2023 Election Guide: Mahomet-Seymour School Board Candidates

Jeff Banister, Athena LaReau and Jordan Rock are the in township 2023 candidates for the Mahomet-Seymour School Board. Kyle Jordan and Becky Severns are the out-of township candidates. These individuals have already been seated on the board, but received the same questions as all other candidates.

Election day is April 4, but early voting sites across Champaign County are already open. On March 15, Mr. Banister said he may not be able to make the deadline for submission (11:59 p.m. March 26). All other candidates received questions via email, but did not respond. There are two open seats in-township and three candidates. There are two open seats for out-of-township and two candidates.

Athena LaReau

Tell us about yourself:

Hello. My name is Athena LaReau. I am an educator at Tuscola Community High School as a Government and Social Studies Teacher, National Honor Society club sponsor for my students, an advocate for public education, a spouse, mom, mother-in-law, and my favorite as Yia Yia to Charlotte. I lived for many years in the “Show Me” state across the Mississippi River. While there I worked in a bank, and found after a couple of years that it was not for me. I was educated at East Central College and the Missouri University of Science and Technology, where my major was Secondary Education and History. I also taught in Cuba, Missouri before moving to Illinois. When I moved, the top items considered were public education and access to healthcare. My husband and I proudly decided Mahomet could provide that when we moved ten years ago while still maintaining that smaller community feeling. 

Why did you decide to run for the Mahomet-Seymour School Board? 

I decided to run for the Mahomet-Seymour School Board after watching the meetings for the last few years. Our students deserve better. My experience working as a teacher, negotiating constructively with another School Board as a Union President and being a member of the Board of Directors for the Illinois Education Association has demonstrated my ability to effect positive change for students. Education is incredibly important to me, and the time I invest in education demonstrates that. While in Tuscola I served as the President of the Tuscola Education Association (TEA). During my time serving as President, the board, Administration, and TEA worked through how to educate during COVID, negotiated a fair contract for both sides, and have worked together on many other items related to school finance, education law, and adding Memoranda of Understanding to the existing contract. Please ask Gary Alexander, my Superintendent, or the Tuscola School Board President Brad Ingam, about working with me. Though we have different perspectives, we reached goals for students together.

Another way I am involved in education is my service within the Illinois Education Association. I have served as the IEA Region 8 Treasurer, Vice Chair, and the current Chair. This means I sit on a board of sixty-seven other Chairs, where we decide on political recommendations of candidates. It was my honor to serve on a panel to recommend State Senator Chapin Rose for office. Our board also votes on endorsing political legislation that will help education across the state of Illinois. An example of this is fixing the Tier Two Teacher Retirement System. A better retirement helps our school recruit and retain quality teachers. This is a diverse state with different interests in central, southern, and northern Illinois. I am a voice for central Illinois and strive to listen to those with different views, expand my own views, and come to a solution. My experience working with this diverse board will be an asset to the Mahomet-Seymour School Board if I earn the votes to serve as a member. I look forward to the opportunity to earn your trust as another person in Mahomet that wants the best for our schools. Thank you.

What are the top 3 issues you see facing the district in the next four years, what are your solutions to those issues and how do you plan to bring those solutions before the board?

 The top three issues I see facing the district in the next four years are: support for school facilities, overcrowding, and student/school safety. Coming to a consensus with the community about how to meet the needs of students with their support is paramount. This also relates to overcrowding. At the forum hosted by the Mahomet Chamber of Commerce this question was posed. The board has asked the community for $97,900,00  and then for $59,000,000. Both were rejected. My solution is to work with the board to provide an array of possible answers (there ARE solutions between zero and fifty-nine million). It may have been discussed in closed session, but what do actual educators think about this? Is there a survey from them or input? Have administrators communicated to the board what their staff needs to ensure opportunities for student success? Then I would want the board to survey the community to see which is supported. Hopefully these are discussed at a board meeting with action following in succeeding meetings. I would ask for this to be put on the agenda and if it is denied make a motion to speak (I would need a second for that motion) about this using Robert’s Rules of Order so it would be part of the public record that board members did not want to address this issue.  The next issue I see is student safety from bullying. We know students cannot learn when they are hungry for example (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs). Students that do not feel safe cannot learn either. One solution that can help is a behavior specialist to help determine the root cause of bullying. While that information is processed (and how to help students engaging in that behavior) we can offer peer support. Changing the culture is difficult but not impossible. Students need to buy into this and be part of the solution. I would ask this to be on the agenda and if denied would introduce a motion to speak about this.

What do you believe is the role of a school board member?

