Dupage Policy Journal

George Welson, a candidate for the CUSD 21 School Board, said that disappointment in the current Board of Education prompted him to run.

"We've got the Board of Education that if you go to our meetings and listen to the people who are making comments, they say that our Board of Education is a rubber stamp for the administration," Welson told DuPage Policy Journal. "It is kind of a cheerleading squad, pride administration, when they should be really challenging the administration to do better. So I'm kind of disappointed in our Board of Education – that prompted me to run."

Welson said he was disappointed with the results of a recent evaluation of the school district.

"We have the Illinois State Board of Education, says that 34% of our kids can do mathematics at grade level, and 39% can read and write at grade level," he said. "If you turn those figures around, you've got two-thirds of kids who can't do math and who aren't proficient at math, and you've got three out of five kids who are struggling with their basic reading and writing, and that's just not good enough. 

"For me, our kids are perfectly able and competent and as bright as kids anywhere. Our teachers – we've got a great set of teachers. They are well-qualified, very competent in my experience, and well compensated."

When asked about what caught his attention about the school board and prompted him to run, Welson said he has been following the board's work for a while. 

"I think it was just a couple of years ago when I just I tuned into one of the school board meetings and I was just watching them and and the superintendent was giving some details on student literacy," Welson said. "I was looking at these levels around about 20% in some schools at the time. And I looked at the numbers, I looked at the super and I looked at the board and no one raised an eyelid. No questions were asked. It was just, 'Let's move on to the next subject.' I couldn't quite believe it, to the point where I had to check the numbers about a dozen times. This happens every couple of months in our school district. One of the administration will get in front of them and give them some horrific statistics and they're just scratching their heads. That's what really motivated me."

Welson said he used to be what he called a "typical apathetic parent," but watching the school board meetings really turned him around.

"Just tuning into a few of those meetings really sparked an interest," he said. "As to what was going on in the school and watching over the last few years and seeing that nobody else is going to step in and sort this out, the very least I can do is try and get on the board and make some changes and improve literacy in our community."

According to his bio, Welson said he and his family moved to Westmont in 2014, and he and his wife, Sandy, have raised their two boys in Westmont schools. He and his wife are active members in a local church, where she is the director of education and he is a trustee. He is also a member of the Chicago Board of Trade and enjoys reading, gardening and DIY projects in his spare time.

According to the Children First 201 website, "We’re Westmont parents, family and community members who want the best for our children. We believe that our children deserve a high-quality education, within a safe environment with caring, transparent and accountable administrators. Children First 201 strives to help our children reach their highest potential while leading lives filled with happiness and meaningful, positive lifelong experiences."

The organization's website says in it's purpose statement that, "Despite the many well-deserved awards and accolades bestowed upon CUSD 201, not all children are thriving in our district. In fact, for the majority of our students, ELA and Math scores in each of our schools are declining. As a community, we need to get back to the basics and refocus our priorities on academics to ensure our children can reach their goals and achieve success. Our objective is to build upon the strong foundation of CUSD 201 to support our top-notch teachers and energetic students while focusing on improving literacy rates and enhancing district transparency and accountability (LTA). Many are aware that there is also room for improvement, within the CUSD 201 School Board. By incorporating innovative ideas with 3 new faces and fresh energy along with the charisma of our new superintendent Jack Baldermann there is no limit to the future success of CUSD 201 students!"

There are three candidates for school board -- Whitney Rogers, George Welson, and Jim Liceaga. They believe children deserve a world-class education and believe schools and school boards must be transparent and accountable to the community they serve. This dynamic trio is full of fresh ideas and wants to make make sure that YOU are heard and represented on the School Board. All three are committed to making CUSD 201 the best it can be, starting with academics! The election is April 4.