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Name:
Kari Foulk
What office are you seeking?
SD308 School Board
What is your political party?
No political affiliation. This is non-partisan.
What is your current age?
44
Occupation and employer:
SD308 Substitute Teacher, Author, Self-Employed
What offices, if any, have you previously held?
I have not held any offices.
City:
Campaign Website:
facebook.com/KariFoulk4SchoolBoard/
Education:
I graduated from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Organizational Management.
Community Involvement:
I am involved with many groups. I run a Yorkville Oswego Mom’s Group on Facebook. I have volunteered for different church organizations for many years, specifically in children’s ministry and as a worship leader. I have volunteered for various events/activities at Wayside Cross Ministries. I was a leader of the ministry, Women Anchored in Christ, which ministers to women of all walks of life. I have volunteered over the years for different Chamber of Commerce events and fundraisers in Wheaton and Naperville. I have received recognition for participation in such events. I was a volunteer for the Able Moms Conference recently. I volunteer with my son’s football league, doing various things to support the team. I continue to be involved with the community and volunteer regularly and help my neighbors.
Marital status/Immediate family:
I have been married to my husband John for 13 years and we have three children.
Questions:
How can the district improve reading and English proficiency and state test scores?
I would begin with talking to teachers about what the hang-ups are within the classroom, the students’ learning styles, disruptions to learning and curriculum, which we are doing now. The teachers are the ones who are hands-on in the classroom. We can only grow in this area if we fully understand what is causing the deficiency. Teachers need full support in areas that are lagging. As a substitute teacher in our district, I saw that there were distractions to learning, and many things teachers were dealing with that made it difficult for them to perform their roles effectively.
I homeschooled my son in kindergarten due to COVID, and we used a program called Lexia that I believe is currently used by reading specialists within our district. I think if we could implement Lexia to be used with all students, it could greatly improve test scores across our district. It would cost money to make this available to all students, but it would be well worth it. Lexia uses phonics and phonemic skills to turn written words into sounds.
As diversity, equity and inclusion programs are being rolled back in organizations around the country, what role does the school district have to play in ensuring a diverse community of learners has equal opportunities for success?
I believe our school district can ensure that our diverse community of students receive equal opportunities without needing that funding (being that it’s being rolled back). We will promote equal opportunity for everyone and create a culture that harnesses that mindset. We will celebrate our differences and learn to work together with a common goal of education and student success.
Do you think the district is doing enough to ensure that schools are drug-free environments? Why or why not? And if not, what more can be done?
Hearing from teachers and staff first-hand is imperative to identify the issues that need to be addressed in the school. From what I have heard from the teachers I am interviewing, there absolutely are issues with drugs in some of the schools, and it sounds like these environments need strict enforcement of current policy as outlined in the handbook.
What steps can districts take to ensure students are physically safe while in the building? Is the district doing enough or would you like to see more?
I would want to start with interviewing teachers about their safety concerns, which I am currently doing. Teachers are telling us that they need more support from administration in being able to enforce discipline and that current disciplinary policies are not being followed in many cases. Addressing and correcting this should clear up a lot of the current issues within the schools.
If you have children, do they or did they attend public school and was that for all of their K-12 school years?
My three children have attended public school their entire school career, except Covid year, which I homeschooled.
What do you see as the school district’s role in deciding what materials should be available in the library and in curricula?
I feel that teachers should be the ones who get to have to greatest input on what materials we make available and what curriculum we use. We have talked to teachers who are not happy with the current curriculum. We represent a vast array of constituents in the district and because of that we need to make sure parents and teachers who do not feel comfortable with certain materials have the option to opt out if needed.
Most of local residents' property taxes go to their school districts. Are taxes paid to your school district too high? What would you do to protect the interests of taxpayers?
I do believe taxes are too high, and we need to make sure we do not have any new tax hikes. I think we need an audit of all expenses, and then we need to make sure every dime is online for transparency. We must reduce waste and anything we do not see is evidence-based ROI.
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?
Same as the question before, we must reduce waste. We need a full audit of what we are spending our money on. We need to see evidence-based ROI.
Should Title IX cover sexual orientation or gender identity? What are your views on the use of locker rooms and bathrooms by transgender students and their participating in sports?
I will follow federal law on the matter. Currently, the federal government recognizes two genders as such, boys and girls will participate in their respective sports in their respective facilities.
What is your stance on ICE agents accessing school grounds, and what policies would you advocate for regarding their presence on school property?
I will follow the federal and state laws with regard to ICE.
What are the top three issues that the school district is facing right now?
Success of students (improving current scores), safety and fiscal responsibility.
What is your position on allowing students to use cell phones during school hours?
Phones should be kept in lockers; They should not be promoted by the school whatsoever in terms of being used in class and only used in the case of an emergency, or if a student needs to contact a parent at home.
Do you think cell phone policies should allow exceptions for emergencies or specific educational purposes? If so, how would these exceptions be defined?
Yes, if there is an emergency, I believe there are exceptions. Chromebooks have been issued to students, removing any need for phones to be used for educational purposes.
What steps would you take to address concerns about cyberbullying and inappropriate content access through student cell phones?
Zero tolerance for students who do not follow guidelines. Discipline policy should be followed as outlined in the student handbook.
Should students be able to use AI in schoolwork?
While AI is an evolving subject and is a new technology we need to wrap our heads around, I believe schools should proceed with great caution as we do not know the impact of this technology on individuals or schools yet.
What is your plan for making district financial reports, including budgets and expenditures, publicly available and easy to understand?
Every dime spent will be online, but I won’t stop there. The district has become increasingly non-transparent, and I will ensure more information of interest is available to the public.
How would you involve parents and community members in the decision-making process for curriculum or policy changes?
We began this process by talking with hundreds of parents and interviewing dozens of teachers. I will continue opening communication with open forums, connecting via events and continuous communication.
What is your position on banning books in school libraries or classrooms, and how do you define the criteria for such decisions?
The term “banning books” implies an agenda that I am not comfortable with. I am very much for the use of age-appropriate educational materials that further our children’s education.
How would you balance maintaining appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels?
Our class sizes have been increasing and are above state averages and our test scores are falling. We need more teachers in the classroom, and we will prioritize spending to reflect that.
Do you believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers, and if not, what changes would you make?
I do not. As previously stated, class sizes are increasing, scores are falling while administration is growing. I would look first at finding the appropriate shift from administration to more classroom teachers.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
I am easily accessible via Facebook, facebook.com/KariFoulkforSchoolBoard, email KariFoulk4SchoolBoard@gmail.com and phone 815-585-8006.