Mokena's Front Porch Podcast
Welcome to Mokena’s Front Porch – THE podcast for Mokena history and community!
Nestled in the heart of Chicagoland, Mokena began as a small farming community that flourished after the Rock Island train line arrived in 1852. Today, with a population of over 20,000, its rich past continues to shape its future.
Your hosts:
🔹 Matt – A lifelong Mokenian, local historian, and author of two books on Mokena history. His blog, Matt’s Old Mokena, serves as the foundation for many of our episodes, bringing forgotten stories of the village back to life.
🔹 Israel – A passionate storyteller who grew up hearing firsthand WWII accounts from his grandfathers. Since moving to Mokena in 2016, he has embraced its history, working through technical challenges as a first-time podcaster to bring this show to life. He’s a BIG fan of Mokena!
Join us as we explore the people, places, and moments that make Mokena special. Visit MokenasFrontPorch.com for more stories, updates, and ways to connect. You can also find us on social media!
Pull up a chair, get comfortable, and step back in time with us on Mokena’s Front Porch.
Mokena's Front Porch Podcast
Deadra Stokes - Candidate For Lincolnway 210 School Board
Deadra Stokes and her husband, Paul, have three daughters and live in Frankfort. Along with being a member of the Lincolnway 210 High School Board, she is an attorney, the Chief Commissioner of The Police and Fire Board for the Village of Frankfort and more!
Deadra doesn't have a challenger this election but she was still nice enough to sit down with me. Get to know her and what she brings to our High School District.
Be sure to watch all of our candidate interviews and keep up to date on the upcoming election! Our website has a page dedicated to all things Mokena elections.
Thanks for watching!
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Find Matt's Blog here: Matt's Old Mokena
Photo & Artwork Credit: Jennifer Medema & Leslie V. Moore Jr.
Do you have a question, comment or maybe an idea for an episode, you can email us at:
MokenasFrontPorch@gmail.com
Alright Deidre, thank you very much for sitting down and talking with me. You are a current 210 school board member and running again for re election, so thank you for talking to me tonight and just start telling me a little bit about yourself.
Speaker 2:Okay, so well, you know my name is Deidre Stokes and so I've been in the community since I lived in Frankfort since 2005. Both of my youngest daughters matriculated through all the school systems, started at Chelsea. They was at Chelsea, was at Hickory Creek and high school as well, Grand Prairie. So we've been here since that time. I'm currently in an attorney, been an attorney practicing for 28 years, Um, and I'm currently a professor at Chicago Kent College of Law and I am over the clinical, the clinic for estate planning, probate and real estate transactions. So in 2023, I ported over my entire practice to the law school and law students actually register for my course and assist me with my cases. So our clinic is not a free clinic. It is a clinic where we bring in, you know, we determine what cases we want to take, and those are cases that the students get to actually work on those with me.
Speaker 1:So and what's your focus? Your focus in law?
Speaker 2:It's estate planning, which is like wills, trust and estate Probate cases, which is in the probate division. You're usually either representing someone who is petitioning the court for a minor's estate or for a disabled adult or for someone that has passed away decedent's estate. So in probate and real estate is basically real estate transactional work. So buying, selling of real estate, as well as some small real estate litigation as well.
Speaker 1:Okay, and what do you do for fun? Any hobbies?
Speaker 2:Yes, I love to read, I like to work out as well, and I love to travel.
Speaker 1:OK, any favorite travel destinations.
Speaker 2:No, I have some that that are coming up, so I'm excited about going on a trip to Portugal. So you know, I'm at this point where close to being an empty nester, because even though the last one is still in college, you know she's still. She's not in the house, but she's definitely on the house budget. So I don't know what the empty nesting really means. It means they're not living there every night, but, yes, the slow roll into empty nesting. It is absolutely.
Speaker 1:Okay, all right. And are you besides school board? Are you involved at all in the community or do anything else?
Speaker 2:So I'm currently one of the police commissioners for Frankfurt, for the Frankfurt Police Commission, and currently I've been appointed as one of the chief commissioners. Because we lost two of our commissioners. They relocated to other areas. I hate to know that, but we have two great new additions that are joining the police commission, which is the former Jim Holland, the mayor of Frankfort, and also who's joining is Carrie Landau, who was a former FBI agent. So the police commission is really great. We take pride in hiring and maintaining and getting a great police force.
