Jeff Waters, District 86 Candidate

HINSDALE, IL — Jeff Waters is one of 10 candidates for four seats on the Hinsdale High School District 86 board. Here are his responses to the Patch questionnaire:

Name: Jeff Waters

Campaign contact email: JeffDeliverD86@gmail.com

Age (as of election day):
49

Town of residence:
Hinsdale

Family:
I have one former and two current students in the district.
Hayden, 20 University of Colorado at Boulder
Dean, 17 Senior HCHS
Natalie, 15 Freshman HCHS

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No

Education:
B.S., Economics
University of Colorado, Boulder
1994

Occupation:
Derivatives Trader

Campaign website:
www.deliverD86.org

Previous or current elected or appointed office:
None

The single most pressing issue facing the school board is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing the school board today is communication. I am not referring to the first amendment lawsuit or to the recent and odd measure that the Board took to push public comments to the end of the meeting. Those two actions were indeed concerning. More fundamentally troubling to me is the lack of communication on the Board level. This is what has motivated me to run for District 86 School Board. There are often business as usual agenda items which require little discussion and result in unanimous consent. However, when Administration proposed an unheralded change to the recent math sequence, there was little discussion and certainly no discourse and the matter was approved, again, with unanimous consent. I do not fancy myself as a curriculum expert, however there was no data to support the change and the data that has presented is in opposition of integrated math, the new sequence which was approved in October, 2020. Despite concerns for the new sequence and requests for a pause to this agenda item, the measure was approved. Proposing such a change seemed ill timed during a pandemic when the BOE could otherwise be focused on filling the educational and achievement gaps that have been created with remote learning and including the severely decreased amount of instructional time students are receiving in this current environment.
Additionally, on behalf of so many like minded District 86 parents, I encouraged the BOE to upgrade the remote platform, which would serve the district students well, not only in a pandemic- but also on snow days and broken leg days in the future. I coordinated a conference call with a Board member and the IT department head at District 86, and a more than affordable system was just a few clicks away.
It never hit the agenda and we still have the same remote platform today.
I believe as a Board member you must champion communication with the constituents of the district in order to gauge the collective demand of the seven towns you represent. On the board level, it is important to have open dialogue and discussion which can occasionally lead to discourse. This process drives optimal decision making.

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

There are ten candidates running for the upcoming Board of Education election on April 6th. There are three incumbents and seven other passionate candidates, which is a testament to the concern for all things District 86. I was quite active as a committee member to help pass the referendum two years ago. I worked side by side with hundreds of volunteers from both South and Central. Fundraising and outreach were my assignments and that took me to all corners of the district engaging in countless conversations about different components of the referendum. My goal was not to get anyone to vote in one particular direction, but instead, to share information-accurate information- to help us all arrive at the optimal decision at the polls. Sharing ideas with respectful discourse enabled me to either galvanize new supporters or, when common ground was not found, to forge new friendships. The diplomacy skills I possess are what is needed at the Board table to drive cohesion during occasional discourse, which fosters optimal decision making.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board failed the community or district?
The unanimous approval of integrated math back in October, 2020. The administration's presentation lacked in sufficient data to justify what became unanimous BOE approval of integrated math. Conversely, there is an abundance of data to oppose it. Most troubling to me is even to consider such a change to the curriculum during a pandemic, when there should be a laser focus on filling the academic and achievement gaps created by remote learning.
After the 2019-2020 schools year ended, the community was hoping for an enhancement to the current remote platform. Such an improvement would pay dividends not only during a pandemic but also for broken leg or snow days in the future. I collaborated with a BOE member as well as the IT Dept. Chair of D86, and what seemed like a relatively small and more than affordable expense, was never considered by the BOE. To this day, we have yet to improve the platform and without it the 4,000 kids in the district are getting a less optimal education and their amount of learning time has been severely reduced.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform:
REOPENING
Surveys have been generated at other Chicagoland high schools to gauge the demand of families with respect to their desire to return their student to full in person instruction. Glenbrook North, Glenbrook South, Hersey, Prospect and Buffalo Grove sent surveys out in the late fall to gauge that demand and with those returns they were able to accommodate, safely, those who wished to return for full in person instruction and properly accommodate those who needed to or wanted to remain at home for remote learning. Boards of Education have latitude with respect to their decisions regarding delivery platforms and choices for their students. I would exercise tremendous latitude to satisfy the collective demands of District 86.
CURRICULUM
I have always been quantitative and committed to exhausting data to drive optimal decision making. I do not maintain to be a curriculum expert but the data that I have seen does not support Integrated Math. Slated to roll out in 2022 and cognizant of expenses already borne to its proposed implementation, I would agenda that item immediately as a prospective Board member.
Not one public high school in Illinois ranked in the top 25 implements integrated math.
Both of our high schools are near the top of the national rankings for their STEM curriculum. In my estimation, this proposal for integrated math should have never been on the agenda during the pandemic, especially given the STEM success both high schools have enjoyed for decades.
The feeder schools by student population that attend both South and Central did not, by a majority(In fact quite a bit less than 50%) approve this change to the math sequence. Again, the data, does not support and the timing is flawed to propose, and then approve it, during a pandemic.

