2023 School Board Candidate Profile Information

Jennifer Fortier

My name is Jennifer Fortier and I have been married to my husband, Jeff Fortier, and living in Oak Lawn for 20 years. We have three children: Gwenyth (age 15, attends Richards High School), Calvin (age 11, attends OLHMS) and Katelyn (age 9, attends Kolmar). Plus, we brought home a new addition this month, a dalmatian puppy we have named Beta.

I graduated from Moraine Valley Community College in 1999 with an Associates in Science, then in 2001 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelors in English and Rhetoric with a minor in Education. Later, I completed a Masters Degree in Secondary Education from Roosevelt University in 2004.

I became a certified English Language Arts Teacher in Illinois in 2004, and started teaching in Chicago Public Schools. I then completed my National Board Teaching Certification in 2010 which is a distinction I have maintained and presently hold through the year 2030. Currently I am not teaching, but I have kept all of my credentials up-to-date and intend to return to a secondary school.

Why do you want to be a Board member?

I would like to be a board member because I am passionate about education, my community and instilling the value of civic mindedness to my children. As an educator, I am naturally interested in curriculum, new and changing teaching strategies and data driven decision making. I enthusiastically attend board workshops, professional development opportunities in education and I spend personal time reading articles and books about new theory relative to increasing student engagement and student growth.

Additionally, my husband and I made the intentional decision to raise our family in Oak Lawn and have our children attend District 123 public schools. I feel as though good public schools and a strong community ensure solid property values in our homes. I want to be a part of the financial decision making of D123 to maintain a balanced budget, to guarantee the best learning environments for all students, as well as provide support and a strong curriculum for the teachers.

Finally, I cannot say I was raised to be “civic minded” but I did have two hard-working, blue collar, union affiliated parents who were always willing to help when they could. My mother was not the PTA president or the Girl Scout troop leader; however, she chaperoned field trips and weekend long scout events, she volunteered as a lunch supervisor and certainly provided assistance to families in need within our community. My father is the type of person who could never say no when asked if he could lend a helping hand: helping someone move, hanging drywall, fixing a car or shoveling snow for an elderly neighbor. These qualities of my parents shaped me into the person I am today and I hope that someday my own children will understand the importance of my purposeful volunteering. I hope they see value in my donation of personal time to support our community and our schools.

What specific skills would you bring to the Board? 

The skills I can bring to the board are that I am collaborative, I am proficient in data analysis for the purpose of informed decision making, plus I am an active listener. As a trained educator, from the first day I stepped into a classroom I was immersed in collaboration with my department, with my grade level team, with teachers from other departments and with the administration. Through these meaningful collaborations I learned that brainstorming, discussing and creating with a group is the best way to encompass multiple perspectives and reach solid and focused goals and outcomes. It involves respect for all people (and perspectives), the ability to embrace conflict and work towards a successful outcome. I work hard to build trust in any group I am a part of and always communicate open and honestly with no personal agenda guiding my decisions.

Furthermore, making intentional decisions based on data is how I drove daily instruction in my classroom. Using summative and formative assessments to scaffold learning activities and plan for individualized instruction was a major focus in my teaching. I created lesson plans, altered activities and assessments to reflect needs and ultimately impact student growth. To add, as a member of the current board of education we continually monitor student achievement, growth and mastery to make informed decisions.

I feel my strongest skill is being an active listener which coincides with having an open-mind. In my opinion, listening is the most valuable skill a board member can have. Preparing for a board meeting by reading the provided material is necessary; however, listening to fellow board members during closed and open discussion is key. Showing up with your mind already made up is easy, but showing up ready to listen, to discuss and even change your mind for the best interest of the district as a whole is crucial. Moreover, there are countless opinions and perspectives to hear: the administrators, the teachers, the parents, the community members, all invested stakeholders, and the hired experts. Again, coming to meetings prepared is vital, but it’s equally important to be a critical listener and balance all opinions and perspectives to make the best decisions possible for all students to achieve success.

