Mark Pinnow, District 86 Candidate

HINSDALE, IL — Mark Pinnow 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:

Mark Pinnow

Campaign contact email:

mark4d86@gmail.com

Age (as of election day):

55

Town of residence:

Willowbrook

Family:

My wife, Sehba, and I have two sons, our youngest is currently in 8th grade at Gower Middle School and our oldest is a sophomore at Hinsdale South. Throughout their childhoods, their schools have been important partners in their development and we are very grateful for the educational experiences that they have had. Because of this, I think it is very important to give back our time and serve our schools to better our community.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Education:

BS Accounting and Finance – DePaul University

MBA – International Finance – DePaul University

Occupation:

Director of Financial Systems and Analysis – Titan International

Campaign website:

https://www.mark4d86.com/

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.

Getting our students back into the classroom safely needs to be the single most important priority of the board and administration. Accomplishing this will require a coordinated, long term effort between the administration, teachers, staff, and the community to find creative solutions to logistical constraints that are keeping kids out of the classroom. We need to separate recommendations from requirements and leverage what has been already done in other districts and other schools to bring kids back to school full time. In addition, the remote learning model also needs to be strengthened as there will no doubt be a remote aspect to learning going forward. We also need a plan in place by the beginning of the next school year to identify and measure any effects of the “COVID gap” that remote and hybrid teaching may have had. The sooner these effects can be identified, the sooner we can begin to remediate them.

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

I believe that my professional experience is what separates myself from the other candidates who are running for the board. My career has been in the areas of finance, accounting, treasury management along with operational effectiveness and strategy. I want to apply my skills to help D86 develop a more pragmatic and evidence based approach to evaluating the performance of the district, achieving goals. Clear metrics are needed in identifying any corrective actions necessary and in building a better process for evaluating and supporting critical decisions. In addition, I would also like to support the full implementation of the current strategic plan by partnering with the administration and developing quantifiable metrics for each of the goals and strategies. I also would work to develop an environment where the community's input is encouraged and valued as a critical part of all major decisions by the district.

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

The board must do what is necessary to enhance trust between the District and the community. The community feels that there is a lack of transparency by the District and board. In order to address this weakness, the board needs to demand current and relevant information that clearly illustrates to the community how decisions are being made. Work and discussions conducted by the committees need to be reported on at the monthly board meetings in more detail. Effective community engagement is needed to rebuild trust as well. Townhall meetings, roundtables on certain issues and board member “office hours'' would ensure that community members are given an opportunity to share their viewpoints and dialogue with board members to help build bridges.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

GOAL 1: Work with the administration to design, develop and implement a comprehensive District plan for resuming full-time in-school learning by fall of 2021

GOAL 2: Ensure that District curriculum changes follow a data-driven approach in implementation and evaluation and address the needs of all students

GOAL 3: Develop and establish clear and quantifiable school performance indicators that correspond with the District’s Strategic Plan for assessing performance and driving student growth

GOAL 4: Strengthen the relationship, transparency and trust between the school board, school administration, and the community

GOAL 5: Formalize the alignment and increase the collaboration between D86 and each of the feeder districts

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

Currently, I am the Director of Financial Systems and Analysis for Titan International. I have also served as treasurer and board member of Apna Ghar, a domestic violence shelter in Chicago, and was involved in two successful referendums for Gower District 62 in 2010 and 2020. In the 2020 referendum, I was the co-chair of the referendum committee. Through my experiences working with diverse teams in these roles, I will bring a thoughtful business mindset to the table as a BOE member. One that sees student success as our ultimate product, and measures results against that objective to ensure that every decision we make moves the district toward our goal.

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?

Peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our country. At a time when we are looking at building bridges of understanding and awareness in our country, the peaceful protests around the death of George Floyd and shooting of Jacob Blake allowed for critical dialogue around race to inspire action and social change that benefits the entire country.

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?

The district has not taken a thorough and analytical stance on developing both the in person, hybrid, and remote learning models. This is evidenced by the 9 schedule changes that have taken place since the beginning of the school years as well as the reduced learning hours/days as compared to other districts in the area. In addition, investments in technology and functional tools to help support the teachers were not in place until late 2020, several months into the school year. The goal needs to be getting back to full time, in school learning for as many students as possible. Plans also need to be in place to support remote learning for any student who can not be in person. I would support what is needed to make in person learning possible including initially requiring masks and on site testing as needed. .

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

To me, equity at D86 is defined as providing access to opportunities that meet every single student where they are at when they begin their high school career. By establishing a strategic plan that identifies this and making efforts to ensure that all students have access to the opportunities that they need to reach their full potential, we are taking steps to achieve this goal. I think the lack of meaningful data from the district makes it very difficult to get a clear picture of similarities and differences between Central and South. They are different schools with different needs, but both are filled with students who span the same range of needs. A lot more analysis needs to be done to determine whether all students are getting the best possible education and all of their needs are being met to maximize growth and future success.

What was your position on the $140 million referendum that voters passed in April 2019?

I fully supported the referendum and believe that it addresses many of the needs identified in the 2016 Master Facilities Plan. Our community recognizes the importance of our schools by investing them.The referendum allows the district to address critical needs in the areas of STEM, technology, resource expansion, building mechanicals, fine arts, and special education. By meeting these financial needs, this allows the district to continue to focus on maintaining and growing academic and other student needs and opportunities.

How should school board members handle emails from the public?

Communication from the community needs to be taken seriously. Given the large number of emails received by the board, other methods of communication are also needed, such as board member “office hours,” town hall meetings, and roundtable discussions. These types of opportunities allow for community members to dialogue directly with board members about their concerns.

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

No