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

I have been in leadership roles dating back to high school. Since then, I was President of my fraternity, eventual head clerk at my first job on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange trading floor, owner and co-founder of a proprietary trading firm, and most recently an integral part of the committee to help pass the referendum.

All of these roles come with a certain amount of uncertainty and require the ability to communicate effectively to different factions and entities. In order to be both productive and effective as a leader, patience must be ever present along with an open mind and sense of diplomacy. My parents always told us that you learn a lot more when you listen and possessing that skill is important. It gives insight that may be otherwise unavailable and generates mutual respect. This approach proves beneficial when you encounter passionate traders you are clerking for, upset or angry traders working for you, and especially parents or District residents who have strong feelings about certain issues who are more than entitled to voice them given their investment in the District.
I believe my diplomacy and leadership skills would be a valued asset at the Board Table for District 86.

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?
Yes, I do.
I believe in both the right to assemble and to peacefully protest. The demonstrations were difficult and troubling to watch. I cannot empathize with the feelings and emotions of so many people as a result of the death of George Floyd. I do however have tremendous sympathy for them and recognize the need for both equality and unity in this country. It saddens me to see so much pain and brings me so much joy to see people unified.
As a prospective Board member for District 86, I will foster cohesion within the community, champion inclusion and celebrate the diversity of our student body.

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?

District 86 recently had an initiative to vaccinate the teachers, faculty, staff and elderly residents in the district. I applaud Superintendent Prentiss and the Board of Education for a job more than well done.
The DuPage County Health department indicates that Boards of Education have latitude to provide the curriculum delivery model they deem appropriate relative to the demands of the the district that they represent.
Surveys in the fall were not sent out from D86 Administration and the Board of Education asking families to choose either remote or full in person instruction. However, Glenbrook North, Glenbrook South, Prospect(Arlington Heights), Buffalo Grove, and Hersey(Arlington Heights) sent out these surveys in the late fall and with the data they gathered, given demand, students were able to return to the building for full in person instruction and those that chose to or needed to remain home were also accommodated.
Moving forward and factoring in that the new Board will not be seated until early May, the fall semester should either be full in person instruction or totally remote.
Safety is of utmost importance. The wearing of masks and appropriate testing, which I support, could aid in allowing teachers and students to return to full imperson instruction.
Latitude should be exercised by the Board of Education to most accurately represent the collective demand of the district.

Do you believe there is equity between Central and South high schools? Why or why not?

Our schools are in an excellent position to provide equitable options to students at both Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South. Goals have been set to achieve the District 86 strategic plan and the strategies to do so are robust. However, I believe the new Board should review some of those strategies to ensure optimal outcomes and success for all 4000 students, without sacrificing any opportunities along the way.
The mission of Hinsdale Township High School District 86 is to empower students to pursue their ideal future by acquiring critical skills and knowledge to collaborate, create and connect with an ever-changing world.
Curriculum equity should be present, in terms of access to all courses to all students in the district. Both schools have classes that are often canceled for lack of demand. Fortunately, creative solutions often are implemented to satisfy the student's course selections. I had the benefit of speaking to both principals at each High School last week and I learned that classes are often canceled at both Central and South because of a lack of demand. Hinsdale South Principal Pokorny and Hinsdale Central Principal Walsh went on to say that this plays out at high schools all around the country as well as colleges and universities. Cancelled classes is business as usual.
Principal Pokorny stated that In an attempt to make offerings available to all the kids in the district, commuting to the other high school is always an option. Students can drive to the other campus, and in fact, deeded parking spaces near the front of each high school are allotted to the less than ten D86 students that can't be satisfied by their home school's course offering.
Currently, six kids make the drive from Central to South for a course unavailable at Central while just one student makes the drive from South up to Central for a class not offered at South.
Walsh and Pokorny are executing wonderfully! Principal Pokorny stated that teachers and curriculum departments can even tweak portions of the class format to make it more in line with what their students want to learn, and which may occur at the other school's offering- so they don't have to travel. Creativity at work!
Principal Pokorny did say some students cannot or don't want to travel and they often find another course to their liking or wait for their next high school year to enroll in that class.
Creativity is at work here and it is paying off for the kids! Kudos to Principal Pokorny and Principal Walsh...to the District's kids go the spoils!

What was your position on the $140 million referendum that voters passed in April 2019?
I was in support of the much needed referendum for District 86. The only prior referendum was in the early 1960's and the time had come to pass a much needed referendum to repair and upgrade both facilities and to optimize safety protocols at both high schools. Referenda are normal life cycles in school districts and with almost 60 years since the last referendum, the 2019 ballot initiative was appropriate.

How should school board members handle emails from the public?
I am sure there can be an abundance of email that comes in from time to time from community members in the district.
District 86 needs to set an auto generated message so those who communicate with D86 are acknowledged and informed that their email will be read and responded to.
BOE members are not volunteers and indeed elected officials and as such they must employ creativity to maximize satisfaction from the community with respect to communication through email. Rotating that responsibility from one BOE member to the next, over time, is one suggestion that I believe could remedy the concern.

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

No