Danielle Sligar for Bps101 School Board

10/03/2024

✨Batavia, I need you! This is long, but please read and share if you feel moved to do so. ✨

As many of you know, I’ve spent the last year and a half on our School Board. I’ve hit a lot of barriers and have had my share of frustrations, but I’m not giving up and I’d love to see a couple of strong student advocates run for open seats! We have four open seats, but I’m pretty sure two of the sitting board members are running again. My concern lies in the likelihood of a slate of candidates, who ran against me, planning to run again. These candidates did not seem to have an interest for advocacy and addressing the needs and safety of all of our students. District staff needs did not seem to be a high priority either. So here’s my ask:

I’d love to make sure we have a couple candidates, who’ve been educated on what it takes to file petitions, what it means to be on the board and who are truly interested in advocating for the ability for EVERY student to have access to an equal and safe education, run for a couple of the seats. This means they need to file their petitions by Nov 18th (it’s not hard!) and be okay with the possibility of a contested race (I can help give info!).

I’m including a video of a recent conversation I was part of. It was a good convo in person, but the audio and video doesn’t start until about 1/4 of the way in and it only shows the slideshow vs the panelists. I was with sitting or past members of city council, park district, and the library board. Q&A is about half way or less into the video. Check it out and see my notes below.

PLEASE if you or anyone you know is interested and has a passion for advocating for our kiddos, have them reach out to me with any questions. I am always available. If there’s another board member they’d feel more comfortable with, I’m sure any of them would love to chat. We need more people willing to volunteer their time and energy!

Here are the notes from this video I’d love to pass on:

▪️ANYONE who has a passion for advocating for EVERY students complete needs belongs on the school board. That means you see each student for who they are and they aren’t just test numbers, and regardless of your personal beliefs or home life, you have a passion to ensure they feel like they belong at school and are willing to fight for that. It’s also important to have a passion to hear and respect our educators’ voices.

▪️A diverse board equals a stronger board. The more we’re different in our backgrounds, passions, and how we identify, the better our ability to improve the outcome of the academic successes and experiences of all our students.

▪️Lean in on your supports and believe them when they tell you that you belong at the board table!

▪️Do NOT run if you’re only interested in one or two issues. It’s totally fine and great to be passionate about certain areas, but to bring success to EVERY student, we need more people who are willing to give the time and attention to all the issues we discuss.

▪️whether when campaigning or while on the board, always ask whose voice you haven’t heard from or isn’t represented at the table and then seek them out ❤️

▪️ASK QUESTIONS- be willing to ask all the questions. So many times it feels uncomfortable and like pushback, but it’s usually the best way to ensure you’re understanding the full picture and when good change can be made

▪️know the commitment, in both time and energy, before you run (ask me about it!)

‼️And again, if you’re passionate about the safety and access to education for every student of Batavia, you belong on the board!!!

Also, the District admin will be leading an educational session for those interested in running for school board at RJAC on October 8th. I can get more info if interested in attending.

From our BCDI community conversation on running for office. The conversation was great in person, unfortunately we ran into some tech issues. The first porti...

05/23/2024

Congratulations to the class of 2024! It’s such an awesome experience to see the pride in all the kids and their families. It was extra special getting to see two of our neighborhood Seniors graduate! Best of luck Martin Beirne and Delia!!

⭐️ I’d like to share part of my closing remarks from our recent Board meeting on Tuesday:

To the seniors out there…Graduation is not a given- I can tell you that from experience because I have my GED ( I have learned that I have no reason to be embarassed. There were many personal hardships that I faced as a teen. It is not a failure, but I do appreciate the strength of these kids even more so given my perspective). There are many obstacles that students face during their academic careers. Recognize and take pride in the fact that you have done years of work, fought against adversities, and have remained resilient and determined. Don’t ever doubt your ability to accomplish something, because you have shown by getting to this point that, if you put in effort and continue to push, you absolutely can be successful. Stay driven even when the path changes, find strength in those uncomfortable and hard moments, and continue to be the amazing people you have shown us you’ve already become. I am so proud of you and can’t wait to see what the future holds for you ⭐️

