Meet Jason C. Dónes, candidate for the Chicago school board’s 3rd District

Academics

About 31% of Chicago Public Schools elementary students are meeting state standards in reading, and 19% are meeting math standards. How would you approach growing reading and math achievement?^*
I would start by listening to reading and math teachers to better understand what they view as our highest leverage strategies. Growth in any success metric requires a balanced commitment to talent, programming and community involvement. I would analyze and reinvest in the strategies that helped Chicago lead the pack in post-pandemic reading recovery, but the formula is not that complicated: To generate great learning, you need great schools. That means a school culture grounded in belonging so that students want to come to school and are set up to learn. It means having a sustaining healthy faculty including a well-equipped school leader, supported teachers, talented SECAs, and well-respected support staff of all kinds.

Do you support standardized testing more than once a year?
No. We are genuinely overtesting our students — particularly at the younger grades. Thoughtful use of testing can give educators usable data through which to strengthen their practice. Generally speaking, though, we over-test and rebrand tests too often. If we accept they play a valuable role then (1) pick the most researched assessment, (2) recognize and account for its flaws, (3) pay attention to the more practical data students offer daily and (4) use all the information available to help drive learning outcomes. Either way, we should be consulting our parents and our teachers on their use.

Do you support requiring all schools to select from a certain curriculum authorized by the board of education?
Yes. I would advocate for a balanced and collaborative approach. I am in support of an elected board — which is accountable to the public — playing a key role in authorizing a well-researched, high-achieving, and culturally relevant curriculum in partnership with the state. I would also argue for educator and community flexibility so that those who know our students best are able to adapt and expand on that curriculum. So long as excellence and inclusion is our target, I would advocate for an empowered coalition of decision-makers.

Chicago Public Schools has consistently fallen short when it comes to serving students with disabilities. What would you do to improve special education?
I would reinforce special education with training, funding and talent. SPED teachers — and the SECAs [special education classroom assistants] who lead alongside them — are often the hardest working, most diverse and most stretched personnel within a school. CPS has been a home to many parents looking for the most comprehensive services; however, we have strict legal guidelines without strict legal resourcing. Wherever you see a SPED team “falling short” the story is often the same: The case manager is stretched across schools, there is no nurse available, SPED teachers are feeling underdeveloped, caseloads are heavy because of limited staff and parents get frustrated. We need the person-power and they need the time to collaborate and learn from one another. Fully fund and fully staff these positions.

CPS finances

In recent years, Chicago’s Board of Education has consistently raised the property tax levy to the maximum allowed by state law every year. Should the board continue to raise the levy to the maximum?
No. We should fully fund our schools and distribute resources equitably. I’m not in favor of more taxes, I’m in favor of fair taxes, leaning on progressive revenue and effective use of tax dollars. Raising the property tax levy is not sustainable and disproportionately impacts working class families. As I study this funding crisis, I see evidence of poor decisions and a disinvestment in our schools. Ultimately, I envision a system where dramatic funding moves aren’t needed because we are in compliance w/ our state’s evidence-based funding formula and have leaders who are ready to better utilize the funding we are owed.

Do you think CPS needs more funding, or do you think the school district’s budget is bloated? How would you balance the CPS budget?^*
CPS needs more funding. Some of the success generated in pandemic recovery was a result of the creative use of additional funds. We see what is possible and so how can we nickel-n-dime our students? Funding and performance are linked. We are not yet in compliance with our own state’s allocation formula and need access to those resources. As a school board member, I will absolutely work to better understand how to maximize spending, get the most of our vendors, and find smarter ways to spend; however, if we are in the business of improving student outcomes and strengthening public schools, we should be advocating for more funding.

School choice

Do you support the current board of education’s decision to prioritize neighborhood schools and shift away from the current system of school choice with selective enrollment, magnet and charter schools?
Yes. My vision for Chicago is that all families have a quality school within walking distance of their home. My priority is to strengthen our neighborhood schools. I believe there is a strong argument to make that we do not currently have a system of school choice. If we have a system that relies on limited spots, barriers to entry and retention, and privatization then there is no real choice. I want to ensure that all schools serving the children of Chicago have access to the resources needed to provide for their students and you cannot get there without reinforcing our neighborhood schools.