What do you see as the role of a Board member?

The role of a board member is vast. I believe a productive and responsible board member makes decisions to help all students succeed while maintaining a balanced budget (being a good steward of the community’s finances). Also, making time to listen to all stakeholders when approached or contacted is essential. A board member should see beyond their own children's needs/experience and listen to make appropriate choices for all the children in the district.

The most unique task a board member has, in my opinion, is the ability to help plan the future vision and goals of the district (the strategic plan) and then hire and/or continually evaluate the superintendent to carry out that mission and vision.

Describe your previous community or non-profit experiences.

My community involvement centers around the schools in District 123. When my oldest entered Kolmar as a kindergartener I began volunteering for the PTA. In the beginning, I simply volunteered when I was available for classroom parties and helping at school events. Then in 2017, I took on the responsibility of chairing the “Eat and Earns” to raise funds for the Kolmar PTA and I continued to do so through 2022. As of this school year, I am now chairing the collection of donations for Pediatric Oncology through the Treasure Chest Foundation in Orland Park that directly delivers items to kids and teens at Christ Hospital. It is truly an amazing organization!

In the end, the majority of my volunteer time has been dedicated to the D123 School Board. I have been an active member on the Board since spring of 2015. I prepare for and attend monthly board meetings, committee of the whole meetings and special meetings. I have achieved Master Board Member status with the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), a recognition that is given by attending additional workshops, meetings and conferences to educate myself in all areas of board governance. I have maintained this distinction with IASB annually through continued professional development. During my years on the board I have volunteered for extra committees: the English Language Council and the Curriculum Council. Additionally, I have acted as the board's SCOPE representative (South Cooperative Organization for Public Education). I attend monthly meetings that take place during the school day to discuss proposed new and changing Illinois legislation that may affect our schools. I then share this information with the board and the administration.

What areas in the district would you like to see the Board strengthen?

I would like to see the district strengthen two areas: parental/family engagement and community engagement/connectivity. When addressing parental/family engagement, I am specifically seeking the parents who are not regularly involved and not regularly in attendance. For example, when the next strategic plan is created I feel it would be AMAZING to include additional parent voices: the ones not on the PTA, the ones not in attendance at school functions, the “silent voices” who have so much value to add in this planning cycle. I want this area to be strengthened, but I’m not sure how to reach them, how to get them involved or how to get them invested.

The same goes for my hope to increase community engagement/connectivity. I’m interested in new relationships: with the seniors, with community members who do not have a child currently in the district, with business owners who can offer knowledge to our students, and so on and so forth. Again, I do not have a plan or an idea to make this happen, but I have the forthsight to know it’s important to our schools and important to the future of our community.

Danielle Mobley

My name is Danielle Mobley and I am running for D123 School Board! I have lived in Oak lawn for the past 6 years with my husband Nick and two children. We picked Oak Lawn because of how great the school district, specifically 123, is. I am a criminal defense attorney serving the Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender for the past 3 years. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies and Political Science from the University of Illinois and a Master’s Degree in Paralegal Studies from George Washington University. I received my Juris Doctor at the University of Illinois-Chicago (formerly The John Marshall Law School).  I am a member of the District 123 Educational Foundation, a Girl Scout Leader, and a founding member for Grandma’s Gamblers, a non-profit that provides books to children at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Oak Lawn and Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago. 

I am running for school board because my children are a product of pandemic teachings that have left educational gaps in their learning and overall well-being. I know most students currently in the district are experiencing similar struggles, and it is vital to their growth and development that we create educational programs and support their needs.  Our children are the future and I intend to make sure that their time in School District 123 will be filled with experiences and educational opportunities that prepare them to be tomorrow’s leaders. If elected, I would bring my work ethic, researching skills, and ability to listen to all sides of an opinion about an issue to be fully informed prior to voting on any issue. The role of a Board Member is to be an advocate for the students, staff, and parents of the district and make sure our children are prepared to be an active citizen in our community.  

