Tamakia Edwards, District 86 Candidate

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

Name: Tamakia Edwards

Campaign contact email: Tamakia4d86@gmail.com

Age (as of election day): 42

Town of residence: Darien

Family: Herbert Edwards, Damarius Edwards, Messiah Edwards and Chase Edwards

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

I have family members that work in public service for various government agencies.

Education: BS, Architectural Engineering, Illinois Institute of Technology / MBA, Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University

Occupation: Chief of Staff, State of Illinois Capital Development Board

Campaign website: Tamakia4D86.Com

Previous or current elected or appointed office: Member, Hinsdale Township District 86 Board of Education, August 2020.

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

Ensure students safely return to in-person learning and address any learning gaps that have occurred due to the pandemic: The District is now up to 50% of students participating in in-person learning. As a District, we must continue to work with the DuPage County Health Department and Illinois Department of Public Health to ensure we are trending in the right direction. We do so by meeting the state and county’s requirements and continuing to increase in-person participation. The partnership and continued dialogue between our administration, other school districts, local colleges and universities must also remain a major focus. This supports our sharing of the student’s experiences and concerns with future institutions, as well as aids the District in determining ways to mitigate stress and ensure future success as we continue to understand the global impacts this pandemic has had on our students. In transitioning the students back to 100% in person learning, we must also evaluate the gaps caused by the pandemic and develop a plan to address them.

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

The experience of serving on the board since August and less of a learning curve; that experience gives me a big picture perspective and the benefit of balancing what I’ve learned as a board member and also what I’m hearing from the community.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Implementation of the District's vision and goals by establishing priorities: This includes continued efforts to address curriculum initiatives and completing facility improvements. The board has a duty to continue the necessary business of running the District, including oversight of the referendum work that continues as new phases begin. Furthermore, we must also work with the administration to oversee the District’s strategic plan and ask necessary questions to ensure its successful implementation.

Work to build effective communication and collaboration with community stakeholders: Having a standard of open communication and representing why certain decisions are being made is imperative to creating a positive community culture.

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

Overall, my work experience with mission driven focus and collaboration with stakeholders is my greatest asset to the BOE. My professional success is very much tied to consensus building among my stakeholders and establishing expectations and metrics. At the General Services Administration (GSA), I led an effort to evaluate costs to maintain, operate and renovate federal space compared to the cost of maintaining a lease. In this evaluation, my team conducted a feasibility study to determine if the proposed expenses to modernize the federal space would be cost effective in comparison to a lease agreement. This type of critical data evaluation is important as a member of the board as I consider long term financial, and other, impacts of decisions.

In my role as a Program Manager, I worked daily to build a bridge between expectations and results by finding the nuance between what is requested, truly desired and executable. Similar to my BOE role, this requires multiple skills – finance, organization, strong interpersonal skills, and making tradeoffs to maximize outputs. These types of experiences are helpful as I engage in my role as a board member for D86 because respecting differing views and building consensus is the only way to ensure we are acting in the best interest of the students and community.

At St. Vincent de Paul Center (SVDPC), a not-for-profit organization in Chicago focused on community engagement and partnership, I have used these skills to drive successful outcomes. I interacted with donors and community leaders and assisted SVDPC’s leadership in determining strategic ways to provide resources to the families they serve. I focused on engaging with stakeholders, while staying true to the organization’s mission.

While serving at WTOD, a church located in the Garfield Park area, a need to improve their surrounding land was identified. I led an effort working with the Garfield Park Conservatory to partner and procure a lot and create a beautification garden for community use. This garden helped eliminate a vacant lot used for dumping trash and turned it into a garden with colorful plantings, a water fountain and sitting area for the community to enjoy together.

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?

As we conclude black history month and begin women’s history month, I reflect on the countless protests that were held that have afforded me the opportunity to run for an elected position as a Board member today. It’s because of those efforts that I support the right to peacefully protest and assemble and the sentiment of Black Lives Matter. The events of this past year paved opportunities as a stepping point for discussions on how we support and celebrate diversity within our District.

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 CDC establishes the national guidance and the district must continue to work with the DuPage County Health Department and Illinois Department of Public Health to ensure we are trending in the right direction. We do so by meeting the state and county’s requirements and continuing to increase in-person participation. I’m in support of parents having the right to choose what option is best for their families. Some families have multi-generational households where risk of spread may be greater, some have medical history that would be impacted, discussing those options and making that determination should be an individual choice. The district should offer the ability for the discussion and evaluation to occur. The state of Illinois has determined that masks must be worn while at school and other protocols to ensure students and faculty can safely return to the classroom.

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

Our District is committed to meet each student where they are and offer them opportunities to grow academically, socially, and beyond. In order to fully accomplish equity in the District,we have to provide access and opportunity to every student while meeting them where they are. This is not an effort to give every student exactly the same experience, but an opportunity to provide students the resources they need to succeed in their unique future. It is also an opportunity to provide experiences, curriculum and role models that reflect our diverse community. The District is also tackling cultural awareness and hearing from students directly regarding their experience and expectations. I want to ensure that this remains our focus as we explore new initiatives. Our District has to be a strong resource and guide for our students and their families to ensure they exceed their full potential.

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

The passing of the referendum in 2019 allows the District to address a significant amount of our infrastructure modernization needs. Which guarantees that our students have the ability to engage in their educational efforts without dealing with poor infrastructure, poor thermal comfort and technology shortfalls. Moreover, students will experience classrooms with improved technology, flexible classrooms and collaborative furniture all which will assist teachers in engaging and facilitating a value-added learning experience for students. However, there is still a need to continue the improvement of our technology, instructional and physical education equipment. The District will have to ensure that future processes set aside funds for these needs to ensure the District’s financial health.

How should school board members handle emails from the public?

Currently the Board President and Vice President respond to emails along with the assistance of the Communication Director. In my opinion, this provides a structure that allows for a timely response without various BOE members duplicating efforts. I don’t think the public understands the volume of email that may result relating to specific issues. Sometimes it's a challenge to respond to all of them in what appears to be a timely fashion to the recipient. If there is a specific question that a community member has for a particular board member, I would always recommend the community member emailing them directly.

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

No there aren’t any reasons that would prevent me from serving the full term.