Oswego Resident Announces Run for District 308 Board of Education

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An Oswego resident and Marine reservist announced this week that he’s running for one of three Oswego Board of Education spots up for election in April 2015.

Brad Banks, 41, a a business development manager for EMC Corporation and a Marine Corps Reserves data system chief, said he’s looking to restore District 308’s reputation for excellent schools.

“The district’s once respectable reputation has been diminished by four years of employee turn-over, top-down management tactics and disrespect for parents, teachers and the community,” Banks said in a campaign release. “Administrators are not asking for teacher input when it comes to new initiatives. Mandates are handed down with little guidance for implementation. We need more collaboration.”

Banks also said he’s concerned about contracts awarded to Superintendent Matthew Wendt and other senior administrators, saying the deals “include hefty bonuses for achieving goals that are considered part of the job in most other districts.”

Banks said he’d rather say the money spent to recruit skilled teachers.

“We must pay those on the front lines what they are worth, so they can focus on educating and inspiring our youth. Pay should be competitive for the teachers within our district so we can attract top talent when the opportunities,” Banks said in a release.

According to the campaign, Banks grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and served for more than 15 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. “He is passionate about connecting veterans with education and employment opportunities,” the campaign said in a release. “He and his wife, Kelly, have three children.”

Three spots on the board of education are up for election in 2015. Incumbents Bill Walsh, the current board president, and Brent Lightfoot, have announced re-election bids, and Bolingbrook teacher Jared Ploger has also thrown his hat into the ring.