04/27/2024

Still working hard for our BPS101 students, staff, and community! ❤️

I couldn’t do this work without my supports out there. I sincerely appreciate all of the supportive words I’ve received along the way. They truly keep me going. I remember being told that I get to decide what kind of board member I will be. Will I read the agenda and rubber stamp things, spending maybe an hour a month on things? Or will I give my time to be available for my community and push to bring their voices to the table and ask questions and then more questions? I’d say the latter and I’m working to give myself balance so I can continue to be the voice my community elected me to be.

I’m very fortunate to have mentors, friends, family, and community who are there to help pick me up and keep me going. So, thank you 🥰

Guys, I’m telling you, our youth is something else 🔥 Some will try so hard to reduce them to their test scores, proficiency performances, and struggles…completely neglecting to see their amazing grit, perseverance, and growth. For years I’ve watched our kids speak through their traumas to not only help themselves, but to help others. I’ve watched them not only be the reason adults in our community organize for change, but I’ve watched our students LEAD the change. I couldn’t be more proud of them. These are the kids whom our society have tasked with active shooter drills, taking in insanely difficult world news that they have regular access to, they watch others and sometimes themselves be stripped of basic human rights, be considered last in many community and district decisions, and time after time be called snowflakes and reduced to standardized test scoring that’s directed by a system that doesn’t take diverse needs into account. Yet over and over, our youth have been SO successful and make it through. I value that success even if it’s not a test score…actually, especially when it’s not limited to a test score. I’m in awe and inspired by them!! 🤩✊🏽❤️

Here’s to THREE more years! 😅

04/11/2023

I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weather! I’m sharing an article where Raquel, Rob, and myself were asked a few questions.

I Know the paywall can be an issue for some so I’ll copy and paste below as well:

Batavia school board likely to have three newcomers; district’s referendum fails in Tuesday’s election

By Jonah Nink

April 06, 2023 at 8:27 pm CDT

Three newcomers likely will join the Batavia District 101 School Board after a close election April 4. Raquel Gonzalez-Thomas, Danielle Sligar and Jeffery Robert Arulandu, who were the three leading candidates as of April 6, went from motivated parents to likely school board members overnight. The results won’t be official until two weeks after Election Day.

“We had put in quite a bit of effort leading up to Election Day, so it was nice to see that our message was received well by the community and they returned their feedback through voting for us,” Arulandu said.

All three candidates cited district communication and diversity, equity and inclusion as motivators for choosing to run.
“The No. 1 thing would probably be communication, making sure that things are communicated properly, there’s more transparency,” Gonzalez-Thomas said.

“I feel that collaboration and transparency will resolve some of the communication and trust issues our community members have vocalized,” Sligar said. “I want my presence to represent groups in our community who haven’t really had a place in board matters before.”

Gonzalez-Thomas has received the most votes – 3,061 – out of the seven candidates running for the three contested seats. Sligar has received 2,946 votes and Arulandu received 2,734 votes, according to unofficial results.
School board president Cathy Dremel was not reelected to her position, and board members Chris Lowe and Erin Meitzler did not seek reelection.

Gonzalez-Thomas said the district should consider working closer with DEI experts.
“That’s something else I’d like to tackle is getting someone,” she said. “Whether it’s hiring someone full-time in the district or if we just have training workshops with DEI experts, just to get everybody trained. And by everybody, I mean everybody. I would like custodians, secretaries, the nurses, administration, teachers. Depending on the program, I wouldn’t mind opening it up to the actual Batavia community. Like, ‘Hey, we’re opening up this workshop on DEI,’ so you’re not mislead on what it is and what it isn’t.”