I would like to see the Board strengthen  are learning loss and school safety. I intend to learn about different ways to deal with these issues from statistical data, teacher/student experiences, and looking at how other districts similar to ours handles these issues to see how we can improve on each issue. For example, our learning loss shows in regards to the data of 2022 scoring in Math and language arts. We are on par with growth in math and language arts, but are below average with proficiency in those areas as opposed to the state. To help improve on these numbers, I would look at what the districts who are excelling and seek out their curriculums to see what they are doing differently. Regarding school safety I would look at our current policies and see where we can improve both in first response and initial intervention programs. It is important that our schools in the district be safe spaces for our kids to grow and learn without fear. 

Kifaya Naser-Hammad

Family:

Married 21 years to Tahseen Hammad, Three Kids: Freshman at Richards, 8th Grader at OLHMS, 7th Grader at OLHMS

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in the Teaching of English (University of Illinois: UIC), Master of Arts in Special Education (Saint Xavier University: SXU)

Occupation:

English Language Arts Teacher at Praire Jr. High Dist. 126

Why do you want to be a Board member?

I am interested in being a Board member because I believe in the saying “It takes a village to raise a child.” My commitment to our school community stems from my love and passion for children. Being a Board member would be the next step in my involvement in advocating for the children of our community. I have devoted my entire adult career to serving children as an educator, and want to further extend that beyond my professional career and into my personal life.

What specific skills would you bring to the Board?

As an educator, I would bring my first-hand experience to the Board. I work in the neighboring district and am familiar with the makeup of our student population. I fully understand many issues facing our students, parents, teachers, and administrators. I am an expert at analyzing student data, finding and implementing various avenues to meet the needs of our diverse learners, and focusing on student achievements.

Serving on the D123 Curriculum Council and on the OLHMS PTSA as Secretary, formerly Vice President has provided me the experience to partner with the district as a parent to help supplement and enrich the educational experience.

What do you see as the role of a Board member?

The main role is focusing on student achievement and safety. My role is to ensure that as a member, I am responsive to the values, beliefs, and priorities of our community. I believe in the democratic process and will devote time and energy to ensuring that all stakeholder voices are heard.

Describe your previous community or non-profit experiences.

My children have all played local sports in the community. I served a Fall Ball term managing the local 12U Softball team. I have supported local food banks and charitable organizations.

What areas in the district would you like to see the Board strengthen?

I think the Board works diligently to address all the demands of the district. I would like to see a focus on Special Education, proactive effective measures for student behavior, and equity.

Ed Smykowski

My name is Ed Smykowski and I am running for D123 School Board Member.  I have a beautiful wife and three remarkable children, one of whom is still in the D123 school system.  I am a Senior Engineer and hold a BS in Electrical Engineering.  I decided to be a candidate for the school board of District 123 in order to be a positive influence in the community I’ve called home for 20 years.  

I have been a coach of youth sports for the last ten years.  My accomplishments from working with these children are shown in the confidence I was able to instill in them and the trust their families gave me as I tried to grow them not only physically with the particular sport, but also as a person.  I still remain friends with many of the parents years later. 

I was a school board member of a private institute for 8 years.  As such, I have experience navigating operating budgets, reviewing curriculum, and setting school policy. 

Professionally, I was chairman of a national utilities committee involving 12 states where I led a large group to set national standards and manage a sizable budget which was funded by the various operating companies. 

The areas of concern that are important to me as a school board member are safety, resources for learners at all levels, kids learning cohesively in their educational environment and allocating taxpayers’ money appropriately.

There are other issues that I intend on working to resolve as well.  For example, there seems to be an inadequate number of paraprofessionals and support counselors available to manage the needs of D123 students.  Keeping an adequate number of these professionals and staff available will give the ability to mitigate learning or behavioral issues which ultimately leads to a more collaborative and cohesive learning environment. 

