D210 board hopefuls share key views
Candidates line up on discussing race, sex education, book bans
When it comes to issues of discussing race, sexual education and books in schools, the majority of Lincoln-Way High School District 210 board candidates either believe the state guidelines are pushing an ideology or keeping up with the times.
Nathan Sandoval, one of the candidates backed by the Lincoln Way Area Freedom Coalition, said an agenda is being pushed on students in schools, which he said should be free of ideology, particularly in lessons about race and sex education.
Critical race theory and diversity, equity and inclusion have become “buzzwords,” said Sandoval, who has three children who will attend District 210.
“I’m not entirely certain on what everybody means when they say those things, but my thought on an education philosophy is one that is free of ideological agendas,” Sandoval said. “Academic freedom is paramount. Any philosophy, let’s call it critical race theory or diversity, equity and inclusion, any philosophy based on the concept of identifying people based on arbitrary groups ... is one that is fundamentally flawed.”
Caitlin Olejnik, one of the candidates backed by the Lincoln-Way Education Association, the teachers union, said critical race theory, an academic concept that race is a social construct and that racism is embedded in laws and policies, is taught at the undergraduate and graduate level in higher education not in high school.
“Our educators are professionals,” said Olejnik, who has three children in the Manhattan Elementary District 114. “The curriculum being taught, it should be current, it should be modern, it should keep up with our times. I don’t feel there are any hidden agendas behind what teachers are teaching.”
Sandoval and Olejnik are among 10 candidates running for four seats on the District 210 Board.
The Lincoln Way Area Freedom Coalition, which aims to send conservative candidates to all levels of government, endorsed Sandoval, David Collins, Gena Sambo and Katarzyna “Kasia” Topor.
“We support their efforts to
bring a balanced perspective, student achievement, the voice of parents and the community as a whole to the Lincoln-Way High School Board of Education,” said Dan Butler, chairman of the coalition.
The Lincoln-Way Education Association is backing Richard LaCien Jr., the only incumbent running, and Olejnik, Catherine Johnson and Dana Bergthold. LaCien and Johnson did not respond to multiple requests for comment or photos.
“I believe people should consider our four candidates because they are very representative of our community,” said Kevin McCleish, co-chair of the union’s political action committee. “They all come from diverse backgrounds and have diverse professional experiences.”
The other two candidates running are Mark Bamman and Tessa Quinlan.
Race discussions
Quinlan, who has two students who attend District 210 and another child in sixth grade, said having a diverse community is positive because it helps people learn different perspectives from each other.
But discussions of race should not distract from the core topics that students should learn in school, she said.
“We have to find a way to balance out the changing times in our society,” Quinlan said. “I think our school does well with supporting any efforts to balance all of that out.”
Topor, the owner of ProCore Fitness in New Lenox, said she would make sure the board does not pass “any political policies from our federal government” when asked about teaching race in school.
Bergthold, an assistant superintendent of student services for Hinsdale Elementary District 181 who has two children at Lincoln-Way East, said the guidelines for teaching about race state discussions should focus on being kind to others, accepting differences and not judging others for differences.
Sambo, who has three children who attend District 210 and another who will next year, said students should not be taught about critical race theory concepts in the classroom.
“To teach kids that based on what color they are that’s how they’re going to make it in life is just a huge disservice to our future generation,” Sambo said.
Sex education
Sandoval and Sambo said beyond the biology of sex, teachers should not talk to students about other aspects of sexual expression.
“Another adult that I don’t know from Adam teaching my kids about sex education or sexual orientation, I don’t know who thought that was a good idea,” Sambo said. “That’s a very personal, private conversation between a parent and a child. I don’t believe that the state has any business in that relationship.”
Olejnik said sex education is provided by certified professionals, age appropriate and aligns with required guidelines.
The focus of sex education, Bergthold said, is to inform students there are different perspectives on sexuality and gender identity. The purpose is not to force an idea on students, she said.
When discussing sexual orientation or gender, Topor said she believes students can identify anyway they want but those topics should be discussed at home.
“I respect all the humans. I don’t discriminate against anybody, but I believe that certain things should be taught at home,” Topor said. “I believe that math, English, and science should be taught at school. Certain things should be left to the parents to decide for the kids.”
Book banning
Sandoval said while banning books “seems foreign to the idea of a free academic experience,” boards have to make sure the school library doesn’t have books that focus on gender identity and sex.
Quinlan and Topor both said the discussion of banning books is different between elementary school and high school. But they both said parents should know what their students are reading and discuss certain topics at home.
If parents were to call for book banning, Bergthold said she’d approach the topic by first examining if the book is offered in the library or a required reading in class. If it’s a book a student chooses to read, Bergthold said they can stop reading the book if it upsets them. If the book is required reading, Bergthold said she’d discuss with teachers how the book addresses standards that need to be taught.
“These are life lessons that aren’t necessarily geared in one specific direction because it’s our job as public educators to make sure that kids understand there are many perspectives on all of these pieces,” Bergthold said.
Sambo and Olejnik said they don’t support banning books. Olejnik said such bans teach students “it’s OK to just stop something because you don’t believe in it.”
COVID-19 response
Bamman and Collins, who both have children who will attend District 210, joked at a recent New Lenox Republicans event that they are running together because they are both attending physicians at Silver Cross Hospital and Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Bamman was Collins’s resident, Collins said.
They said their platform is “evidence-based, pragmatic decision making” when it comes to health decisions, according to their campaign page. They are “strong advocates for individual rights and freedoms” and believe parents have the right to make decisions for their children’s health and education.
“I wanted to use my health care expertise to guide health responses, if needed,” Collins said.
Collins said the COVID19 pandemic inspired him to run because protocols put on schools became “pretty intensive” even as more information about the virus’ impact on children became known.
“We’re critical care thinkers and can make high impact decisions,” Bamman added.
Topor, whose children will go through District 210, said she’s running because she watched her children become exhausted by e-learning during the pandemic.
As a mother of three, Topor said she wants to ensure parents have a strong voice in their children’s education because growing up in Poland, her education was dictated by the government and her parents didn’t have a say.
Sandoval and Sambo said the response to the COVID19 pandemic also prompted them to run.
Board goals
Johnson, who teaches Spanish in High School District 230 and has two young children who will attend District 210, said her goals as would be to hire quality educators, which has an affect on student achievement, hire more social workers and fiscal responsibility.
“I know what it’s like to be a teacher, and I know what it’s like to be a leader,” Johnson said.
Sandoval said he would advocate for a curriculum that focus on reading, writing, math, history and science that focuses on teaching children “how to think not what to think.”
Sambo said similar issues are important to her, stating she wants to learn more about the curriculum and be transparent about it with parents.
Both Sandoval and Sambo said they would also focus on transparency and the budget.
Olejnik would like to focus on maintaining school excellence and ensure communication between all district stakeholders.
Quinlan said she wants to use her experience as a mother advocating for her special-needs son to advocate for students and parents. She said she would focus on enhancing special services and vocational options for students after graduation and offering American Sign Language as a class.
Bergthold said she’s running to ensure parents understand the curriculum guidelines the district has to meet and how teachers pick materials to teach the guidelines.