Springfield 186 School Board Candidates respond to SouthEast student questions

These questions were designed by Springfield Southeast High School students at Illinois Public Media’s YES! Civics: Youth Media Summit on March 13th in Urbana, Illinois.

Sean Dickerson

Did you go to private school or public school?

I attended Catholic grade school on the Northend of Springfield at St Cabrini School and I graduated from Sacred Heart Griffin in 1995. It was important to my mother that I receive a Catholic education just like she did and her parents before her. She was a strong believer in the Catholic Faith and it was important to her that my brother and I attended catholic schools. I attended and graduated from two public colleges, Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, and Illinois State University in Normal Illinois in 2000.

If you have kids, do they go to public school or private school?

I have a 9 year old son that has attended Springfield Public Schools since he was 3 years old at the Early Learning Center. He is currently enrolled at Ball Charter public school on the Southeast side of Springfield. One of the reasons I am running for the school board is that I am tired of hearing from those that choose to send their children to private schools that the district is not a good school district. We have had great experiences with District 186 and we are very happy with the decision we made that led us to Ball Charter.

What will you do for students with less support and lower incomes?

If I am lucky enough to become elected, I will not stop fighting for more resources going to the schools that do not have PTOs set up and that have a higher poverty rate than other schools. The schools that have PTOs set up are able to raise an additional $25,000-$50,000 per year. I will work to bring fundraising opportunities and reach out to businesses in the community to help make that happen.

Is there a situation where you think lying is appropriate?

I cannot think of a time where lying would be considered appropriate.

What's your philosophy on discipline?

I believe that discipline should always be fair, respectful, and done in a way that improves student outcomes while limiting disruptions to the rest of the class.

Is there a problem with racial discrimination in discipline?

I don't know, I would need to dig into this further, I do not know enough about what the school district's numbers are when it comes to the frequency of discipline and how that differs by race. If there is a higher frequency of one race being expelled or suspended disproportionately to other races, then I feel that would need to be looked at closer and find out why that is happening and what can be done to reduce those numbers.

How will you make yourself accessible to students?

I can be reached anytime via email at dickersonforschools@gmail.com, if elected they could use the new email that will be provided by the school district. They can reach me on Facebook at Sean Dickerson For Springfield School Board, and they can always reach me at 217-415-9961. I would also encourage anyone wanting to talk to their board members to attend school board meetings, they are held every other Monday and the board members are very accessible at these meetings.

Last semester there was an incident where a teacher used racist language. How should teachers be disciplined, and what kind of training should there be for diversity especially in this political climate?

It is never appropriate for teachers or students to use racist language toward each other. I would imagine it is in the teacher's union contract on how the teachers are disciplined. I would expect the teachers and staff to be held to a higher standard than a student though. Teacher's should,and I think they do, continue to be trained on these issues.

What should we do right now to prevent a mass shooting at our schools?

I've said this over and over in my campaign, the safety and security of the students and staff will always be my #1 priority. Our schools, as they sit right now, are not secure enough in my opinion. My opponent and I agree on many things when it comes to our schools, but this is where we really differ. In his State Journal Register interview he says he feels our schools are pretty safe, I disagree. In my interview I said that I will look into costs associated with having an off duty or retired police officer in every school in our district. I feel that having someone who has been trained properly and having them physically present in our schools may be a deterrent for someone who has plans to come into our schools and cause problems. Not only will this provide an extra level of security, this can also build a stronger relationship between law enforcement and the students in our community. I think having active shooter drills are vital as well, every school should have at least one or two drills per year and they should be coordinated with the police department. The school district's budget is just over $207 million a year, I find it hard to believe we cannot find the money needed to have police in our schools.

How would we recover after a mass shooting?

I hope we would never have to deal with this scenario. If the things were done as I've stated in my answer to the mass shooting question above, I truly believe we would not be in this situation. If we were to find ourselves in this situation, however, the first thing you do is whatever you can to help the community heal, after that, you had better start implementing everything I have stated above to prevent further events.

Scott MacFarland

Did you go to private school or public school?

I am proud to say that from kindergarten to my current doctoral program, every second of my education has been public. I attended East Moline and Moline, IL public schools. After graduating from Moline High School I attended Black Hawk Community College and Western Illinois University. My graduate schooling has been at University of Illinois at Springfield.

If you have kids, do they go to public school or private school?

I have three children. My eldest daughter attended Early Learning Center and now attends Fairview Elementary. My younger twins will hopefully attend Early Learning Center starting next year. My children will absolutely attend public schools at least through high school. I believe there is no better place to receive an exceptional education.

What will you do for students with less support and lower incomes?

I believe that every one deserves an equal educational opportunity. That means that schools should have the same programs whether they are on the East side or the West side. You shouldn’t have to move to go to a school that offers the support you need. Along with that, I believe schools must be diverse in their student and teacher populations. Your race and your income unfortunately play a role in what part of the city you live. Therefore, we cannot base a student's school solely on where they live.

Is there a situation where you think lying is appropriate?