It will be my goal to remove standards-based grading completely from D123 schools and reinstate a traditional grading system.  I also believe that every child should be challenged so I will be an advocate of advanced programs for students to excel and I will work hard to reintegrate penmanship as part of elementary curriculum. 

I believe that a school board member should be a representative of those in the district and that is what I intend on being and will not discourage anyone from voicing their opinion.  I am thankful for the opportunity to be a candidate on the April 4th ballot and I would be honored if my name should appear as an official member of the D123 School Board on April 5th.

Natasha Miller Williams

Family:

Husband and three sons; two sons who are currently students in D123 schools

Education:

Executive MBA, Jack Welch Management Institute
Marketing Degree, Northern Illinois University

Occupation:

25 years in corporate America; I began my career in consumer insights; and have held roles of increasing responsibility in product leadership, global operations, and currently as an HR executive

Why do you want to be a Board member?

My husband and I moved to Oak Lawn 13 years ago to send our children to D123 schools. I’ve grown to love our community and this district through my ongoing community involvement and my position as PTA president. Not every person has the time or interest to be on the school board, but we all share a common goal: a school board that makes responsible decisions that are in the best interest of our community and specifically our children. To all of my neighbors who can’t be at every meeting - I can be there for you. In 2023, so far, I have attended three school board Community of the Whole or open sessions to listen, observe, and consider how to add value if I am elected. I am fully confident that I can represent our community and approach discussions and decisions with the level of passion and accountability that you would if you could be there yourself. I am committed to continuing the progress the district is making on the current strategic plan set through 2024 and thoughtfully partnering with all stakeholders on the plan that needs to be set for 2025-2030.

What specific skills would you bring to the Board?

I have held roles of increasing responsibility in my 25-year career, managing budgets and teams. I am a business leader, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, Forbes contributor, current board member, and sought-after collaborator. I am a strategic thinker and understand the importance of accountability, operating as a team player, and leading by putting people first. I have five years of board experience in the community; I am a PTA president in the district, and I sit on two other community boards. I have immersed myself in civic engagement and supporting the development of our neighborhood. I will bring the unique intersection of my background and my role as a parent, business owner, and involved community member to the board. I know that I can support, uplift and activate positive change.

What do you see as the role of a Board member?

As a board member, my job is to collaborate with a broad team of people--other board members, teachers, parents, and most importantly, our broader community to do what’s in the best interest of the students all while optimizing our budget. I see the school board member as a representative of the community. I will add that the role of a board member is not to manage the day-to-day operations of a school, or to be an administrator. The school board member is a role of governance and accountability, working alongside these administrators.

Describe your previous community or non-profit experiences.

• Sward PTA President, 2021 to current
• Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce, 1st Vice President
• Oak Lawn Children’s Museum, Board Museum
• Northern Illinois University, Presidential Advisory Council

What areas in the district would you like to see the Board strengthen?

Looking forward, three areas that I see as priorities are:

1. Learning loss. Following the pandemic, we must continue to address learning loss and equitably support all students' academic and social success. While not unique to D123, the issue of learning loss should be prioritized so we can support student achievement and success.
2. Teacher shortage. In our state--and across the nation--there is a teacher shortage, and we should proactively consider staffing needs for diverse learners to ensure we have the teachers and support services in place to enable academic success. I would also prioritize long-term staffing needs for special education (16% of our students have IEPs) and ESL (20% of our students are English Learners), and I’d recommend creative initiatives like a partnership with a local university’s department of education to build a talent pipeline into our district.
3. Safety. Safety, both physical and psychological, are a priority. Working with professionals on building safety is vital, and wellbeing support for students is an imperative.

At the end of a four-year term, I would like to see parents with a deeper sense of confidence and understanding of their child’s education. And I’d like to see students who feel empowered and encouraged about their future - knowing they have everything they need to grow, thrive and reach their full potential. Teachers should have the resources they need to do their jobs, and our community should remain proud to live, work and play here and recommend our village to others.