The polls just opened in today’s consolidated election and we can thank the six candidates running for our open school board seats for doing their part to encourage us to vote! We all have a say in which four of these six people will shape the future of the Barrington Community Unit School District 220 Board of Education.
The six candidates are vying for positions currently held by board members Penny Kazmier, Sandra Ficke-Bradford, Tim Hull and Cara Richardson. The candidates include incumbents Kazmier (of South Barrington) and Ficke-Bradford (of Barrington) as well as Wendy Farley (of Barrington), Sophia Chen-deVries (of Tower Lakes), Christopher Geier (of Lake Barrington) and Jerry Keaton (of Barrington).
To get to know the candidates a little better, we asked them each to answer three question in three sentences or less. The questions are: What do you believe is at stake in this election?, What makes you different from the other candidates? and Why would you make a great next term school board member for Barrington 220?
Here’s what they told us, in the order in which we received their responses, and with the photos they each shared for our story…
Christopher Geier
Christopher Geier lives in Lake Barrington with his two young children and is Partner-in-Charge of Sikich Investment Banking and Chief Executive Officer of Sikich Corporate Finance.
What do you believe is at stake in this election?
“The quality of the education of our youth, along with strong, capable fiscal managers (Board Members) conducting themselves responsibly with taxpayers’ dollars.”
What makes you different from the other candidates?
“Financial expertise, strong, relevant educational background, broad business experience and a solid track record of garnering support and driving consensus.”
Why would you make a great next term school board member for Barrington 220?
“I have the capability, integrity and will to take on difficult challenges and accomplish great things for the students and the residents of the communities the school district serves.”
Penny Kazmier
Penny is the mother of four children, she lives in South Barrington and has been a Barrington 220 Board member since 2005. She is a leader in various school Parent-Teacher Organizations, a former chair of the PTO Presidents’ Council and a member of the District 220 Educational Foundation Board of Trustees.
What do you believe is at stake in this election?
“At stake during this election is the stability and strength of Barrington 220 schools. As an eight year member of the board, six of those years as vice-president, I have the school board experience required to “weather” future financial uncertainty and changes in state and federal legislation, while continuing to maintain Barrington 220s award winning educational product. In the last ten years Barrington 220 has moved from the state’s financial watch list to receiving a “Strong” AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor’s, while at the same time improving academic achievement as is evident by last year’s highest ACT score of record at Barrington High School. I have been part of making the business decisions that have helped the district regain its financial stability and academic strength, and believe my strong leadership skills and eight years of experience are needed as the district moves through the next four years.”
What makes you different from the other candidates?
“I believe what sets me apart from other school board candidates is my proven eight years of actual Barrington 220 school board leadership experience and the fact that I have more experience making business decisions impacting our schools than any other candidate. During my time on the board we have experienced financial challenges due to reduced state and federal funding, but in spite of this, under my leadership the district has received a “Strong” AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor’s, while still maintaining the district’s excellent education programs. I have demonstrated my ability to make difficult decisions, my ability to listen and be a collaborative board member, and my dedication to preserving the quality education the district provides our community.”
Why would you make a great next term school board member for Barrington 220?
“The next four years are certain to hold many challenges for Barrington 220, and I believe my 8 years of board member experience is is critical to maintaining the fiscal and educational excellence of Barrington 220 and needed to provide thoughtful leadership, stability and continuity. I have experience navigating the unique financial challenges school districts face while continuing to maintain educational excellence – greatly needed during times of uncertain funding and potential pension shift – and I understand the value of proactive policy implementation, and the value of meeting the social, emotional and academic needs of all students. In the next four years there will be a teacher’s contract negotiated that fully incorporates PERA, Senate Bill 7 and student performance into teacher evaluations, the hiring of a new superintendent – experience I bring to the table having been through this process when hiring the current superintendent – and careful implementation of the “right” curriculum for Barrington 220 that also meets the mandates of Common Core Standards.”
For more information, visit Penny’s website at Re-ElectPennyandSandrafor220.org.
