I am a proud member of the Harlem Board of Education. I am the veteran school board member in my 12th year. I came on board in December of 1998 and served for 6 years before becoming Board President in April of 1995. Recently (in June of 2010) I reluctantly resigned my position as School Board President I say 'reluctantly' because this was a very difficult decision to make. Late in 1997 I was diagnosed with IV Stage Inflammatory Breast Cancer, a disease that I continue to fight today. I feel truly privileged to serve the Harlem community of students, parents, teachers and staff. I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to thank you , the community, for your love and support as I have battled this cancer over the past 3 years. I believe I am still living as a direct result of all the heartfelt concern and prayers I've received from hundreds and hundreds of you. Thank you so very much. Keep those prayers coming as I continue in my fight against this terrible disease! All board members currently serving the Harlem School District have a broad range of education, experiences and skills that contribute to our ability to govern the district. The majority (Heather Kelley, Larry Barger, Jacque Ruch and Patti Lawrence) have children attending Harlem schools, which allows us to have ongoing relationships and a unique involvement with our staff and school sites. I have been involved in the schools in many different capacities over the years, most importantly, as a parent to my own two students, My son, Jake graduated with the Class of 2005 and is working as a specialized mechanic in Orlando, Florida. Jordan, who graduated in 2010 is currently enrolled at Illinois State University. I have proudly volunteered as a reading tutor, Harlem Arts Foundation board member, Room Mom, Policy Committee Chair, Huskie Fans Club member, IASB General Assembly Delegate, Art Reach classroom facilitator, and Junior Achievement classroom business partner - to name just a few. I have served as a liaison on many committees, including Discipline Review, Strategic Planning (both district-wide and high school), Long Range Plan, Dress Code, Wellness, Facilities Review, and Staff Appreciation. I have also advocated for the needs of our schools at the state level through my involvement with A+ Illinois , a statewide campaign for school funding and property tax reform. I personally believe parental involvement and volunteering are paramount to the success of any school district.The Harlem Board of Education encourages involvement of families on all levels. With great enthusiasm, we wrote a new policy on Parent Involvement with the anticipation that 100% of our parents/guardians will become active participants in their students' education. This is a critical factor in improving student achievement, the Board of Education's #1 goal. Last year I, along with Board Member Kathy Geyer and others, was directly involved in assisting Dr. Julie Morris in developing the Long Range Plan for our district. I believe this plan will be instrumental in providing Harlem students with the best educational experiences available. We are very excited about the future of Harlem's students, yet, we have much more to do. Your participation is essential! We have many other initiatives in the works and recently, we renewed Dr. Morris' contract for the next 5 years, a decision that exhibits our faith in her ability to continue leading the Harlem School District in a new and improved direction. Her leadership skills were recently put to task as a 'lead negotiator' in resolving this most recent teachers' contract without incident, a feat not experienced since the late '80s! Please feel free to contact me at any time with any issues, concerns or questions. My phone number is (815) 540-1706 or you may contact me through this website by clicking here . I am always happy to meet new people or just touch base with those I've had the opportunity to talk with in the past!
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Welcome to my web page! 
I AM PROUD TO BE A HUSKIE!
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