I do not. I believe honesty is the best solution for any situation.

What's your philosophy on discipline?

Students should be in the classroom as much as possible. Only in extreme cases should they be taken out of that classroom for discipline.

Is there a problem with racial discrimination in discipline?

Yes, the District has a problem with race and discipline. 40% of 186 students are black, but they make up 64% of all out of school suspensions and 83% of expulsions. As a board member, I will have a final say on all expulsions. I promise, I will not allow this to continue.

How will you make yourself accessible to students?

I have a strong social media presence. I am on Facebook and Twitter. I also make my email and phone number readily available (ssmcfarland@gmail.com and 217-720-4716). I also tour as many schools and attend as many events as I possibly can. I am here to serve.

Last semester there was an incident where a teacher used racist language. How should teachers be disciplined, and what kind of training should there be for diversity especially in this political climate?

Racism should not be allowed inside our schools in any form. If a teacher or other employee uses such language, they should be disciplined as outlined in their contract up to and including dismissal.

I absolutely believe our schools should be diverse communities where opinions and ideas can be shared, but hate has no place in our society.

What should we do right now to prevent a mass shooting at our schools?

Unfortunately, the steps our country needs to take require elected officials to step up at much higher levels of government than where I will be serving. I do believe that we should continue to train our staff to keep our schools secure, and we should work with local law enforcement to ensure our schools are protected. I do not believe that putting guns in our schools is the answer.

The best thing that students can do is speak up and vote. Politicians in Springfield and Washington must do their jobs. If they know our youth are holding them accountable, they will, or they will be fired.

How would we recover after a mass shooting?

I hope above all else we never have to recover. That being said, we are a strong community of people who always come together to help one another. As a father, a former teacher, and a member of this community, I would volunteer in any capacity that I would be helpful in.

Micah Miller

Did you go to private or public school?

I attended both. I started out at St. Joseph’s for kindergarten - second grade, but then enrolled at Jane Addams Elementary School for third - fifth grade. I then attended Enos Elementary School for sixth grade, Grant Middle School for seventh and eighth grade and attended Lanphier High School. I am an alumnus of the class of 1996.

If you have kids, do they go to public school or private school?

I have two daughters, my eldest is in the first grade at Springfield Ball Charter Public School and my youngest will be starting kindergarten there next year.

What will you do for students with less support and lower incomes?

My first priority is making myself available to students, faculty and parents. Soon after filing my petitions for school board member of Sub-District 2 in District 186, I made contact with several of the lower-performing schools in District 186 to schedule visits. I was amazed at the commitment District 186 teachers have to serve students from low-income households and households facing socioeconomic hardships. I want the children in Sub-District 2 and all the students of 186 to know that they have a voice on District 186’s Board of Education. We should all have a vested interest in students receiving the best education possible and becoming strong contributors to the Springfield area.

Is there a situation where you think lying is appropriate?

In a professional setting, absolutely not. At my job and also in my capacity as a School Board member (if I am elected), I believe that transparency and communication should be the highest priorities. In our personal lives, I think everyone is guilty from time to time in offering sympathy and letting a loved one know that everything will be ok, even if we fear that it may not be the case.

What is your philosophy on discipline?

I believe in right versus wrong. If my daughters do something wrong, I have the responsibility to teach them why the behavior was inappropriate. The discipline could be as simple as no candy for a week or taking away a luxury item for a period of time; however, discipline in schools involves a completely different set of boundaries that administrators and teachers must navigate to ensure all students succeed in the classroom.

Is there a problem with racial discrimination in discipline?

The criminal justice system is the mechanism of discipline for an adult; however, there is a well-documented problem with racial discrimination within the justice system. In the public school system, if there is any evidence of racial discrimination then we should recognize and work to correct it for a better school district.

How will you make yourself accessible to students?

I have met with several principals over the past months and welcome the opportunity to have regularly scheduled visits with schools in my sub-district and throughout District 186 if I have the privilege of becoming a school board representative. The District 186 School Board website also provides contact information for each board member including email. I would also make myself available to meet with parents or students.

Last semester there was an incident where a teacher used racist language. How should teachers be disciplined, and what kind of training should there be for diversity especially in this political climate?

Racist language is inappropriate for teachers, staff and students. Disciplinary actions and increased training on identifying inappropriate behaviors would be found in negotiated contracts signed by District 186 employees.

What should we do right now to prevent a mass shooting at our schools?

District 186 schools already conduct active shooter drills annually with local law enforcement officials to educate students and teachers about how to react in a time of crisis. Unfortunately, mass shootings continue to persist around the world; however, we should continue to follow law enforcement protocols. When I recently visited Ridgely and Enos Elementary I was impressed with the presence of their security, who helped facilitate the flow of traffic in and out of the school during their busiest times of the day. Security staff also accompanied the principals and staff during my visits.

How would we recover after a mass shooting?

We would recover from a mass shooting as we would with any tragedy – in due time.

Note: William Ringer II did not respond to the questionnaire.