Tricia O'Sullivan: 'There's Room For Improvement' In D218 Schools

My name is Tricia (Gallagher) O’Sullivan and I am running to represent Oak Lawn and Chicago
Ridge residents on the CHSD District 218 School Board. I decided to run for the school board
because I feel I can use my experiences as a teacher, a mother, and a taxpayer to help guide the conversations that will lead to stronger, higher performing schools.

As a teacher for the last 15 years, I have a great deal of direct classroom experience that will be
beneficial in making decisions that give our kids the best chance to succeed. Throughout my time as a teacher, I have reached beyond the classroom walls to broaden my educational perspective by being a school mentor, serving on my district’s math and literacy committees and
participating in leadership development programs.

Beyond my career as an educator, I grew up in Oak Lawn and my husband John and I have
raised three children in this community. We understand the role strong, healthy schools play in
protecting and improving our quality of life. I care about making sure our kids are getting the
education they deserve. Among the key issues I intend to address as a Board member are:

Performance:

In many aspects, District 218 schools are very good schools with very good teachers who are
providing our kids with a quality education. However, as a teacher I firmly believe that we must
never get complacent and that we must always strive for improvement. Any parent knows when
your child comes home with a B on their report card, you tell them they did well, and that there
is room for improvement. According to the Illinois State Board of Education School Report
Card, more than half of our District 218 students are not reaching proficiency standards in
critical areas of math, science and English. We can and will do better. I want to make sure our
teachers are getting the resources they need to make this happens. Our world is always changing; therefore, how we educate our children is always evolving. I have worked hard to stay on the cutting edge of best practices in education and I look forward to applying that knowledge to ensure District 218 schools stay on track and grow stronger for generations to come.

With this in mind I am also ever mindful that scores aren’t everything. In a world where
adolescent anxiety and depression are at an all-time high, I firmly believe we need to teach the
whole child and embrace social emotional learning standards. We need to ensure that our
children’s educational experience is well-rounded and based on a belief that our children have
multiple intelligences. I would like to see an expansion of trade/vocational training for our
students who are not college bound. I’ve been working with the Regional Council of Carpenters about introducing a pre-apprenticeship curriculum to our students who display an interest in the trades. It is this type of forward thinking I would like to bring to the Board.

Fiscal Responsibility

I believe in fully funding our schools and that more of our tax dollars in District 218 must be
spent in the classroom. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, School District 218
has one of the most onerous property tax rates of all school districts in the State of Illinois. The current Board has consistently voted to increase taxes. As a Board member I will push for
greater accountability in how tax dollars are being spent and will work to put more money
directly into the classroom.

Community Engagement

One thing I have done as part of my campaign is to take my message directly to constituents at the door and hear directly from them about their experiences with their school. As a Board member I will make myself available both in person and through social media / electronic communication outlets to keep in consistent contact with residents to ensure they know that they have direct access to their voice on the School Board. This is about Community High School District 218 and we all should have a voice.

I would be honored to earn your vote for CHSD District 218. I strongly believe that by working
together we can create the kind of long-lasting strong school our community and our kids
deserve.