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Name:
Wendy Streit
What office are you seeking?
Lockport High School District 205 School Board
Occupation and employer:
Educator for Valley View Schools
What offices, if any, have you previously held?
None
City:
Lockport
Education:
Governors State University MA English
Maranatha Baptist University BS English, Speech, Bible
Community Involvement:
Lockport Summer Art Series
Marital status/Immediate family:
Married with two children
Questions:
Do you think the district should keep investing money to keep Central Campus open or should the district spend more to build a new high school and if so where?
I do believe that investing money into Central Campus is appropriate. Any high school will always require responsible monetary investments.
How can the district improve reading and English proficiency and state test scores?
The best way for our district to improve reading and test scores is by making sure that our students have an authentic, professionally reviewed curriculum with a highly qualified staff and administration.
What are the top three issues that the school district is facing right now?
I believe the top three issues the school district is facing right now is the value of the freshman campus, finances and curriculum.
What is your position on allowing students to use cell phones during school hours?
Cell phones are a detriment to students’ education. They should be off and remain put away during the school day.
Do you think cell phone policies should allow exceptions for emergencies or specific educational purposes? If so, how would these exceptions be defined?
Cell phones, of course, should be used for emergency purposes, but there is enough technology available on the student laptops that makes the phones unnecessary. Blurring the lines for educational purposes only makes the policies messy.
What steps would you take to address concerns about cyberbullying and inappropriate content access through student cell phones?
By having a no cell phone policy in the schools, cyberbullyings and inappropriate content on cell phones becomes irrelevant. It is another reason to support that cell phones should be off during the school day.
What is your plan for making district financial reports, including budgets and expenditures, publicly available and easy to understand?
The website that the school uses to post financial reports, budgets and expenditures is already publicly available and accessible. I believe they do their best to make something that is incredibly complicated as easy to understand as possible.
How would you involve parents and community members in the decision-making process for curriculum or policy changes?
Parents and community members are already a part of the decision-making process for curriculum and policy changes. It is already up to all of us to take advantage of the process. It is important to recognize that some policy and curriculum changes will be state driven, and our school district is only implementing state expectations. Because of this, it is imperative that all community members are aware of expectations that are happening at the state level.
What is your position on banning books in school libraries or classrooms, and how do you define the criteria for such decisions?
I am not a fan of “banning books.” However, I believe that there are age-appropriate books for all levels, and parents need to be actively engaged to know what books their students are reading, and the books that districts are requiring for reading.
How would you balance maintaining appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels?
While Illinois does not have mandated maximum class sizes statewide, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) provides recommended guidelines for optimal learning. One of the ways that we can maintain an appropriate class size is by being wise with our finances so that we can add teachers when necessary to benefit the learning environment. We can also reallocate staff to balance workloads, ensuring teachers are placed where their skills are most needed, or use paraprofessionals or teaching assistants to support larger classes or special education settings.
Do you believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers, and if not, what changes would you make?
Yes, I believe that the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
There is an easy access page online for anyone to reach out to the school board. Personally, I am an accessible member of the Lockport Community. I am present at many events and look forward to talking with anyone who has a concern. If I haven’t met you yet, I look forward to it!