Regional
Superintendent Race
By
Mike Kroll
It is a sad fact that voters are frequently asked to
elect people to obscure or unfamiliar offices, and all too often both the
candidates and their campaigns failed to garner much media coverage, yet the
duties and impact of the office itself can have a profound impact on our lives.
Such is the case with the office of Regional Superintendent of Schools, one of
the few elected positions that mandates that candidates must possess
professional credentials to qualify for candidacy. The Illinois Board of
Education has divided the state into 46 Òregional offices of educationÓ or ROEs
(excluding Chicago) and all but 16 of these are composed of multiple counties.
Knox county is one of those 16 single-county ROEs and among the ten smallest in
the state. There is a long list of responsibilities assigned to these offices
but in essence they function as local representatives of the state board of
education and are responsible for carrying out state mandates.
Bonnie Harris (D) of Galesburg currently is seeking
reelection as regional superintendent and is being challenged by Matthew
LeClere (R), also of Galesburg and currently principal of Nielson School.
Before first being elected to this position four years ago Harris had spent
more than three decades as a Kindergarten teacher in Galesburg. LeClere has 15
years of education experience, initially as a special education teacher in a
Des Moines junior high school and later as an assistant principal in Vandalia
before spending the last 5 years as Nielson principal.
I have known Bonnie Harris for some time but only just
met Matt LeClere as I interviewed him for this article. There are very real
differences between these two candidates. Not only has their professional
experience been very different: Harris is a career-long teacher who only sought
out this administrative role late in her long career while LeClere opted to
become a school administrator after 8 years of teaching. In many respects
Harris still retains the goals and world view of a Kindergarten teacher as she
approaches her current administrative duties while LeClere has fully made the
transition to an administrative world view.
For example, asked about the most important
responsibilities of the job Harris answered:
ÒEducation is number one. Teachers and administrators
are the primary people we serve. The ROE website is a communication tool to
help keep educators informed of the different opportunities available to them
personally and in the classroom. My job is to help insure the best possible
education for our students by maintaining quality teachers, safe buildings and
an educational atmosphere that places the student as our first priority.Ó
Contrast this with LeClere's answer. ÒGiven the
extensive list of responsibilities prescribed by the State of Illinois for this
office, it is difficult to distinguish between the most important aspects. If, however, asked to prioritize the
responsibilities, I would assert that providing professional development for
teachers, interpreting, disseminating, and assisting local districts with
mandates from the state and federal government, and providing for the health
and safety of the schools would be paramount.Ó
The essence of their answer is the same but very
different in approach and tone. LeClere brought up the many legislative and
administrative dictates that are passed down to local schools through the ROEs
while Harris only acknowledged them when asked a direct question. Throughout
the interview LeClere emphasized his training and experience as a school
administrator and went so far as to state that despite more than 30 years as a
teacher and four years as regional superintendent Harris is not as qualified
for this job as he. Harris preferred to speak of her community involvement and
demonstrated compassion for young people.
Currently the Knox County ROE is among the state's
smallest in terms of both staffing and the number of students served and this
is reflected in a staff of only seven. I suggested to both candidates that
perhaps this wasn't the most cost efficient or effective arrangement. Not
surprisingly both disagreed.
ÒThis office provides a lot of service directly to the
citizens of Knox County,Ó explained Harris. ÒIf it wasnÕt here, the duties and
responsibilities probably would not change. The level of service most probably
would decrease. We would have to do a lot more with the same or less staff.Ó
ÒThe answer to whether the office is effective and
efficient lies with the perspective of who is asking,Ó said LeClere. Ò From the
standpoint of the average taxpayer, one might suggest that to combine the
office with another county or two would decrease the expenses needed for each
office and could save money. From
the viewpoint of an educator the answer would likely be different. I would
assert that the smaller office would offer more individualized programs. It has the ability to focus its efforts
on the schools of Knox County and not be overly concerned with the needs of
others who may have different priorities.
The challenges faced by our local districts in Knox County are different
than those faced even in neighboring counties and really must be addressed
separately. The specific
efficiency of the office would in large part depend upon its leadership.Ó
One of the most visible duties of the ROE is to handle
the certification/recertification of local teachers. This role involves not
only shuffling paperwork but also administering continuing education
opportunities for area teachers. Many teachers are skeptical of the present
system that they see as poorly reflecting skills and experiences that make a
real difference in a teacher's success in the classroom. Some outside observers
believe the current system protects bad or lazy teachers while simultaneously
making it difficult for potential teachers with promise.