Arulandu said his personal upbringing will bring a unique perspective to the board.
“Having that experience as a first-generation American working through that public education school system,” he said. “From professional experience and skill side, I’m an engineer of 25-plus years’ experience, so I’ve worked with unions [and] have a lot of business skills, project planning, meeting resource constraints and allocations. So I think all those experiences on the professional side will also benefit the school district.”

Gonzalez-Thomas and Sligar are Batavia residents. Arulandu lives in Geneva. All have students who are in or have gone through the Batavia education system.

“My campaign and reason for running was never solely focused around my own family’s needs,” Sligar said. “I have a lot of work to dive into and I know it won’t be easy, but I know there’s a whole support system rallying behind me.”

The election saw the district’s $140 million facilities referendum fail for the second time after being voted down in November, which leaves the future of aging district facilities, such as H.C. Storm and Louise White elementary schools, unknown. Had the referendum passed, the funds would have been used to replace those two schools and improve the district’s other six schools.The measure failed by only 24 votes in the November election. It failed by a larger margin in this election, with 3,444 “yes” votes and 4,102 “no” votes.

https://www.shawlocal.com/news/election/2023/04/07/batavia-school-board-likely-to-have-three-newcomers-districts-referendum-fails-in-tuesdays-election/?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KaneCountyChronicle&fbclid=IwAR0vnfyvD9MtLHLiZrC7ZRA8nHao1Qf3pEoS89bmN1cQIAtM681lcZpklek

The district’s $140 million facilities referendum failed for the second time after being voted down in November.

04/05/2023

WE did it!!! Enough people in our community truly understand and believe that we can only succeed when we ALL succeed. I appreciate everyone who is here- those of you I know and have met, and those of you who I’m excited to have the opportunity to hopefully meet one day soon. Thank you for the support and encouragement. Thank you for taking your time to have community conversations. For grabbing yard signs, and especially for getting out to vote. THANK YOU!!!

I’m excited to bring a new perspective onto the board and to be voice for those who haven’t been able to use their own, for whatever the reason may be. I’m looking forward to learn more and do everything I can to try and meet the needs of our community within the District’s means. I promise that I will ask questions. I will consider who decisions include and who they don’t. I will continue my work in DEI so I can keep learning and growing, and serve our community through it.

I’m SO excited for more collaboration because so much is possible when we do it together!!! 🤩

04/03/2023

Tomorrow is Election Day! Polling places are open 6am-7pm. Please make a plan to get your vote in!

Find your polling place:
https://ova.elections.il.gov/PollingPlaceLookup.aspx

04/01/2023

We’re nearing the final day to get your vote in! You don’t need to wait until April 4th. Here are the early voting locations and hours. Please, if you or someone you know still aren’t sure about who to vote for, or you have questions, please do not hesitate to send me a message. Let’s connect! I’m more than happy to answer questions. You can also scroll my page for links to forums and questionnaires.

03/23/2023

🤩 I voted today! Please make a voting plan if you haven’t already done so. Early voting hours are accommodating and ensure you get that vote in! Also, please encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. Every single vote counts and we truly need your voice at the polls. Lastly, I encourage everyone to try and research their ballots. I realize info isn’t always easy to find, so if you or someone you know is looking for resources, please reach out! (My ballot consisted of Alderperson, Batavia Park District, Batavia Library, Regional Board of School Trustees, Batavia School Board, Waubonsee Community College Trustees, Referendum, and two seperate City of Batavia questions.)

Thank you to everyone person who has voted early and supported me!

03/22/2023

Sharing this important clip of Todd Swanson, President of Batavia Education Association, speaking at last night’s Board of Education meeting. **I urge every Batavian voter to spend the 9 minutes to listen in and gain a better understanding on what has become a hot topic in the Board of Education election before voting.**

This isn’t an opinion piece. This is from a member and representative of our educator community, speaking from experience, knowledge, understanding of data, and commitment to our students’ learning experiences.

