Meet Eva A. Villalobos, candidate for the Chicago school board’s 7th 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?^*
In light of this data, we should continue leaning into facilitating instruction rooted in Social Emotional Learning (SEL) best practices. When our students learn, they should be guaranteed a safe environment where they can focus and have supports that meet them where they are at. These results don’t define all the great work our students and teachers are doing in the classroom, so I want to incorporate more comprehensive diagnostics and whole-child assessment to make more informed conclusions on student learning and achievement. Only by fully understanding each student, their learning style, their strengths and their opportunities, can we fully begin to craft solutions.

Do you support standardized testing more than once a year?
No. Standardized testing, alone, does not provide the best data on where our students are academically and where we need to meet them. There are better alternatives like comprehensive diagnostics, using year-round performance indicators like grades and engagement and a whole-child assessment to measure student achievement. Many students struggle with testing anxiety, and we need diverse tools to understand and support all our kids fully.

Do you support requiring all schools to select from a certain curriculum authorized by the board of education?
Yes. I don’t think this is the right question to ask if the aim is to have a comprehensive, dynamic and enriching curriculum. Curriculum should be tailored to meet the needs, current events and demographics of each community. If the board cannot commit to being responsive and adaptive in its offerings, then schools should be given autonomy to implement what works best for them. Schools in my district are already doing this work in their efforts to welcome newcomer families while still trying to serve all our students. I agree the board should offer guidance, but it should not restrict schools.

Chicago Public Schools has consistently fallen short when it comes to serving students with disabilities. What would you do to improve special education?
Special education is a wide-ranging topic and encompasses many considerations and variables, and one where not everyone is speaking the same language. Although it’s an established field, everyone experiences it differently and the field continues to evolve with new tools and theories. We have to remember that every student is different and there are internal and external factors that affect student success. I want to start by implementing mandatory school-wide professional development to create a better understanding of special education and the best practices in the field across all staff to create a school-wide culture. We need to supplement these training sessions with updated tools and research-based practices to better understand, diagnose and support students. This is the starting point to elevate all of our students, and it will require consistency, continued improvement and tenacity.

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. This is a pressing issue causing a strain on all Chicagoans, especially our longtime homeowners and families. At a time where our schools are facing declining enrollment and underperformance, we need to take an in-depth look at how the budget is currently balanced. Raising the levy only encourages more spending, and at this time I cannot support spending more when I don’t think the current spending is meeting our goals. Before considering increasing the levy and further burdening taxpayers, we should ensure that all expenditures serve our students, are properly vetted and are providing the best return for our city.

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?^*
Taking into account CPS’ current student enrollment, per pupil spending, and concerns around our city’s cost of living, I would prioritize a full and thorough audit of the budget before considering any increase. CPS serves almost 20% less students today than it did 10 years ago, yet it spends almost 30% more than it did 10 years ago. I want to conduct a line by line, meticulous assessment of how our funds are being used and measure the impact each dollar spent has on our students. I would pair my district level review of the budget with local assessments of school level budgets. If the same money spent to achieve a goal at one school is yielding better results than another school, we should be interested as to how we can scale best practices for all our students.

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?
No. Although my aim is to serve all our students through an equity lens, I don’t agree with this decision or its framing. Selective enrollment, magnet and charter schools all serve CPS students, and they are neighborhood anchors also serving their communities. Families choose their schools based on their needs and options, and we should uplift their voice to better serve them. Each option presents different and varying benefits, and the board should aim to elevate all schools without creating a divisive narrative. This can be done equitably, but it needs to be driven by student-outcomes and no other agenda.

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?^*
First, we start by balancing the budget with an equitable approach because that will guide the work and clarify our purpose. When considering how resources are allocated across our 600+ schools, we need to remember that all of our schools are public schools. The current board’s approach to equity is based on a false premise that our schools should be ranked and prioritized. All our schools serve neighborhoods and all our schools serve neighborhood students. Where there are opportunities for some of our schools to leverage outside grants and external resources, we should seize them and ensure that additional funding gets distributed equitably.

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?
Yes. I support having charter schools as a way of empowering families and students with options to make decisions that best serve them. No one approach to education is going to fully serve ALL our kids, and no one should have a monopoly on opportunity in public education. At the board level, we need to ensure there’s a balance of opportunity, options and accountability among all schools that are responsive to the city’s needs. Every family deserves access to an education that will best serve them, and no school or special interest should profit from that.

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?^*
This is one of the most important questions, and the source of my main apprehension to running for school board. Running for office requires fundraising, and I would be upset if donations were made to sway me. I’ve been honest about my views from the start, and I am blessed to have a support system that will also hold me accountable. My family, friends and neighbors are: students, parents, teachers, district leaders, and community members, and I trust them to give me candid feedback. I invite feedback from all stakeholders because I do not have an agenda outside of serving all our kids, and there are too many challenges to face to make this about politics. Lastly, I’m a believer in God and I value a goodnight’s rest without a guilty conscience, so I will not be acting on behalf of any interest other than of our students.

Police in schools

Do you support having sworn Chicago Police Department officers stationed in schools?
Yes. Police presence in our schools can intimidate, and has intimidated, our students. There are plenty of schools that acknowledge this and have decided they don’t need CPD officers, and that’s great. Yet, we also have to respect that some schools have voiced and voted for CPD presence at their schools. Sometimes this need arises from where the school is located or which officer is adding value to that community. I want to empower schools with the autonomy and information needed to best allocate safety funds effectively, whether that includes CPD presence or other methods, to promote a safe school environment.

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. Of course, I support busing for ALL our students, and I don’t think this needs to be an issue. If we are truly committed to serving all students, then we need to acknowledge that some families don’t have best-fit options in their neighborhood. I trust that students and families are seeking the opportunities that best serve them, and they should not be punished based on their geographic location. Busing can close the opportunity gap for our students if they identify that a charter school, selective enrollment school, or even a neighboring, neighborhood school best fits their needs.

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. Closing any school is not in my plan. We know that school closures hurt communities in ways that have long-lasting, negative impacts. I would work to ensure that any school facing this challenge has every opportunity to flourish and become a community asset. There are also other factors to consider including student success, structural safety and community needs. As a candidate for school board, however, I am thinking through this challenge with an open heart and open mind. My aim is to balance all of these considerations to get to a solution that best supports our students.

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?
Meeting the needs of our bilingual students is one of my top priorities, and this challenge requires creative solutions. In some areas, we need to make sure that policies are not hindering us because we may be limiting our own use of community resources. Imagine an internship program where college students can supplement our classroom offerings while broadening their experience and making an impact. College students studying languages, even those in non-education majors, can help our younger students grow their English and build positive relationships. This will have minimal impact on our budget as internships can be unpaid/low wage, and there’s significant value added for the intern. If we don’t find ways to fill opportunities, we are going to find that schools with the highest need are not going to be fully staffed with bilingual teachers. Beyond compliance, I am invested in our bilingual students thriving, and acclimating.

Top local issue

Please share one issue that’s a top concern for your community or your larger elected school board voting district.
One issue that is sometimes expressed, and other times overlooked, is employee morale and school pride. Many of the teachers I talk to feel undervalued, and many district employees are at capacity. All of this has a trickle down effect on our students, and we don’t always make that connection. If we want students to take ownership, have pride in their work and always lead with a collaborative spirit, then we need to model that behavior. Our schools are just buildings, but the people inside are a reflection of the school’s character. I want to celebrate all our employees who are dedicating their life to true public service, and I want my community to join me. A more positive culture district wide is the way to build bridges, face challenges and ensure we always meet the needs of our students.