Mark Reynolds is running for School Board because he thinks he can make a bigger impact as an elected official than as a substitue teacher in the schools, according to his WAND interview. He says he read a Wall Street Journal editorial "a couple months ago" that "really had [him] quite, quite upset" and he decided to become a susbsitute teacher at that time.
He's been subbing at Hope Academy, Franklin Grove, and Montessori since. He thought he could make a difference as a sub, but thought he could make a "better impact on the board."
Top Priority
His top priority is getting students to read & do math & science at grade level, especially for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. "If we have children that can't read after the third grade, we've lost them. And I think we have a generation of children out there right now that we have lost." He says "we need to stop socially advancing children that aren't ready to advance."
Reynolds has a friend who volunteers "one hour a day at Hope Academy helping somebody learn to read" and thinks it could "have a huge impact" to engage parents more in their students' education, getting them to read at grade level. He says it will "take the whole community" to get kids reading at grade level and would like to see a lot more volunteers helping out at the schools.
School Security
School security is not "a high priority on [his] list." He says the security personnel at the schools where he subs are doing a "pretty decent job." He says he hasn't looked at the security setup in "all the schools" and is sure there are "areas that need improvement" but says "truthfully I don't know."
School Security has been a recent topic of concern due to fights in schools. The District recently hired a new security administrator, Valdimir Talley Jr, who is implementing new efforts including increased patrols, upgraded security cameras, teaching de-escalation tactics to school security officers, and looking for areas in schools that bullying might be taking place. Talley says that "97% of our students" are doing the right thing and that "when we have those three fights or four fights in a week, it makes it seem as if we're not safe, and that's not the case."
School Discipline
Reynolds says "discipline in the school is, is a big challenge" and that sometimes when subbing he feels like a "glorified babysitter." He says his "inexperience as a teacher [is] obviously part of it", and adds that "the kids are really in a lot of situations, just not prepared to be in a position to learn." He says he "feels bad for the teachers" who are "swimming upstream" trying to get the kids to "pay attention and just to learn."
It will take time...
He says there isn't a "silver bullet" for solving the districts' problems and it will "take time," suggesting that he be critqued after four years by seeing if test scores improve. He says "we need to get the teachers, the administration, and the board together" to come up with a plan that "we all can get behind, and all feel good about, and then work on it."