Dr. Laurie Parman - Candidate for District 300 School Board
laurie.parman@yahoo.com321 Sharon Drive Sleepy Hollow
http://electdrlaurieparman.wixsite.com/vote
Dr. Laurie Parman
Laurie began her distinguished 30-year career as a schoolteacher in District 116 and 211. While taking a career break, she raised five children and added an elementary certificate to her high school credentials. She began teaching in District 300 in the fall of 2000, teaching literacy and history to 3rd and 5th grade students. She completed her career at Dundee Crown High School teaching Family and Consumer Science.
During her time in Community Unit School District 300, she earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership, and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership.
In addition to teaching, Laurie served as interim assistant principal, and 5th Grade Literacy Leader at Lakewood School. She also served as Director of Summer School three times, and served on two boundary change committees.
Laurie is running for District 300 School Board so that she can bring her vast understanding of how school organizations run to solving problems that arise in any district, particularly the district that her grandchildren will be attending.
The 3 most important issues for Laurie are:
ACADEMIC FAILURE
The complete failure of District 300 to prioritize the academic mission of the School District. Only 27 % of students in District 300 can read and write at grade level. Only 26% of students can compute at grade level.
HARMFUL, TIME BUSTING, IDEOLOGICAL INITIATIVES
K-12 Initiatives have been creeping into the district for decades. Only now are we beginning to see the harm in them. First of all, they have eclipsed the academic mission of the district. More harmful than that, they are not studious pursuits, they are ideological thought parading as curricula. As recently as August 9, 2023, the District 300 School Board voted 7-0 to remove the teaching of World War 2 in favor of five electives. Among those electives: American Resistance, Genocide in America, and so forth. This train of thought is suitable only if the district wants to turn our students into America-hating militants.
THE LOOMING TEACHER SHORTAGE CRISIS
On the District 300 page of the Illinois Report Card, I found a chart representing teacher absences for the last few years. In a period of time preceding COVID lockdowns, 30% of District 300 teachers were absent 10 or more times. In 2022, that number rose to 50%. Some would shame the teachers and say, “This is terrible!” I instead ask, “I wonder why this is?” I did some checking with the teachers I know in the district, and found that teachers are burned out, demoralized and ready to quit. They do not want to call a boy a girl, and they do not want to be reprimanded for making a mistake with it. They do not want to teach the looming Sex Ed curriculum, so many plan to leave the profession.