Jennifer Brumback Eager to Share Expertise and Serve as District 7 School Board Member

March 26, 2019 10:42 AM March 28, 2019 5:46 AM

Listen to the story

EDWARDSVILLE - Jennifer Brumback, 50, is a candidate for Edwardsville District 7 School Board, a two-year term.

Brumback responded to a series of questions and here are her responses:

Get The Latest News!

Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.

Asked why she is running for the school board and why should people vote for her, she responded: "Our family moved to Edwardsville in 2012. No matter where we lived as part of my husband’s military career, I was a teacher for the children in our community. I have worked in public, private, alternative, and Department of Defense schools as a teacher, sponsor, leader, and an academic coach. Serving our country and the public is our family tradition and the legacy we are leaving for our children. Currently, I work as an administrator in a Metro East district and volunteer in school-based activities in Edwardsville. Wanting to contribute more, I am seeking a seat on the District 7 School Board to put my collected experiences to work in the continued development of our community and its schools.

"The school board should encompass community representatives with varied backgrounds and experiences. A good balance between those who can speak to local tradition mixed with those who have outside experiences will create growth opportunities for the district without compromising the culture of the community. My unique background in education will provide that growth opportunity for District 7."

Asked what her goals for the district/what she wanted to accomplish, she said:

"District 7 has a long history of being one of the best school systems in the area. Having two children graduate from Edwardsville High School, I can say they had wonderful experiences and opportunities. As with all things, there are areas for improvement. I will be focusing on the following areas. 1. Ensuring all students have equitable opportunities. This means a fully realized Career Technical Education (CTE) program, updated policies and procedures to support students with unique needs (i.e., Special Services, Social-Emotional Learning, Low Income, English Language Learners, etc.), and post-secondary planning support for students who are “in the middle.” 2. Supporting the district and board in meeting its financial obligations to students, teachers, leaders, and the community."

Brumback said she is known for being a relationship building educator, a forward thinker, an advocate for a well-rounded education for all students, a servant at heart, and a transparent communicator.

"As a 26-plus year public educator, I am eager to share my expertise and serve my community," she said. "While I can't be in town to meet new people and speak with others about my qualifications and interest in running for school board, I will be collaborating with others and learning new ways to support our teachers and leaders in moving our schools from Commendable to Exemplary (top 10% in Illinois). Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with one of the administrators of this group about the importance of CTE on the community and in schools. It was a great conversation and it left me feeling energized by the possibilities if we all come together with our collective experiences to make CTE in District 7 schools a reality.

"As an educator, I have seen the pendulum swing between a focus on college and then a focus on careers. In the time when the mantra was "Every student will go to college," many students were left disenfranchised. We saw CTE related courses dissolve and equipment sold or given away. Personally, I witnessed students who were frustrated by the lack of options provided to them. Here we are, years later, and we are experiencing a shortage of skilled and certified trade workers. Employers are desperately seeking employees and will hire some with minimal experience. This is not good to build and maintain a diverse and healthy workforce."

Brumback explained that about 10 years ago, she had the opportunity to work at Francis Tuttle Technology Center in Oklahoma City, OK. She said her students spent half of their day with me and the other half in their vocational program.

“Seven school districts paid tuition to Francis Tuttle to provide CTE to their students. Some students stayed on campus all day for their high school and CTE courses while others were transported from their high school to attend CTE classes. In either case, the surrounding school districts were able to pool their resources to provide quality programming with up-to-date equipment housed in a central location. I can see this being a strong possibility given the lack of infrastructure we have at our high school. Several days ago, I posted about the start-up equipment costs for various CTE programs. Our district would be looking at $750,000+ to purchase multiple programs' equipment. That does not include space or staff. However, this cost can be covered by careful financial planning.

“Currently, I know of several grants school districts apply to for CTE funding. This is more than a hot topic in District 7 schools. People across the nation are working to bring CTE back to public education, and, with that, many people/industries are willing to put money into its return.

Article continues after sponsor message

Reach Your Local Community with Us!

"Thankfully, grants are ripe for the taking! CTE cannot be kept to the high school. It must start in the middle school and upper elementary grade levels. Right now, the focus in schools is STEM or STEAM. These activities and career explorations attached to STEM/STEAM programs are vital in opening pathways and possibilities to students. In my current position in a local Metro East school district, I have seen hands-on project-based activities relating to agriculture, aviation, construction, business planning, information technology, and more for students in 5th and 6th grade. Just as we start talking about college at an early age, we must expose students to all possibilities for their future.

“No matter the path District 7 takes, a return of CTE programming will benefit students and the future of the greater Edwardsville community.”

Brumback said she believes she is an advocate for all students and believes each child should have the support of their schools and community to explore and pursue their gifts, talents, and passions. She said she brings to the table a wealth of experience in education along with first-hand knowledge of innovative programs and partnerships benefiting schools, students, and communities. She added that she is willing to collaborative, be transparent, and is not afraid to address difficult issues, and eager to make a difference.”

The District 7 candidate explained school board across the nation include diverse individuals with varied backgrounds.,” she said. “With these differences, communities have the opportunity to create school boards made up of home-grown representatives who can speak to tradition and people who can share the benefit of their experiences outside of the local area. I have maximized personal and professional educational opportunities afforded through military family moves. Edwardsville has become her home, and I am ready to serve.”

“I am a wife, mother of two Edwardsville High School (EHS) graduates, former EHS Band Booster Treasurer, and career educator. Because of the nature of my husband’s career, I have varied educational and teaching experiences. After earning a BA in Mathematics with a concentration in Secondary Education, I seized opportunities to teach middle school math in Texas public schools, Panama – Department of Defense Dependent Schools, and a New Jersey private Christian academy. While in Germany serving as a high school math teacher at Ramstein Air Base, I was able to earn a MED in Administration, Supervision, and Curriculum Development. Our family returned to the states after my husband’s military retirement, and I had an exciting opportunity to work in a CTE focused alternative education program in Oklahoma. Seven years ago, our family made what we hope will be our last move and relocated to Edwardsville.

“This is the first time in my career when I haven’t served as an educator in the community where I live. This happened for a few reasons, but mostly, I think it was for our children. They both have expressed a certain amount of relief their mom was never their math teacher. Currently, I serve a Metro East district as their Chief Academic Officer. In this role, I report to the Superintendent and work directly with curriculum, Special Education and ELL/Bilingual Education departments, Data and Assessment, pilots and grants, and, in the absence of a Chief Financial Officer, a cabinet liaison to the finance department.

“It is important to share why my family chose Edwardsville and not one of the surrounding communities. The schools sold us! After speaking with other districts and going on school site visits prior to our move, it was clear Edwardsville schools would provide our children with the best educational and extra-curricular exposures. Now that our family has been here for seven years, we can say they made the best decision for our kids. From the band program to Interact and medieval history to sociology to computer courses, our children made connections with teachers and found their niche to develop their passions. And while we have only had interactions with middle and high school, it is because of the solid foundation set by Edwardsville elementary teachers our children were able to join a strong and flourishing secondary system.

“My hope, by becoming a school board member, is to support the district and the community. I am excited about the chance to collaborate with fellow community members to support the educational vision of the district as an extension of the community and not be afraid to challenge it when growth opportunities arise.”

_____

Professional Expertise