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Name:
John Bishof
What office are you seeking?
D205 School Board Member
What is your political party?
This is a non-political position
What is your current age?
45
Occupation and employer:
Homemaker
What offices, if any, have you previously held?
Edison Elementary School PTA President
City:
Campaign Website:
Education:
BA Economics University of Chicago class of 2000
Community Involvement:
Edison Elementary School PTA, Sandburg Middle School PTA, Elmhurst Youth Baseball Coach, Elmhurst Bears Football Coach, Elmhurst Knights of Columbus
Marital status/Immediate family:
Married for 19 years to my wife Christine. 3 children ages 13(M), 11(M), and 7(F)
Questions:
How can the district improve reading and English proficiency and state test scores?
With recent curriculum changes directed by Dr. Campbell, our state test scores have gone up in K-8th grade. The kids demonstrating that improvement will be going through York over the next years. I believe that we will see test score improvement at our High School as we have at our elementary schools and middle schools as we continue to follow this path.
What is your stance on ICE agents accessing school grounds, and what policies would you advocate for regarding their presence on school property?
If DHS sends ICE agents to a school with a signed Judicial Warrant, by law they must be given access. Other than that, I do not believe that ICE agents should have any access to school grounds, student records or any other student data.
What are the top three issues that the school district is facing right now?
I believe that the three most important issues for the school district are continuing to provide students with quality academic education and emotional growth while narrowing the achievement gap among different ethnicities and income levels; hiring and retaining the best teachers to put our students in the best learning situation and reducing class sizes (Elmhurst is almost 20% higher than the average class size in Illinois); and keeping special interest groups from interfering with curriculum and subject content approved by our board, administration, and teachers.
What is your position on allowing students to use cell phones during school hours?
I think cell phone usage should be prohibited during class time. Messages can be checked quickly between classes.
Do you think cell phone policies should allow exceptions for emergencies or specific educational purposes? If so, how would these exceptions be defined?
Emergency use of cell phones should be allowed. Plans can change, car pools can change, and these changes are time sensitive. Also, if a teacher directs the class to “take out your smartphone or tablet and look up...” that should be allowed. Cell phones as tools are good, cell phones as distractions are bad.
What steps would you take to address concerns about cyberbullying and inappropriate content access through student cell phones?
Firewalls and filters have come a long way to prevent access to inappropriate content but aren’t perfect. Education about digital footprints so students learn that nothing is anonymous and bad behavior can be traced helps to foster better online citizens. Reports of cyberbullying should be taken seriously and acted upon swiftly to prevent bad behavior.
What is your plan for making district financial reports, including budgets and expenditures, publicly available and easy to understand?
Our District provides financial reports, budgets and expenditures online. I believe transparency from the School Board is paramount and that includes presenting financial information in an easy to understand format.
How would you involve parents and community members in the decision-making process for curriculum or policy changes?
I would encourage parents and community members to attend and speak at Board meetings, email Board members their concerns, and provide polls/questionnaires to stakeholders when changes are being considered.
What is your position on banning books in school libraries or classrooms, and how do you define the criteria for such decisions?
I am absolutely 100 percent against banning books.
How would you balance maintaining appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels?
I would like our class size to decrease to at or below the state average. If current teacher staffing levels do not allow for that, then we need to increase staffing levels.
Do you believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers, and if not, what changes would you make?
I believe our district can always do more to hire and support excellent teachers. Class size is one indicator which I hope to work on.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
I am a career volunteer. Coaching, PTA, School events, friends, family... If help is needed, I’m there asking what I can do. I plan on continuing that attitude if elected to the School Board. I answer emails and messages promptly and I show up when needed. I will be available to all constituents, regardless of my stance on their concerns. If there is a contentious issue, I’m going to carefully listen to all sides before making any decisions and compromise when there is a satisfactory compromise to be made.