Candidate profile: Tanya L. Martin
Name: Tanya L. Martin
Age: 38
Town: Belleville
Occupation: High school teacher
Position seeking: Belleville District 201 School Board member
Campaign website: www.TanyaLMartinforBelleville201schoolboard.com
Why are you running and why should people vote for you? I decided to run for the school board because I believe that representation matters. District 201 is one of the most diverse school districts in the metro-east, with a 52 percent minority student body. I feel that it is important for the leadership, and the faculty to reflect the population of its students. District 201 currently has one out of seven minority board members, and less than 2 percent minority faculty. I would be a valuable addition to the board because I am an educator of 16 years with a master’s degree in educational administration, and experience as a summer school principal at my high school for the last two years. I am also a parent. My oldest daughter is a freshman at Belleville West, and I also have a sixth-grade son, and a second-grade daughter. So I am personally invested in the success of our school district.
What are the most important issues the school district faces, and how would you approach them? One of the most important issues the district is facing is the student achievement gap among students of color. ELA and Math proficiency among students of color is disproportionately lower than their white counterparts in District 201, and 68 percent of the suspensions in 2018 were black students, when they only make up 40 percent of the student population. Studies have shown that faculties that are more representative of the student population can improve educational equity, resulting in less harsh discipline, increased standardized test scores, reduced dropout rates, and increased college enrollment. I would encourage the district to begin hosting teacher job fairs with on-site interviews each year to fill available positions, and advertise those fairs to a wide audience.
Many parents are concerned about the safety of our students at school. Students should not be able to carry guns around schools in their backpacks. I think that metal detectors should be installed at student entrances, and a diverse, well-trained security staff should be hired to search our students upon entrance, and to protect the students and staff.
Under what circumstances would you vote to raise property taxes? As a homeowner, I do not want to see my property taxes increase. In order for me to vote for a property tax increase, I would have to feel confident that the current school funding is being utilized in the most fiscally responsible manner. I would want to make sure that any necessary cuts have been made, as long as they don’t adversely affect the students, and other means of generating revenue have been exhausted.
What are your goals for the district/what do you want to accomplish? I want to lower the number of out-of-school suspensions by encouraging the use of alternative forms of discipline. I want to increase student proficiency on standardized tests. If these two goals are accomplished, I believe it will lead to higher 4-year graduation rates, as well as an increase in enrollment in post-secondary education.
What is your position on the proposed increase in minimum wage for teachers in Illinois? I believe that teachers have a very important profession that makes all other professions possible. I believe that teacher salaries should reflect the importance of that role. There is also a statewide teacher shortage, and if we hope to attract the best and the brightest to join the teaching profession, with the goal of improving student achievement, then school districts need to be willing to invest in competitive teacher salaries with that goal in mind. Considering that the first year salary for a teacher with just a bachelor’s degree is currently $38,000 in District 201, I believe that $40,000 by 2023 is within reach. However, the state currently owes the district over $2 million, so I feel the state should find a way to fund its school districts as promised, before it legislates any more unfunded mandates.