District 112 School Board Candidate Q&A: Paul Tatelli

Background: Paul Tatelli, 42, is a first-time candidate for the District 112 school board. Tatelli is a veteran information technology consultant who currently works for Forsythe Solutions Group Inc. He’s been attending school board meetings since his oldest child entered Oak Terrace Elementary School four years ago, and he’s most interested in leveraging his technology background to benefit the school district.

Highland Park Patch: Why run for the school board?

Paul Tatelli: The main reason is I think that my background (in technology) is something that’s missing in the district. The board needs to ask the right questions. That’s something that’s lacking and I’m hoping that’s something I can bring to the community. With the way technology is changing and the way everyone is so involved, it’s pretty dramatic. We’re trying to prepare our kids for a future that we don’t even understand. That’s a real challenge. Technology can be used many ways and can help kids learn in different ways and more effectively. And then from a board perspective how is technology applied in the back office to make it more efficient. How does the administration use technology to streamline and communicate? All that needs to be considered in a holistic way.  

HP Patch: What personal traits do you believe are important in a school board candidate?

Tatelli: The personal characteristics of an effective school board member include the ability to connect and to listen to the community, work collaboratively with others, think strategically, make decisions with authority and drive toward continuous improvement. Most importantly, a school board member needs to consider and value the balance between the needs of our children and the other district stakeholders including parents, staff and our community. 

HP Patch: Given the state of the economy and dwindling budgets, how would you distribute funding? Which programs would you recommend cutting?

Tatelli: We tend to spend a lot per student, but I think we need to focus on whether or not we are getting enough out of it. I think there’s some discrepancy there and opportunities to be more efficient. Class size is clearly a big deal and important, but making sure we are getting value for our dollars is important. It’s a balance. I don’t think we can easily say that all these things are untouchables that we normally have on the list. How are we maintaining our buildings?  And then there’s teachers’ contracts. In these economic times, everything needs to be considered. 

HP Patch: Two schools in District 112 have not made Adequate Yearly Progress by the standards of No Child Left Behind. What are some things the school board can do to help the schools meet these standards? 

Tatelli: It’s a big issue for the district. The Federal requirements that identify “failing” schools increase every year and eventually nearly every school in the district will be below the line. It’s going to become completely unrealistic. I’m not saying that Oak Terrace and Red Oak don’t need some help. The district has been marshalling resources like extra reading teachers, extra writing teachers, interventions, to help these schools focus on the needs. The professional learning communities in the district are designed to foster teacher collaboration. We should be able to leverage the best ideas that we have across the district. As the district and as the board allocates resources, we also need to make sure that we’re not doing it at the detriment of other programs.  

HP Patch: What do you see as the role of the school board? How much of an activist organization should it be? 

Tatelli: The board needs to do the basic things and make sure we’re meeting requirements. I think the board does need to demonstrate leadership, potentially in areas where the district can lead by example, such as how they manage and develop curriculum. How is money spent wisely to do those things? It’s the kids that are the important thing to focus on. We don’t want to lose sight of what the kids needs. We can make sure that when we make decisions we are acting as good financial stewards but still focused on the kids. We have to consider the kids. That’s where the activism plays in.