We reached out to all the candidates running for the 2 open seats on the Sycamore Board of Education and asked that they give a statement to GEAR families. Please find them listed below sorted alphabetically by last name. We hope this helps in your decision when voting.
Brad Comerford |
| Three excellent resources for voters are 1) PTO candidate forum video 2) League of Women Voters 411 site 3) candidate websites |
Victor Harris |
| No Statement Submitted. |
Adrienne James |
| I am seeking your vote to elect me as a Board member for Sycamore Schools. My desire to serve the district stems from my love for education and my desire to provide optimal learning experiences for our students. I am extremely proud of the numerous accomplishments of our students and staff. Those successes are enhanced when our community rallies with the district to offer support, advice, and encouragement. To that end, I view that one of my responsibilities as a Board member is to foster a culture of inclusivity and involvement. We gain strength and momentum when we listen to each other and work together on behalf of our children. And we do our best work when we are involved in a healthy culture where we celebrate accomplishments together, where we work together to solve problems, and where sharing and hearing each other’s thoughts and interpretations is common practice. I serve on several Boards in the area and often accept a leadership role on those boards as an active member. I served Sycamore Schools for 33 years in a variety of roles including that of a teacher, administrator, and Superintendent. Wherever I have served, I have demonstrated my ability to lead with grace and tenacity and have demonstrated my ability to bridge gaps where unity has eroded. I am a curious individual who enjoys interpreting data and gathering input from a wide variety of sources to support decisions that are best for our district. Just as I hold myself accountable for doing my best work for this district, I expect that same conviction from all others. It is critical that we all work together to serve our students well. I am committed to doing that work. Dr. Adrienne C. James |
Isabel Mendez Pacios |
| Dear Sycamore Residents, I am asking for your vote to be a servant leader for this community, and to continue elevating the standards of our excellent school district for ALL our students. I encourage you to assess each candidate by looking at our skills and qualifications and think how we can each strengthen our Sycamore School District. I care deeply for our children and plan to earn your trust, listen, improve communication and incorporate different opinions from all stakeholders. My daughter started in Kindergarten at Montgomery Elementary, and is now a Senior. Throughout all these years she has had the incredible opportunity of growing in a school with amazing teachers, rich diversity, and programs that have maximized her potential. I have been very involved in the school for many years and I have experience in the community, and in business solving complex problems. You can rely on me to use school funds wisely. Over my long finance and human resources experience at Procter and Gamble I have had many jobs with stewardship responsibilities and I know how to think strategically with short and long term in mind. I will drive accountability and work collaboratively always keeping in mind that the reputation of the entire school district is reflected in my behaviors and attitudes. I think education is neither Democrat, or Republican. I am independent, a multi-cultural candidate, and have funded my own campaign. I am recognized for my leadership and empathy, and I have the qualifications to SEE* and GROW further. S- Safety, Security, Stewardship. E – Empathy. E- Excellence Thank you, Isabel Mendez Pacios |
Zeeshan Pasha |
| Hello GEAR community, Thank you for reaching out. I need to connect with parents face to face to learn more. Please take a few minutes to complete a survey on my website https:// electdrzeeshanpasha.com/ (http://electdrzeeshanpasha.com/) for your children’s needs and challenges. During my canvassing, parents raised concerns about declining performance of gifted children and felt that students are pushed too hard to excel in advanced classes without proper study habits. Lack of adequate guidance and suitable mentors in their childhood can impact their individualized performance.All children including gifted children are the backbone of our school district like including all children, and I would like to raise the bar on providing the individualized needed tools, training and skills development to meet and exceed the evolving learning needs of our gifted children and teachers’ skills development respectively. Sycamore School district mission is “innovative learning opportunities for the whole child”. However, when I look at the skills of board members to understand “Whole Child” needs and framework, I see there is a gap. My health care experience as physician, doctoral degree in advanced science, expertise in mental and behavioral health and process improvement makes me a unique candidate for school board to tailor strategies to support children’s behavior, social and emotional needs and add a significant value to establish meaningful career pathways for our gifted children’s successful future. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Thanks Dr. Pasha |