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Name: Charles “Chuck” Schneider
What office are you seeking? Plano CUSD 88 School Board
What is your political party? N/A
What is your current age? 56
Occupation and employer: Retired Educator: Teacher, Principal, Superintendent. Coach, Sponsor, bus driver and transportation director. Currently substitute bus drive for the district.
What offices, if any, have you previously held? None
City: Plano
Campaign Website: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573604553175
Education: Bachelor of Science - Education; Master of Science - Ed. Leadership, Principal; Educational Specialist - Ed. Leadership, Superintendent.
Community Involvement: Plano Plan Commission/Board of Appeals; Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/Guardian ad Litem (GAL) - assisting children who have experience neglect/abuse in Kendall County; Plano Cub Scout Pack when son was in scouts; Bugler for American Legions; and volunteer music supports for Plano School District
Marital status/Immediate family: Wife, Stephanie and two children, Josh and Ashleigh.
Questions:
How can the district improve reading and English proficiency and state test scores?
The district, like many other school districts, saw a drop in test scores following COVID. The district has implemented and allocated resources to specifically target learning loss and provided frequent updates to the board of education. One item to look at, in addition to internal assessments and instruction, is the closure of learning gaps.
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?
The best way for the district to support learning is to hire the best quality candidates to meet the learning needs of the students and value-add to the learning environment. Additionally, providing a forum for parents and students to provide input on what is best needed for their education and programs that provide varied opportunities and experiences.
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?
The school does have a close working relationship with the Plano Police department, there are student learning programs regarding being drug-free along with other resources to not only address drug usage but also assist those that may need support regarding addressing drug usage. Continued education about the dangers of drug usage and support for those that may need interventions should be in place.
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?
Recently the district has made much needed improvement to their facilities and hardened entrances. They also will be replacing and upgrading all the video cameras in the schools which can be streamed to law enforcement during any crises situation. One item to address however is the safe accessibility for those with disabilities, as a board member I will advocate to address the lack of accessible entrances which would assist entry into the building in the case of an emergency or access to school events and activities.
If you have children, do they or did they attend public school and was that for all of their K-12 school years?
Both children have attended Plano Schools since Kindergarten. One graduated two years ago and the other is a high school student.
What do you see as the school district’s role in deciding what materials should be available in the library and in curricula?
There are several board policies related to curricular materials and instruction. Materials should be grade level appropriate, align to the State required units of learning and meet the variety of interests of the students. These policies are reviewed and updated regularly.
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 have attended finance committee meetings as a ‘visitor’ to hear more about the district finances. Having a very strong background in school finance, I would advocate for continuing the abatement process and trying to maximize the amount. In order to do this I believe the district should not only have financial projections but have a board level plan to set minimum and maximum fund balances along with a range of working cash on hand. As a new board member there will be a great opportunity to review both expenses and revenues and create an open discussion to help in the decision making process. To be better informed I would use my school finance experience to do a line by line review of the district finances.
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?
In speaking with a school district official the district took the best steps to use and allocate COVID relief money (ESSER Funds) by maximizing long term and reusable materials versus those that would require finding a funding source for continued expenses. There are very few ‘continuing’ expenses of which should be reviewed for relevance and need.
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?
The decision regarding Title IX coverages and participation in sports will be determined at the federal level and or state level. From there schools will be provided guidance and direction to include policies for IHSA and IESA participation. My past experience is that there is always an opportunity to find a solution to controversial topics, but it takes open and honest discussion.
What is your stance on ICE agents accessing school grounds, and what policies would you advocate for regarding their presence on school property?
As a past school leader, who on many occasions worked very closely with law enforcement officials, we relied on district policies about access to the school for the purposes of seeing or accessing a student. In general I am not in favor of using the school as a convenient location for accessing students as that disrupts a student’s ability to attend school without anxiety and infringes on keeping it a safe place to learn. However, if a law enforcement official has the correct authoritative documentation, then any access to a student must follow those policies and be as private as possible.
What are the top three issues that the school district is facing right now?