According to LeClere, ÒI donÕt believe the blame for
problems with [teacher] tenure can be assumed by the Regional Offices of
Education, nor can it fully fall on school district administrators, the State
of Illinois, nor the teachers union.
Instead, I would hold that there is plenty of room to share that burden
amongst all those involved. A
system that protects those whom have lost the spark of teaching based solely on
the idea that they have been around long enough to gain tenure is
ludicrous. As is a system that
monetarily rewards teachers based on merit. Both systems are flawed by design and innately bias.Ó
ÒIn order for professional development to be most
successful, it must be more than just a one time, quick fix. Professional development should be
on-going endeavors, connected to the curriculum being taught as well as the
districtsÕ and schoolsÕ improvement plans. High quality, well planned, timely, and relevant professional
development is imperative to the success of teachers beginning their careers
and the continued success of veteran teachers. Continuing education offerings through the Regional Office
should be coordinated with the curriculum offices of local districts to ensure
the components of effective professional development are being met.Ó
Harris' take seems to differ only slightly. ÒI am sure
there are teachers who are not good for children as well as those who feel some
of the educational offerings are not relevant to them. I donÕt think anyone can
say with certainty that professional development does make a bad teacher
better. I do think that the many teachers are always ready and willing to learn
something new to help the children they teach. Good teachers tweak the lessons
and methods they are taught and make it work for them and their students.
Application is the key! Teachers are always from one year to the next changing
things. They learn something new and they use it to become a better teacher.Ó
No issue in this campaign better distinguishes between
these two candidates than the approach each takes to problem students. Whether
we are speaking of those who drop out or who are forced out of school for
discipline reasons failure to complete a high school education will have a
negative ripple effect throughout the rest of that child's life. Many of the
problems we face as adults can be traced back to failed or missed opportunities
in our youth and the level of support we received from family and community
that surrounded us.
In Knox County when a student leaves school one way or
another and later wants to complete his/her high school education as an
adolescent they have the opportunity to attend the Knox County Academy. The KCA
offers a day session for those students who enroll there as an alternative to
being expelled. This relatively small day program is funded by the state and
offers a high school diploma to those students who complete all of the state
graduation requirements. While some question the increasing rate of
disciplinary suspensions and expulsions in area schools there is little
disputing the value of this day program to the affected students and the
ever-growing need.
LeClere firmly believes that the increased emphasis on
school discipline is both necessary and justified. ÒThe primary goal of any
administrator in any district is first and foremost the safety of the students
in their charge. Principals donÕt
enjoy suspending children. I,
personally, find it absolutely the most distasteful aspect of the job. However, when a child comes to school he/she
is expected to be in an environment that is safe and orderly, where they can
learn. If another person is
disrupting that environment through their actions, that person should expect be
excluded for a certain amount of time.
When a person hurts another person in school, they should expect a
consequence that would exclude them from school for a time. We would expect nothing less walking
down the street or going to work.
If a coworker struck you in the face while you were walking to the water
cooler, you would expect there to be consequences for their actions. If you struck one of your coworkers you
would expect to lose your job. Why
would we expect anything less of students in a school building? If a child brings drugs or a weapon
into a school, they absolutely should be escorted to the door and led away in
handcuffs never to return. We can
afford to do nothing less. That is
not eagerness; that is prudence.Ó
Harris won't come out and say directly that local
school boards are too eager to expel students but she laments the
shortsightedness of this process. ÒThrowing a kid out of school amounts to us
giving up on that kid and I hate to give up on any kid. Too many adults seem to
have forgotten what it was like to be an adolescent and the missteps and
mistakes they made then. There are many behaviors that are inappropriate in our
schools but the true test of teachers and administrators is how we handle
problem behavior and the students involved. Excluding a child from school is
the most serious penalty we can impose and one where the consequences can be
devastating. The most important role of any educator is to work toward the
education of all our students, not just those who make the task easy.Ó
The criticism of the KCA has been directed at its
evening program. This program isn't funded by the state and Harris unabashedly
says, ÒI am very proud of the evening classes at the Knox County Academy. The
students who were dropouts are now trying to turn their lives around. The
majority are working very hard to earn enough credits to receive an Illinois
State Diploma. Most of our night students have specific deficiencies that need
to be met so that they can earn a high school diploma and our programs are
individualized to meet the needs and circumstances of individual students. Our
critics have claimed that a degree earned at the KCA is somehow substandard to
that earned at a traditional high school but I challenge that assumption.
