Opening Statements

For Bill Clevenger, "Academic achievement is absolutely a laser focus," with a particular eye on Kindergarden through 3rd grade. He says if you can't read by 3rd grade, "you are headed toward a lifetime of problems, and that's unnacceptable in my book."

He's concerned about how the School Board functions and governs the School District. He says "We need to be a high performing board and that's gonna take effort on everybody's part."

Clevenger wants to improve safety & security in the schools, and says the recent hire of Valdimir Talley is a step forward.

He notes that "50% of your local tax bill goes to the Decatur Public Schools," saying he wants to look at extracurricular activites and bring back "strong arts programs" and "strong athletic programs."

As far as his history, he touts 35 years living in Decatur, 4 kids who graduated from Macarthur High School, and his 34 years serving as the Executive Director of the Decatur Park District. He says he has worked with taxes & budgets and that he has a strong background in financial accountability.

Misty Fronk is running to "be a voice for the children, the parents, and the teachers," saying "those are the ones that we have to listen to to get our education system up and running." She wishes to focus more on the core curriculum - reading, writing, and arithmetic.

One of Misty's 4 grandchildren in Decatur Public Schools had an Individualized Education program and could only read at a 1st grade level while being in the fourth grade. Misty says her Daughter moved to a different state because she felt Decatur schools were failing her children.

Misty says her grandaughter is now reading at a 5th grade level, two years later. Misty says "maybe [my daughter] was right and the schools aren't doing everything they can to help children succeed."

Misty says her daughter's experience and move are her reason for running.

Fronk says "if children don't feel that they are progressing in their education, they're gonna turn to whatever they think is gonna make them feel better and feel like they're part of a community."

Fronk has been in Decatur for about 5 years.

Jenkins's opening statement is straight to the point, so here it is in his words:

"I'm running because I know the value that public education has and how transformative it can be to a community when executed well. When we look at this place we love so much and contrast it with the Illinois Report Card for DPS 61, it reminds us that there's still a great work to be done in this community."

He cites his additional reasons for running:

• "56% of the students suffer from chronic absenteeism and there is no current board policy to address it."
• "School safety directly impacts all facets of this community."
• "We need bright minds and creative thinkers occupying the hallways of the new million-dollar schools we plan to build."
• "Along with new curriculums, we need trained staff to show teachers how to implement it in the classroom and support their decisions to use other approved resources."
• "For far too long, we have been okay with declining academics, school violence, and a Board that lacks accountability, stability, and credibility."

Mark Reynolds wants to raise reading, math, and science scores. He is running because he read a Wall Street Journal editorial that "lambasted Illinois education" and "highlighted Decatur specifically as being just a disaster on the education front, talking about 5% of our kids can't read at grade level."

He cited the article as stating that "people that are involved in the Decatur education system should be fired." He said this is "embarassing for Illinois" and "embarassing for Decatur."

After reading this, he became a substitute teacher in Decatur Schools and thought he could "do an even better job" and "have a better effect" on the School Board.

He's concerned that if a child can't read by 3rd grade, "That child is lost. We've lost that child," and "we as a community can't tolerate that. That's not what Decatur is about. That's not what we're about."

He pledges "to do everything I can in my power to raise these scores."

Note: I believe Reynolds mis-spoke & meant to say that only 5% of Decatur kids can read at grade level.

Will Wetzel says "Everything has to go back to student learning." He says that starts with making sure children have a "safe, welcoming school" and that "our teachers, our paraprofessionals, our janitors, our custodians, [and] our librarians feel safe and secure in their school, because [their working conditions] are the learning conditions of our children."

"Secondly, we need to talk about accountability." Will says the School Board, over the past two years, has violated the Open Meetings Act 19 times and "that cannot continue."

He says the Board first needs to follow the law, then "we can build upon that by being responsive to the community." He said many people get elected then stop showing up in the community. He says he's been showing up for 2 years and that he will continue showing up.

He is a 2003 Eisenhower High School graduate & a parent of a 2nd grader at Baum School.

Hannah Wolfe hopes to raise a family and send her kids to Decatur Public Schools "which is why I'm running for School Board," she says. She wants to ensure "that our kids have every opportunity that we had, if not better." She says the kids "deserve a world class education and they can get that at Decatur Public Schools"

Hannah thinks that in Decatur "we're not very good at telling our own story," saying the negative message is stated the most and "it's not the truth & it's not the whole picture." As a Board member, she wants to be better at telling that story & putting out the good parts of DPS, while improving the parts that need help. She says Decatur schools are "not perfect and we have a lot of work to do, but we're gonna have to get together to do that."

Hannah was born & raised in Decatur, attended the University of Illinois where she majored in business, then moved back to Decatur to work. Hannah is the daughter of Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe.

Jalynn Walker withdrew from the School Board race.

Datrice Weathers withdrew from the School Board race.