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Name:
Jim Patterson
What office are you seeking?
BBCHS Dist. 307 School Board
What is your political party?
Non-partisan
What is your current age?
53
Occupation and employer:
Director of Operations and Facilities, Homewood-Flossmoor High School Dist. 233
What offices, if any, have you previously held?
BBCHS School Board - Current
City:
Education:
BBCHS Graduated 1990Kankakee Community College - ElectricalSheet Metal Local 265 Apprentice ProgramOlivet Nazarene University - School of Business
Community involvement:
BBCHS School BoardSouth Cook ISC 4 - Life Safety Auditor
Marital status/Immediate family:
Wife Jill - 32 years
Two sons -
Gage 29 (Anna) and Gavin 28 (Chloe)
Grandson Arthur
Questions:
How can the district improve reading and English proficiency and state test scores?
Early intervention and addressing difficulties plays a large part in improvement, along with active engagement with all students in order to make reading not only a habit, but enjoyable.
If you have children, do they or did they attend public school and was that for all of their K-12 school years?
Both of my boys did attend Bourbonnais School Dist. 53 as well as BBCHS Dist. 307.
Most of the COVID relief money from the federal government is coming to an end. What spending adjustments does your school district need to make to address that?
The schools operated in a balanced budget prior to the ESSER funds and will continue to operate responsibly now that the relief is ending. The ESSER funds helped with returning our students to a healthy classroom post-COVID as well as assisting in credit recovery for those students who were negatively affected by remote learning during the pandemic.
What is your stance on ICE agents accessing school grounds, and what policies would you advocate for regarding their presence on school property?
Schools should be a safe place for all of our students.
What are the top three issues that the school district is facing right now?
One of the biggest issues that our District is currently facing would be facilities, which is being addressed with the passing of the referendum. This will address several problems such as state-of-the-art learning spaces, improved performing arts spaces, cafeteria size and spaces, and many other issues.
What is your position on allowing students to use cell phones during school hours?
No matter how we feel, cell phones are here to stay. With the right policies in place, I can see cell phones during school hours being a minimal issue or distraction. We have to remember, not only are they phones, but they are also virtual IDs, computers, and a means to data.
Do you think cell phone policies should allow exceptions for emergencies or specific educational purposes? If so, how would these exceptions be defined?
Cell phone policies should allow for certain exceptions which would be defined in the school policies. I also believe that students can be educated on cell phone use and the policies that are in place. With the current cell phone policy at BBCHS, there are truly very minimal referrals made for misuse of cell phones in the classrooms.
What steps would you take to address concerns about cyberbullying and inappropriate content access through student cell phones?
Like any type of bullying, providing the proper support to the victim is crucial. Having a proper anti-bullying policy in place, which also includes cyberbullying, is a great place to start.
Should students be able to use AI in schoolwork?
Yes, with the right training and education. AI is here and will be used more and more in teaching and learning. As a District, we should work to make sure training is in place not only for our students, but also for our teachers.
What is your plan for making district financial reports, including budgets and expenditures, publicly available and easy to understand?
These plans are already in place. School budgets and expenditures are public knowledge.
How would you balance maintaining appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels?
Just like anything, proper planning is crucial. Working closely with our feeder districts, we can look ahead to get a good idea of future enrollments and class sizes, which is a good start for future planning.
Do you believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers, and if not, what changes would you make?
Supporting our teachers is incredibly important, and I feel BBCHS is doing a great job supplying resources and support, but this should be an ongoing process.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
All of our board members are available by email, which is posted on our school website. I am always open to talking to our constituents.