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Name: Benjamin Quint
What office are you seeking? School Board member Richmond-Burton District #157
What is your political party? independent
What is your current age? 48
Occupation and employer: Government and Civics teacher at School District #60
What offices, if any, have you previously held? I have not been elected to any political office as of yet.
City: Richmond, IL
Campaign Website:
Education: Associate of Arts from McHenry County College
Bachelor’s of Arts in History and English from Northeastern Illinois University
Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Design from William Woods University
Nearing completion of Master’s of Education (Secondary Education) from Dominican University
Community Involvement: Cub Scouts (until COVID pandemic)
Grading Policy committee for Waukegan, IL
Marital status/Immediate family: Divorced
2 biological daughters
3 step-daughters with whom I am still a part of their lives
Recently engaged
Questions:
How can the district improve reading and English proficiency and state test scores?
In order for ALL students to be able to achieve their best in skills and assessments, we as a district must collaborate more amongst ourselves to see the unique challenges that each student faces. Reading and English learning is extremely important with communicating with others in our nation, communicating for posterity, and to thrive in many of our careers. Being able to succeed on high-stress exams is a form of practice when we must be able to perform tasks under pressure as adults. However, I strongly believe that we are failing to show the amount of WORK students do in their classes, but rather we show whether they are successful on the assessments. A Grit grade would go far in showing employers who wish to hire recent graduates whom of our student-body are diligent and goal-oriented.
If you have children, do they or did they attend public school and was that for all of their K-12 school years?
I had one step-daughter graduate Valedictorian
I had one step-daughter drop-out
I had on step-daughter in Honors classes but moved back with her dad before she could graduate
I have one child in 7th grade
What do you see as the school district’s role in deciding what materials should be available in the library and in curricula?
The SCHOOL should make all materials available. The FAMILIES should monitor their children if they do not want them reading something specific. The day we start banning books and materials is the day all things are open for banning. The choice should stay with the consumer of the material, the family.
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 believe taxes are high, but how can we say something for the future generations of Americans is TOO high? I do not want a tax increase and I want to make every penny the district has go toward bettering the education of our students. That said, I need to see the budget that we have in place to better answer this question.
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?
Again, I would need to see the budget and the revenue and expenditures.
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?
This question has been answered already by the state of Illinois,which protects kids based on their identity. However, this is not tosay that kids who identify as one gender or another should choosetheir preferred bathroom on a daily basis. Parents would have to be inthe know before any kind of individual plan could be made for kids ona case by case basis. We know adolescents are going through a greatamount of change and conflicting emotions and hormones at their age,so the simplest solution would be to have that small group of studentsuse a private unisex bathroom and to keep families informed of anychanges to the plan.
What is your stance on ICE agents accessing school grounds, and what policies would you advocate for regarding their presence on school property?
As Law Enforcement, ICE has a responsibility. As a school district, we have a responsibility. Our schools need to be safe and ICE needs to do their tasks in a lawful manner. When accompanied by a warrant, ICE needs to carry out their orders. Without a warrant, ICE should concentrate on finding criminals and not children.
What are the top three issues that the school district is facing right now?
1. Post graduate success for ALL students.
2. Pathways to careers, trades, and Universities in place for students before Junior year.
3. More community involvement from students to take pride in where they live.
What is your position on allowing students to use cell phones during school hours?
Cell phones are tools. Some humans misuse tools, while others use them ethically for the tasks they were designed. As a teacher, I have had students use phones on online assignments when their computers have been broken. Since we need students to use computers and do not have the budget to have classroom computers, having the cell phone as an emergency back-up could mean the difference between failure and success for some students. But when all technology is functional, cell phones should be on silnet and put away in a backpack or pocket.
Do you think cell phone policies should allow exceptions for emergencies or specific educational purposes? If so, how would these exceptions be defined?
I do and have explained in my previous answer.
What steps would you take to address concerns about cyberbullying and inappropriate content access through student cell phones?
Cyberbully and Bullying are huge concerns of mine. I believe that the bully is often bullied, but still do not excuse the actions of hurting others. As for inappropriate content, much like my answer to banned books and materials, I believe the family needs to have a more active role in what their students are doing with their technology privileges.
Should students be able to use AI in schoolwork?
Students should be able to use AI in drafts for their final assignment, but should not be evident in the final draft. Using tools to better your writing in the formative process is helpful, but using AI as your final answer is just cheating because the student’s brain had very little input in the decision/answer.
What is your plan for making district financial reports, including budgets and expenditures, publicly available and easy to understand?
I believe in transparency and community involvement. I wish for all residents of the district to be able to see where their tax money is going.
How would you involve parents and community members in the decision-making process for curriculum or policy changes?
Opinion polls at school events, a place for residents to write anonymous concerns, and for Board members to regularly reach out to constituents for their input and opinions.
What is your position on banning books in school libraries or classrooms, and how do you define the criteria for such decisions?
I do not believe we should ban books. I believe we are taking away the power of families to only allow them to choose amongst a select choice of materials. The more we offer, the more we give the families the ability to see and judge information. A truly intelligent scholar can read material they disagree and still keep their original opinion. Reading things we disagree with inspires us to prove our own beliefs and to validate ourselves logically.
How would you balance maintaining appropriate class sizes with the current teacher staffing levels?
Certain classes require a smaller teacher:student ratio. Other classes, such as many University preparation classes, might benefit from larger class sizes since many of the students will end up in auditoriums with hundreds of other students for class eventually. Other classes, like Diverse Learning classes, hands on classes like Woods or Metalshop need a smaller ratio for safety reasons.
Do you believe the district is allocating enough resources toward hiring and supporting teachers, and if not, what changes would you make?
I need to see the budget, but I know I will always choose to hire a person over materials. People make connections, offer students another trusting adult at school, and help make an easier workload for our hard working faculty and staff.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
I plan on making a website for all to contact me