I learned quite a bit over my career in education and being a school leader. I found that what is an issue for me may not be an issue for students, staff, parents or community members. I would advocate for seeking that input by revisiting the strategic plan that was developed several years ago, making public the progress on any of those action items and then creating forums to gather input from a wide range of district stakeholders. This will help the board to redefine goals and action items to provide the administration with a clear vision and plan. But some general items from my point of view: addressing student learning growth and providing the best means to be successful; creating better transparency including board agendas that provide a little more detail regarding topics to be discussed; and addressing the appearance that parent voices are not always heard or valued.
What is your position on allowing students to use cell phones during school hours?
With the governor’s recent announcement to legislate banning cellphones in schools as a state law I am not in favor of this type of action taking away local control from a school district. This is best determined at the local level, of which there are schools putting this type of policy in place, as it best serves their needs. Whatever is decided there needs to be consistency in following the rule or policy. This applies to any handbook rule or school policy. I do think there are inconsistencies especially related to how each school applies and follows certain rules and procedures. This causes confusion and frustration for parents.
Do you think cell phone policies should allow exceptions for emergencies or specific educational purposes? If so, how would these exceptions be defined?
I believe in local control to determine use of cell phones and technology in the classroom and at school. It is best addressed as a school handbook procedure or school policy.
What steps would you take to address concerns about cyberbullying and inappropriate content access through student cell phones?
As a board member we don’t take individual steps but ensure that existing policies related to bullying and harassment/content access as well as the various mandated staff training and student educational requirements are in place and followed. Yearly, school boards are required to review the bullying and harassment policy which is a great opportunity to seek input to allow the board to modify as needed. This would also mean having the item clearly listed on a board agenda and inviting comments.
Should students be able to use AI in schoolwork?
Over the years as new technologies developed it was paramount that schools embraced the technology students will use in school and in the future. I believe students should be taught how to use AI that enhances their learning and not be a replacement for their own critical thinking. There should also be continued instruction on safe practices using AI much like there is for internet safety and usage.
What is your plan for making district financial reports, including budgets and expenditures, publicly available and easy to understand?
The district’s website already contains the required financial items but they tend to be hard to find and understand. Part of openness and transparency shouldn’t just be ‘it was decided at a meeting’ but better notification of the topics to be discussed and then follow up shortly after a board meeting to provide an easy to understand update. I would advocate for better after meeting updates on decisions through sharing via the many informational tools available to the district. This will enhance transparency.
How would you involve parents and community members in the decision-making process for curriculum or policy changes?
I have extensive experience in implementing school district strategic planning and community engagement that helps inform a board of education on what is most important to parents, staff, students, community leaders and taxpayers. As a board member I would advocate for bringing these groups together in a process that would define a list of objectives for the board to prioritize and implement for the next 3 - 5 years. This would include board meeting agenda items to discuss progress and an easy to access and understandable document for the community to follow the progress.
What is your position on banning books in school libraries or classrooms, and how do you define the criteria for such decisions?
Similar to a previous question, I believe in local control of library and classroom resources of which these materials need to be age appropriate and also meet the diverse interests of students. We need to trust our administrators and staff in the decisions they make but also provide guidelines on what it means to be age appropriate.
How would you balance maintaining appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels?
I would use my past experience with school finance and staffing to bring a higher level of conversation to the decision making process. There should be a clear financial set of guidelines for the superintendent and business official to use to balance finances with what is best for student learning and providing instructional and staff resources.
Do you believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers, and if not, what changes would you make?
Without being a current board member this is hard to determine. It appears staffing needs are met to the extent that applicants are available for any given position. Postings right now are more geared towards next year’s openings to capture the most qualified candidates. There are shortages in the state as a whole related to education. The best way to know what supports are needed is to seek that input from staff and then allow building and district administrators to provide recommendations for consideration.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
Having lived in Plano for many years I have developed several avenues for community members to get to know and contact me. In addition to board members having a district email, I have social media accounts, utilize local businesses, attend school and community events, and volunteer for school activities. As a board member I would love to use the great connections that have been established and build new ones to shape discussions to problem solve, move Plano forward and heighten community engagement.