A school board member should adhere to the Three D’s: The duty of care to act in good faith, the duty of loyalty to do my best for students, and the duty of obedience to follow all legal statutes and be ethical in all decisions. My role as a school board member is to bridge the current divide between the board and the community so we can educate our students to the best of our ability. As a board we should hire education professionals with confidence that they know their job and empower them to carry out the vision of the board. There is an evaluation tool in place for the board to know whether or not goals of the school board are being met by the superintendent, faculty, and staff. 

There are many issues that are being discussed nationally that have also been discussed locally recently. In 500 words or less, please let discuss how you believe a school district should approach/address each issue:

Gun Violence:

 Illinois school code requires school districts to implement a threat assessment procedure (reviewed annually) and to have in place a threat assessment team that includes an administrator, a teacher, a school counselor, a school psychologist, a social worker and a law enforcement official. I believe this approach to dealing with threats like gun violence is best for two reasons. First, it’s a systemic response that can adapt as necessary as circumstances change. Second, it relies on local experts.  No one is better placed or brings the necessary skills to keep our students safe and head off potential problems than a team like this. [see Illinois Compiled Statutes 105-128-25 and 105-128-45]

Racism/Bullying/Assaults: 

Bullying, including cyber-bullying, is defined in 105 ILCS 5/27-23.7 as any severe or pervasive physical or verbal act or conduct, including communications made in writing or electronically, directed toward a student or students that has or can be reasonably predicted to have the effect of one or more of the following:

1. placing the student or students in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s or students’ person or property;
2. causing a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s or students’ physical or mental health; 
3. substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ academic performance; or
4. substantially interfering with the student’s or students’ ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.

Bullying may be motivated by Racism, but Racism negatively impacts all of our lives in ways that go beyond overt cases of bullying or assault. As Paul Wellstone, the late Senator from Minnesota used to say, “We all do better when we ALL do better.” I’m a firm believer in that and I see it at work in my classroom every day. So, I am happy to see Mahomet-Seymour taking the issue of bullying seriously. I will encourage the district to continue to do so. And I will also encourage policies that will help our teachers, staff, and administrators push back against the racial, socio-economic, and other divisions that hinder our ability to educate the children of our community.

Rights for LBGTQIA+ students and I added Diversity and Inclusion here:

In the Illinois Human Rights Act, the state declares that it’s their policy to:

secure for all individuals within Illinois the freedom from discrimination against any individual because of his or her race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, order of protection status, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status, sexual orientation*, pregnancy, or unfavorable discharge from military service …

And why do we do that?  Why do we make that commitment as a state? Per 775 ILCS 5/1-102

To promote the public health, welfare and safety by protecting the interest of all people in Illinois in maintaining personal dignity, in realizing their full productive capacities, and in furthering their interests, rights and privileges as citizens of this State.

Makes me proud to be an Illinoisan!  This covers ALL of our kids and ALL of our employees.  We can’t be serious about dealing with bullying if we’re not serious about keeping our students safe from all these forms of discrimination.  And not to put too fine a point on it, but it’s our legal obligation as well.

[*According to the statute, “Sexual orientation” means actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or gender-related identity, whether or not traditionally associated with the person’s designated sex at birth.]

Curriculum:

This may go without saying, but as a professional educator I trust professionals to make decisions about curriculum.  Our teachers deserve the same respect we accord doctors, lawyers or any other professionals whose expertise we rely on. The Illinois State Board of Education sets the learning standards for our public schools. Curriculum is designed to match that at age appropriate levels. 

Diversity and Inclusion: 

Please see above.

Teacher shortage (including subs and bus drivers):

The last bargain with the Mahomet-Seymour Education Association (MSEA) did make forward movement to address this by securing better compensation and working conditions for employees. This makes us as a district more competitive in a tight labor market and I was happy to rally with the MSEA and share with the School Board why I thought it was in the district’s best interests to work with the union to settle the contract. Maintaining a positive, collaborative relationship with the MSEA will be our best hedge against the shortage. Retention is recruitment. In a quick conversation with Dr. Lee I was impressed with his response to teacher recruitment. He is knowledgeable about the Grow Your Own Teacher program and other routes, which tells me he is already working on it. There is also a component to being a place people want to be employed where I think I can make a positive impact. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this and feel free to reach out on my Facebook Page: Athena LaReau for Mahomet-Seymour School Board. Many people have reached out with their support and I thank them. The voters of this community have a tremendous opportunity to have a different direction with their school board. Vote for the change you want to see for our children. The teacher part of me-GO VOTE and do your civic duty to this nation!