Given the board of education’s decision to prioritize neighborhood schools, how would you balance supporting those schools without undermining the city’s selective enrollment schools and other specialized programs?^*
Our selective enrollment schools are some of the best schools in the nation. In fact, I hope to continue to learn from what makes them thrive. You can design and fully fund a school system that both prioritizes neighborhood schools while maintaining the strong legacy of achievement within these other programs. These are not mutually exclusive. My vision is to ensure all families have access to a quality school within walking distance of their home. That does not mean selective enrollment schools are at risk. I reject the fear mongering that has started to pit CPS families against one another.

The first charter school opened in Chicago in 1997 and these privately run, publicly funded schools grew in number throughout the 2000s. Today, 54,000 Chicago Public Schools students, or about 17%, attend charters and contract schools. Do you support having charter schools in CPS as an option for students?
No. I support the success and achievement of those 54,000 students as I do all students in Chicago. I would advocate for the equitable resourcing of our neighborhood schools over any model pushing charter expansion, but these schools serve the students of our town and I want those students to succeed. I am against the further privatization of our public school system. I am an advocate for transparency, oversight and collective bargaining. Any publicly funded school should be accountable to the public, including its students and workforce.

Independence

If elected, how will you maintain your independence from the mayor’s office, the Chicago Teachers Union or other powerful forces shaping the school system?^*
As an elected board, we have the responsibility to showcase accountability to the public. I aim to be a coalition builder. I will work to understand the hope and needs of all invested groups but my first responsibility is to the students and working class families of the district.

Police in schools

Do you support having sworn Chicago Police Department officers stationed in schools?
No. I support an affirming and restorative approach to school culture and safety. Any strategy — intentional or not — to criminalize our students is not right for our schools. I would never tell a worried parent they are less just for believing officers in schools or metal detectors might make their children more safe; however, I want people to understand the potential for deep harm by signaling that “our students should be policed.”

Busing and facilities

Last year, in an effort to prioritize transportation for students with disabilities as required by state and federal law, CPS canceled busing for general education students who attend selective enrollment and magnet schools and hasn’t found a solution to reinstate that service. Do you support busing for general education students?
Yes. If students cannot get to school, they cannot learn. If we have a scenario where students need to get to school outside of their home community, then we need to provide a way for them to reach it. I rode that yellow bus. My mom depended on that yellow bus. If we need more funding then let us collaborate and secure that funding from state grants. If we are low on bus drivers then let’s reevaluate the barriers to getting people certified for those positions and strengthen recruitment.

About one-third of Chicago public school buildings have space for at least double the students they’re currently enrolling. Chicago officials have previously viewed under-enrolled schools as an inefficient use of limited resources — and a decade ago the city closed a record 50 schools. Do you support closing schools for low enrollment?
No. An under-enrolled school is still an enrolled school and closing it in the name of efficiency is a broken, inhumane strategy. We are responsible to those students and instead of closing that school, we should be asking ourselves how to rally around those schools and provide for the children of our great city.

Bilingual education

CPS has long struggled to comply with state and federal laws requiring bilingual programs at schools that enroll 20 or more students who speak a different language. The recent influx of migrant families has exacerbated the problem. What policies do you support to ensure the district is supporting bilingual students and in compliance with state and federal laws?
Similar to my response above, we actually have the playbook here. I would support any policy that reinforces and incentivizes bilingual certification for teachers and students (like the Seal of Biliteracy award), centers culturally responsive pedagogy and recognizes bilingualism as an asset amongst our students — rather than a burden or problem. I was a part of the team that gave their time and expertise to draft Illinois’ first-ever culturally responsive teaching standards for a reason. Culturally relevant pedagogy and curriculum is not a nice-to-have or extra credit. It should be a core expectation of what it means to teach well in our district and having the staff available to break language barriers is key. While we work to attract and retain more linguistically diverse teachers and faculty, I would also support policies which advance parent volunteer opportunities and peer-to-peer support models which would help bilingual students.

Top local issue

Please share one issue that’s a top concern for your community or your larger elected school board voting district.
While circulating, I found that District 3 is home to a very passionate education community. There are many issues top of mind for students and families. What I’ve noticed is that parents are grappling with the same questions I am — the same questions my mother faced 30 years ago when trying to give me my best shot at a quality education. Nothing will stretch your progressive values like the needs of your own children. People are trying to understand how to advance our neighborhood schools with the greatest need while securing the most they personally can for their family. I’m here to tell people that with progressive policy, strong leadership and the intentional use of resources, it is actually possible to resist the hunger games and provide for all of our schools. We do not have to accept a game that has pit families against each other. The great city of Chicago can and will provide for all students.