Ed Smykowski, Oak Lawn-Hometown Dist. 123 School Board Candidate

OAK LAWN, IL — Ed Smykowski is running for his first term on the Oak Lawn-Hometown Dist. 123 school board. There are six candidates running for three open seats in this race.

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The consolidated election is April 4.

Read Smykowski's questions to the Patch candidate survey.

Your name: Ed Smykowski

Age (as of election day: 45

Town/city of residence: Oak Lawn

School district: Oak Lawn-Hometown Dist. 123

Family: I have a beautiful wife and three remarkable children, one of whom is currently enrolled in D123.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? If yes, please explain: No

Education: Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering

Occupation: Senior Electrical Engineer

Campaign website or Facebook or other social media: N/A

Previous or current elected or appointed office: N/A

The most pressing issues facing our (board, district, etc.) are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them.

Safety, resources for learners at all levels, kids learning cohesively in their educational environment and allocating taxpayers’ money appropriately, and this is what I intend to do about them.

For safety, I plan to work with the Oak Lawn Police Department and ask them to perform walk-throughs at each of the six D123 schools to identify any security deficiencies that may exist and any enhancements that can be made. I will also request IT to create a Snap Com message to appear on each student’s Chrome Book which will read “See Something – Say Something” to reinforce the need to report any suspicious behavior at any level.

For resources for learners at all levels, I intend to seek counsel from professional educational social workers to make sure that children with special learning requirements and needs have the appropriate number of staff and resources available to them within the school.

To enhance the cohesiveness in which students learn with one another, I want to use the same Snap Com message of “See Something – Say Something” to encourage children to report damaging behavior, even if they are not directly involved. I also want to reinforce the idea that there will be anonymity with all reported cases so the children feel comfortable making these reports. In instances where conflicts arise, I would recommend that both the victim and the aggressor have counseling with the school’s social worker. I will also be promoting faculty and staff to instill confidence in the children which will only fortify their ability to work well with each other.

To appropriately allocate the taxpayers’ money, I will strictly work within the framework of the budget and look for opportunities to allocate funds for the benefit of both the student body and the staff.

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

One difference between me and the other candidates is that I am opposed to Standards-Based Grading at all levels of D123. I am an advocate of traditional grading systems vs standards-based grading and as such I will work hard to remove standards-based grading at all levels of D123. Since my two older children have already gone through the district, I know what the future holds for our D123 students and what benefits or drawbacks our current school system may have. This knowledge will allow me to make decisions in the best interests of all D123 families.

A great resource for the voters of D123 was the Meet the Candidate night held on March 9 at Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School where all six candidates were able to provide information about themselves and to answer questions related to D123.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district?

There seems to be an inadequate number of paraprofessionals and support counselors available to manage the needs of D123 students. Keeping an adequate number of these professionals and staff available will give the ability to mitigate learning or behavioral issues which ultimately leads to a more collaborative and cohesive learning environment.

Keeping standards-based grading has also been a deficiency the current school board has failed to either recognize or overcome. Standards-based grading does not prepare the students for high school or college as both levels of education utilize traditional grading systems. SBG is also confusing to the students to comprehend that although they may have done all their work correctly, the result is a ‘3’ instead of a ‘4’. The negative impact that all of these factors can have on the mental health of the students is something that, if willfully ignored, should no longer be.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform?

I believe that every child should be challenged so I will be an advocate of advanced programs for students to excel. I will also work hard to reintegrate penmanship as part of elementary curriculum.

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

I have been a coach of youth sports for the last ten years. My accomplishments from working with these children are shown in the confidence I was able to instill in them and the trust their families gave me as I tried to grow them not only physically with the particular sport, but also as a person. I still remain friends with many of the parents years later.

I was a school board member of a private institute for eight years. As such, I have experience navigating operating budgets, reviewing curriculum, and setting school policy.

Professionally, I was chairman of a national utilities committee involving 12 states where I led a large group to set national standards and manage a sizable budget which was funded by the various operating companies.

Why should voters trust you?

Voters should trust me because I am consistent and transparent in what I believe and say. I am not interested in the position of school board member as a means to further elevate my personal status or for future political endeavors. I believe that a school board member should be a representative of those in the district and that is what I intend on being and will not discourage anyone from voicing their opinion.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success?

A successful term would be defined by how safe the schools in the district are and how judiciously the budget was used. It is also defined by the ability to improve existing gaps in learning which have been previously mentioned. Thirdly, a successful term will be defined by the success of parents and teachers expressing their viewpoint to me and how well we would be able to work with each other.

What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the handling of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?

Being a good steward of taxpayer dollars is something that every school board member should desire to be. A thriving school district is something that is important to homeowners with young children so when they select the D123 area for their residence, it bolsters the local economy which in-turn strengthens the school district. Staying within the budget should be an important initiative of the board since the taxpayers of D123 work hard for the money the district is afforded.

What are your thoughts on how the district has handled the COVID-19 pandemic?

Whether or not I agree with how the district handled the pandemic, it is unfair to critique three years later having much more information now than the district had at that time. The school district was reacting to the information they were given by the IDPH and was trying to stay consistent with the guidelines set forth. The district also had to adapt to the pressures applied by the state.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some school boards saw extremely heated disagreements during public meetings. If elected, what changes, if any, need to be made to ensure meetings are run efficiently while still allowing open discussions?

When we are in a dire situation like a pandemic, there should be a dedicated inbox on the district website where people can express their concerns. There is currently a phone number but an inbox for emails provides another option. Also, there should have been more school board meetings for extended lengths during this time dedicated to how the district would handle the pandemic. Meetings structured in this way would have allowed more of an opportunity for the public to be heard and would have conveyed the fact that we should have been trying to navigate through this as a community.

How do you feel about sex education being taught in school? Should an LGBTQ component be included, and why or why not?

I believe health and anatomy including how the reproductive system works is something that should be taught at the middle-school level. Other facets of the curriculum should be limited to sexually transmitted diseases, protection and abstinence. This subject matter benefits all children regardless of sexual preference. Any other topics of sex education are the right and privilege of each family to share with their children in the way they see fit.

What are your views on critical race theory and whether it should be taught in the district?

I believe controversial social initiatives should be kept separate from the school system. Schools are for educating children, not promoting controversial social initiatives. Discussion of those topics should be the prerogative of the student’s family.

Do you think the current board has done enough to support racial equality, and if not, what specifically should be done to do so?

As a father of mixed-race children, I have had to educate myself on this topic. I believe every child should be treated equally and with dignity and respect regardless of race. Children are not ignorant to not notice that we are all different. Pointing students out and treating them differently because of the color of their skin or any other attribute actually highlights differences which is the opposite of equality and can have negative effects on the children. Teaching children facts about cultures and beliefs is an important component to building a well-rounded contributor to society.

When it comes to student achievement, what are schools within this district doing well and what needs to be improved? How can those improvements be made?

There needs to be more recognition for achievement. I believe an honor roll system is a good start but that can only be possible once the standards-based grading is removed and traditional grading is resurrected.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family? No

The best advice ever shared with me was: Be an honorable man. That was given to me by the most honorable man I know – my father.