Wendy Farley
Wendy lives in Barrington and is the mother of four children. She is an attorney and was Vice President of Government Affairs for a Fortune 50 company and served as Legal Counsel on Capitol Hill.
What do you believe is at stake in this election?
“I believe this election is about committing to continuing the excellent standard of education that District 220 provides to our children.”
“Young families, retirees, and everyone in between enjoy the benefits of a school district committed to excellence. Maintaining this commitment to excellence will continue to attract new homeowners and keep our community thriving during these challenging economic times.”
What makes you different from the other candidates?
“After spending the better part of two decades as an attorney, my insight into legal and legislative issues fills a void in the District 220 School Board.
The recently approved teachers’ contract will be up for renewal in three years, and my experience in contract negotiations will be a benefit to the Board.
More immediately the Board needs to take a proactive approach to ensure the state’s financial problems don’t become our District’s financial problems.”
Why would you make a great next term school board member for Barrington 220?
I have the financial acumen and experience to ensure our District maintains a balanced budget and high credit rating.
I have experience with District 220 as a member of the Enrollment Monitoring Committee and as an active member of the Hough Street School PTO.”
“Finally, as a mother of four children who will be in the District schools for the next 17 years, I am committed to providing our children with the best possible educational opportunities, including a continually updated curriculum that incorporates technology.”
For more information, visit Wendy’s website at: wendyfarleyforschoolboard.org.
Sophia Chen-de Vries
Sophia has an 8-year-old son and has served as a Trustee for the Village of Tower Lakes during the past 8 years. Her experience includes teaching English as a Second Language and she works as the Volunteer Program Manager at Home of the Sparrow, a non-profit that provides transitional shelter for homeless women and children.
What do you believe is at stake in this election?
“As our school district moves forward with uncertainties in the State’s funding and cuts, this election needs school board members with experience in budget planning, members with ability to work together as a team, and members who are involved to hear what is important to the community and to the teachers. My experience as a Trustee for the past eight year has given me the experience and has prepared me for budget planning and making those tough decisions on what to fund in our Village due to cuts from the government.”
What makes you different from the other candidates?
“I have been a public servant for the past 8 years as a Trustee and understand how a board functions. I have also been attending the school board meetings for over a year and have the necessary understanding of the school boards’ responsibilities and duties.”
Why would you make a great next term school board member for Barrington 220?
“Besides my experience serving as a Trustee and working for a non-for-profit agency where budget planning is key and facing budget cuts occur regularly, I can offer a fresh perspective to the school board. Since my son is only in second grade, I can offer an objective look at our district to continue its academic excellence and what is needed to inspire all students in our ever changing global economy. My husband and I have a unique international experience and educational background, which gives me the necessary perspective on strong academic curriculum, which are needed for the future of our kids.”
For more information, visit Sophia for School District 220 on Facebook.
Sandra Ficke-Bradford
Sandra is the mother of three children and has been a Barrington 220 Board member since 2009. Professionally, she has worked for Motorola Solutions for 17 years and is currently the Director of Legal Operations for the Law Department.
On her campaign website, Sandra Ficke-Bradford says, “I am dedicated to maximizing Barrington 220 resources to provide a well-rounded academic educational experience for the children of Barrington 220.”
For more information, visit Sandra’s website at Re-ElectPennyandSandrafor220.org.
Jerry Keaton
Jerry is married with two school aged children and has been a Village of Barrington resident for the past 12 years. Professionally, he’s been a financial advisor for the past 25 years with Fortune 100 investment experience, and is currently Vice-President at Barrington Asset Management, a firm originated in Barrington 35 years ago.
We also didn’t hear back from Jerry Keaton, but according to his campaign page on Facebook, his priorities are to provide financial stewardship to the community, to focus on excellence in education, to invest in classroom technology and to create a “strategically sustainable and equitable financial plan for teachers and administrators.”
For more information, visit Friends of Jerry Keaton on Facebook.
The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. today, Tuesday, April 9th. To find out where to go to vote in today’s election for Barrington Community Unit School District 220’s open school board seats or the other contested races in our area, CLICK HERE for the state of Illinois’ polling place resource at Elections.state.il.us.