Todd dove into what has become a controversial issue of proficiency numbers and what they actually mean for Batavia, and also in comparison to surrounding communities. (During campaign forums, interviews, and questionnaires some candidates concentrate mainly on these numbers as their reason for concern and running. They indicate that student academic success should be based largely, and sometimes solely, on proficiency measurements, without much context behind the numbers or what they actually mean in the grand scheme of a student’s academic journey.) He took time to explain what the numbers mean and how ALL the data should be considered to paint a full picture of what is happening in our District.

Todd also thanked the Board for their collaboration and willingness to learn, listen, and begin working through a DEI lens. (This is especially being recognized during a time that some have tried to pin DEI as a distraction versus a necessity to better our students educational abilities and experiences).

I can’t state enough how important it is to consider Todd’s speech.

03/22/2023

This message from ISBE Superintendent is a really good share, especially right now. If you have a moment to read it, please do. You may have noticed candidates running a platform that is heavily relied upon proficiency scores (there’s a familiar push Nationwide). While I firmly believe data is so important to consider, so is context. I want to ensure voters are considering voices of our experts- the people who are spending hours and so much effort within our school walls. Some days they spend more time with our kids than we do. I have yet to speak with an educator who believes proficiency scores should be the main data marker to indicate a student’s overall academic ability.

———————-
(ISBE message copied from the attached link)

Dear Colleagues:

Illinois educators have a lot to be proud of. According to U.S. News & World Report, our state ranks #6 in the nation for prek-12 education. Six Illinois districts are among the top 20 public school districts in the nation, including claiming the top two spots. Last year, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (aka “The Nation’s Report Card”) showed that our students scored above the national average in both reading and math for Grades 4 and 8, while many other states saw declines. And we rank #11 for youth mental health.

So why does Illinois have an average proficiency rate of 30.1%? What does that mean?

Illinois has the most rigorous
standards in the nation. Each state measures “proficiency” differently. It’s like comparing homeruns across ballparks with vastly different outfields or comparing someone’s mile time on a flat track versus mountain terrain.

Being "proficient” in Illinois requires much more than reading on grade level. Our standards include a depth and breadth of higher order language arts skills, including writing, logic, critical thinking, and analysis. Out of five levels, only the top two count as “proficient” in Illinois. These high standards guide us to ensure our students are truly ready for rigorous content at the next grade level.

School context also matters. National research shows that schools’ proficiency rates strongly correlate to the income levels of the families they serve. The schools that serve historically under-resourced communities, students in alternative schools, and high numbers of English Learners (who take these federally required accountability assessments in English, even though they have not yet mastered the language) have a steeper hill to climb to reach “proficiency” but are often achieving incredible things, as measured by graduation rates, the Seal of Biliteracy, participation in Advanced Placement, and other indicators.

That does not mean each school does not have room to grow. And we are growing. During the pandemic, the starting line got moved back significantly, but last school year, Illinois schools experienced accelerated growth, meaning they learned more and faster than in a typical pre-pandemic year. They may not have crossed that “finish line” into proficiency, but they made enormous progress given where they started.

As lawmakers are developing the fiscal year 2024 budget, we are advocating for funding to continue accelerating students’ growth and closing gaps: funding to expand high-quality preschool programs, so all children have access to the opportunities they need to be prepared for kindergarten, investments in Evidence-Based Funding to address historic inequities, and grants for districts with chronic teacher shortages. We are administering high-impact tutoring statewide to get students back on track from the pandemic. And last but not least, we are supporting the educators who show up every day to help our students succeed.

I encourage all schools to take this opportunity to share your story behind the data. The people pushing a narrative of failure are not connected to the reality within our schools. We have the opportunity in sharing our stories to do what we do best – to educate.

All my best,
Tony
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http://link.isbe.net/m/1/90208844/02-b23080-383a3a5712f94061818b85ea580069c9/1/91/da42baac-2daf-4ee4-bc0f-950b06a00278?fbclid=IwAR0dJp0nPXUM2WCJ8_tx0uXV4mofeEb7mHmCCa1LjmY1_pWIWXOzmdL7hWU

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