Additionally, I point out that these are almost universally kids the regular schools
gave up on. I won't give up on students who have the determination not to give
up on themselves. This program is producing some educated citizens.Ó
ÒThe breadth and depth of knowledge presented in the
shortened time frame at the KCA cannot compare to that which is presented in a
full day at the high school,Ó counters LeClere. ÒThe teachers in this program
do not have to fit the definition of a highly qualified teacher and
consequently most donÕt. The day program at the KCA is designed to serve
children whom, for whatever reason, may not return to their local high schools.
This program should be staffed with people that are instructionally prepared
for this reality. The teachers
should have a training background in special education, preferably BD, so they
may help these students be ready to return to their home school when
allowable. There needs to be a
system of strong discipline in place to make sure that appropriate learning can
take place in the classrooms.
Teachers that work in this program should be paid at a competitive rate
and offered some form of health insurance benefits as to attract the best
people available.Ó
Harris acknowledges that her teachers are not
compensated the same as most other area teachers but says that this is due to
limited resources and the nature of grant funded programs such as this. ÒI
would say that the salaries we pay our teachers are comparable to beginning
school district pay but we do not offer health insurance or benefits and they
have no more job security than any other grant funded program. These aren't
choices I have made but simply a function of doing as much as we can with the
available resources.Ó
I asked each candidate what they felt made them the
best choice and what changes they'd like to see if elected.
ÒPeople don't realize that an administrator has a very
different perspective than a teacher and this is an administrative position,Ó
noted LeClere. ÒMy opponent does not have any experience as a principal and
that is reflected in her approach to administering the ROE. I also have
management experience outside of the school. For 9 years, while teaching in Des Moines Public Schools, I
was the shift manager at TaitÕs Foods.
My responsibilities included reconciling cash drawers, opening and
closing the books (for which I wrote a manual when I left), scheduling,
payroll, supervision of a store full of employees, hiring, firing, and customer
service. I am a very organized
person and know this office and the responsibilities expected distinctly. I will surround myself with the best,
most talented people to serve the citizen and schools of Knox County and
implement the programs to the best of my ability. I am confident enough to do the job well, have the ethics to
do the right thing, and have the humility to listen and ask for help if
needed.Ó
ÒIn order for this office to run in the most efficient
and productive way possible, more and better collaboration is absolutely
essential. The KCA needs to have some improvements made in the way that it
serves our community. The day program needs to be administered with a stiff
hand and the perception of the night school program needs to be addressed. We should be making the night program
inviting to not only people who have dropped out of school but also to
nontraditional students, who are looking to finish their high school course
work and earn a diploma after having some time away for whatever reason.Ó
ÒThe Regional SuperintendentÕs Office must make every
effort to work closely with the curriculum directors of local districts to
offer quality, timely, and relevant professional development
opportunities. These offerings
should be aligned with state standards and support the districtsÕ and schoolsÕ
improvement plans. By making these
types of offerings available at reasonable or no cost to districts and
participants, these opportunities can be beneficial to the teacher, to the
district, and to all of the children that they serve. I would like to develop a
Lending Library for the teachers of Knox County. A library of this type would include a number of resources
that teachers could check out on a regular basis for use in their classrooms.Ó
Harris' reply was predictably more succinct. ÒI am a
very caring, energetic, innovative, positive person. I didn't just teach
kindergarten, but I also worked closely with young parents and over my career I
have mentored many fellow teachers. Teaching is my passion and seeing my
students grow into successful adults is my chief reward. I am a very good
listener. I know I canÕt solve all of the problems that come before me but I do
know how to listen and ask for help when I need it. I have truly enjoyed all of
the challenges of this office. It is great to help people solve their problems.
This office has afforded me many privileges and opportunities that I would not
have had. What a privilege and honor to shake the hand of a student who has
just received their high school diploma.Ó
ÒI really
donÕt like to make a campaign promises. I will continue to seek out new and
innovative programs and services. We evaluate all of the programs and classes
that we offer. We are seeking to get the best people to provide the best
educational opportunities available to us with our limited resources.Ó