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Name: Katy Swiecicki
What office are you seeking? Batavia Public Schools 101 Board Member
What is your political party?
What is your current age? 41
Occupation and employer: Full time parent & community volunteer
What offices, if any, have you previously held? I currently serve on the Batavia Plan Commission & Zoning Board of Appeals
City: Batavia
Campaign Website: Facebook: Katy Swiecicki for Bps101 School Board
Education: I am a proud product of Fox Valley public education and Illinois State University.
Community Involvement: I run a weekly teen drop-in with Belong Fox Valley for at-risk youth in the tri-cities and beyond. I serve on the Batavia Plan Commission & Zoning Board of Appeals. I have worked with Batavia Community Diversity Initiative on their recent public conversations regarding how to run for public office and bullying.
Marital status/Immediate family: My spouse and I have two children who attend elementary school in Batavia.
Questions:
How can the district improve reading and English proficiency and state test scores?
The district can establish a strong culture of literacy rooted in the science behind reading and English proficiency by grounding instruction in evidence-based techniques and data assessment.
As diversity, equity and inclusion programs are being rolled back in organizations around the country, what role does the school district have to play in ensuring a diverse community of learners has equal opportunities for success?
While these terms have become divisive buzzwords, the goal of them is to accommodate all learners and teachers, and to learn from their vast and unique lived experiences, to create the best culture for all. Centering a wide range of student, parent and teacher voices allows a district to choose from the best supports and tools to benefit the entire community.
Do you think the district is doing enough to ensure that schools are drug-free environments? Why or why not? And if not, what more can be done?
Batavia seems to do a good job of keeping apprised of what students are experiencing around drug use. Perhaps the district could cast a wider net and provide tools to help parents and families support support drug-free schools from within their homes. Comprehensive and expert guidance on social topics should always be sought.
What steps can districts take to ensure students are physically safe while in the building? Is the district doing enough or would you like to see more?
There is concern from two of the elementary schools about front entrance safety and this should be prioritized. There are experts who assess and improve safety in schools from all angles, physically and culturally, and they should be partnered with by the district to get an accurate picture of how students and teachers feel being in our schools. All students and staff deserve to feel safe within Batavia school buildings.
If you have children, do they or did they attend public school and was that for all of their K-12 school years?
Our eldest child attended public school in Oak Lawn before we moved here. Our youngest child attended Batavia’s public preschool program for two years. Both of our children are currently enrolled in Batavia public school. As their parents, we are proud products of public education and proud to have our children publicly educated.
What do you see as the school district’s role in deciding what materials should be available in the library and in curricula?
Any school district is bound by myriad laws where curriculum and library content is concerned. The school district should be first concerned with those laws, and should curate district policy that focuses on the librarians’ and teachers’ experiences, educations and expertise. Parental and student input is also essential in these areas.
Most of local residents' property taxes go to their school districts. Are taxes paid to your school district too high? What would you do to protect the interests of taxpayers?
Batavia’s taxes are in line with what folks should expect to pay for public education in our area, and the district’s financial administration seems to do a good job of managing its budget. Creating better accountability for and transparency in meeting educational goals will hopefully reduce any financial waste that does exist.
Most of the COVID relief money from the federal government is coming to an end. What spending adjustments does your school district need to make to address that?
The COVID funds, as I undunderstand it, have been long exhausted and were not very sizeable to begin with. The district did not and does not seem to be relying on them for spending needs.
Should Title IX cover sexual orientation or gender identity? What are your views on the use of locker rooms and bathrooms by transgender students and their participating in sports?
All human beings have the right to go to the bathroom in safety. I am aware of bathroom issues at the middle and high schools and would support any efforts to ensure all orientations and identities have adequate toileting needs met. I am not aware of any transgender students who participate in any notable way in Batavia school sports.
What is your stance on ICE agents accessing school grounds, and what policies would you advocate for regarding their presence on school property?
No detention of any student should occur on any school property by any entity except as provided by the law. Schools in the district should be in partnership with experts, of which there are many, regarding staying up to the minute on legality and procedure where the safety of our students is concerned.
What are the top three issues that the school district is facing right now?
Bullying is the biggest issue in Batavia schools. The district appears incurious about what defines bullying in the broadest sense, and this leads to inaction regarding Batavia-specific policy and procedure creation and enforcement.
Keeping all students warm, safe and dry has been a recently implemented goal in the district and this should be prioritized.
Communication and transparency gaps need to be bridged in order for all district stakeholders to feel empowered with knowledge as to who is accountable to them for providing the best schools for our students and staff.
What is your position on allowing students to use cell phones during school hours?
There is much data on the negative impacts of students using cell phones during the school day. I do not believe children should have access to their devices during school unless there is an emergency or needed accommodation.
Do you think cell phone policies should allow exceptions for emergencies or specific educational purposes? If so, how would these exceptions be defined?
Batavia would not be the first district to institute cell phones bans or appropriate exceptions to such. The district should lean on proven strategies to accommodate learning needs and ensure emergency preparedness both where cell phones are concerned and in the broader scope of things.
What steps would you take to address concerns about cyberbullying and inappropriate content access through student cell phones?
I would love to hear from experts and from nearby districts regarding what steps can be and have been taken to address cyber bullying. It is my understanding that the district has assigned its IT professionals to overseeing cyber security and the community should hear more from them on not only what is being done in schools, but how families and teachers can support their efforts.
Should students be able to use AI in schoolwork?
I am not one to dismiss new technology outright and believe slow and careful study of AI in schoolwork should be continuously conducted.
What is your plan for making district financial reports, including budgets and expenditures, publicly available and easy to understand?
Batavia does a good job of making its financial reports publicly available. I would love to see a more comprehensive overview of our finances in terms of how our students and staff are directly impacted by our funding. For those of us whose backgrounds are not in finance, it can be hard to know exactly how our tax dollars are hard at work for our schools.
How would you involve parents and community members in the decision-making process for curriculum or policy changes?
All parents and community members should feel not only that they could theoretically weigh in, but that they are invited to weigh in. I would love to see better outreach to our parents and community members to invite their perspectives and accommodate their differing abilities to interface with the district.
What is your position on banning books in school libraries or classrooms, and how do you define the criteria for such decisions?
I am against the banning of books. Our district has too many talented librarians and teachers doing the work of assessing and providing access to knowledge for us to be leaning on measures that infringe upon our students’ rights. The administration in our district should be seeking education on how to shape our curriculum and helping the community navigate its choices.
How would you balance maintaining appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels?
Batavia has done a good job, in my family’s experience, of balancing class sizes and staffing levels. I will look forward to getting a better picture of these needs and how best to support Batavia schools if elected.
Do you believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers, and if not, what changes would you make?
In attending all school board meetings for the past three years, I have heard varying perspectives on teacher satisfaction. I know Batavia has some of the most talented teachers I’ve come across, and I would support getting them the resources and support they need to best serve our students.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
I am currently reachable on my Facebook page (Katy Swiecicki for Bps101 School Board) and via email at katy4bps101@gmail.com. Having written and spoken to the school board myself, I would make sure to be easily accessible within the district and outside of it. As a community volunteer, resident, and frequent patron of downtown Batavia, you have seen me and you will see me out in our community. I hope you will come up to me any time, and reach out to me in any other way, too.