federal supports, that would minimize the burden on local taxpayers. Government spending should be regularly monitored and district revenue and expenses should be carefully checked to come in on or, hopefully, under budget. The serious responsibility of spending taxpayer's dollars should carefully balance all cost-efficiencies and cost-benefits in order to make informed decisions and cover all contingencies.

Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?

I support the Black Lives Matter movement and the police brutality issues that are brought to light through peaceful demonstrations. I am adopted into a multi-racial family and am personally aware of the fear, injustice and violence that comes with racial profiling. I hope that more conversations and discussions continue to take place to resist racism and support diversity in our society.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so?

I am unaware of any actions on the part of the D205 School Board with regard to racial equality. My hope would be that the members of the local school board would support anti-racist initiatives and sponsor programs for community members to express their concerns. Failing to address racial inequality allows it to continue. An increase in the diversity of staff and faculty would greatly improve the variety of perspectives students would experience while attending K-12 in D205.

What are your thoughts on the district’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic? Are you in favor of remote learning, in-person learning or a hybrid of the two? Do you support a mask mandate for students and school staff, or mandatory coronavirus testing for both students and staff?

I am in support of choice. Remote learning allows families the option to stay home and stay safe. The hybrid learning model permits students to attend school, with restricted movement and limited interaction. In-person learning options should be flexible and up to the discretion of each family. Appropriate screening, social distancing, face masks, temperature checks and contact tracing all need to be in place in order to monitor exposure and to quarantine as needed. Staff health concerns need to be addressed and accommodated on a case-by-case basis. Mask mandate, yes. Testing could be optional, but if symptomatic, students and staff should be sent home. If CDC recommendations change, plans should be altered.

When the vaccine is available to them, do you support mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for students and staff?

I would need to review current research on the vaccine and its effectiveness in order to come to a conclusion on this issue.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

No, there isn't any reason I would not serve the full term of office.

The best advice ever shared with me was ____________

When I asked a supervisor which graduate school program I should attend, he immediately said "Columbia University." The New York City setting and my international graduate student peers made learning there the best decision of my life.