Speaker 2:So that's one of the things that I do as far as community service. Some other things that I do is that I'm an administrative hearing officer as well, over in the village of Mattson, and I only do that once a month, every other month and through my sorority, currently I do quite a bit of community service as well. So I'm busy. I'm busy well-rounded. Make sure that we're all here for a purpose. If it was just for us to take up space, I don't think I would be here. So I think you, while you're able to walk and talk and have the ability to use your mind and your intellect, you know, try to make this world a better place for somebody else.
Speaker 1:Very good, and how long have you been a school board member?
Speaker 2:So I've been a school. I was appointed the first year, so this will be my going into my. This is the end of my fifth year, my first year that I was. I was appointed. The individual that I was, the appointment that I was.
Speaker 2:I interviewed because there was a vacancy on the board and at the time it was right after an election, and it's my understanding that the vacancy that I filled, that individual ended up getting a job promotion in a very demanding job, and so they elected to step down and so they posted that there was a vacancy and I applied and there were several candidates and went in and interviewed and so the board appointed me, they voted me on, and after the first year, when you fill a vacancy, you then are required to run.
Speaker 2:So I ran for a four-year term, actually along with the current board members that I'm running with currently as well, and we were successful during that particular race. So this is the end of my fifth year and you know I like being on the board. We have a very. We have a lot of great synergy, we're very respectful. We get a lot of things done together collectively, even if we have difference of opinions. We what I like about the energy and the commitment of the different board members is that we know how to work together well in order to get things done, and I really like this space.
Speaker 1:How do you feel your professional role as an attorney helps you in your role as a school board member?
Speaker 2:That's a good question. One of the things that I normally will tell people is something a friend of mine said years ago when we were studying for the bar. She said I think everybody should go to law school, but maybe everybody shouldn't practice. I think going to law school allows you to identify and identify issues differently, because you know that there was a foundation and a theory behind that particular rule and I think that's what, that's how you're groomed and that's what you, that's what you're able to appreciate, you know as an attorney.
Speaker 2:So I think in the school, as a school board, it allows me to to realize that rules are in place not because, not just because they were done in a vacuum, are in place not just because they were done in a vacuum. There was a reason that this rule was put in place and it has some type of foundation as it relates to that. So I'm able to identify those things. I think I wouldn't say quicker, but I guess, after being an attorney for 28 years and utilizing those skills, it gives me, I think, a little bit of an advantage to actually understand some of the rules. I currently sit on the District 210 Advisory, which is a combination of teachers, administrators, parents, students and I'm the board rep on that one, and so what's really great is that it allows you to see things from a different lens and to know that why something is put in place, without maybe someone having to explain it to you, because you understand the law and know how the law actually operates.
Speaker 1:Well, because the law and rules and legislations that are written play a huge role really in how the schools are run Correct. What do you see as the biggest challenges, direct challenges ahead for the school district?
Speaker 2:Oh gosh that. The integration of technology, because right now, with technology there, we have AI, and one of the things is that trying to identify, you know, is this someone's work or is this a student's work and so being able to stay on top of that and technology is advancing so fast and that a teacher has to also advance as fast as the technology advances, it is. It's very tough, and so, like, for instance, in my school right now, we're making a change for all of our platforms and a lot of the professors are having a hard you know, a hard time grasping, moving from another platform and moving to utilizing different things that are going to keep us abreast of and keep us allowing us to advance with the technological advances. So I think that's one of the probably bigger challenges that we have, that we're going to be faced with is keeping up with technology. We've been doing a great job, we have a good, a great system, but I think that is one of the bigger challenges going forward.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean that that is across the board, especially, though, for education, as it becomes easier and easier. How do you think the board of education can best communicate with the constituent groups?
Speaker 2:I think the best way for us to actually communicate is to be visible is for the, the community, to. You know, we have a moment for public opinion, for, you know, people to come out. You know, I know it's limited so that we can continue to conduct business, but we have to hear from the community, and so one of the things is perhaps we could have, you know, some open public forums or something like that where people can possibly voice their opinion, not where we can't have open meetings where we're all like engaging in them, but at least there could be some type of platform or if people were to come out. Sometimes we have meetings and people don't come out at all. Right, they don't, you know, take out the time to say. This is a concern of mine. When you come out and you actually decide to make a public comment, we do take that into consideration, we do discuss it. We do then meet with the superintendent and try to think about ways to get back to that group of individuals that has that opinion.
Speaker 2:I'm very, very proud of our student body. I want to say about a year or so ago, the student body actually came together collectively and decided that the dress code, basically, was more overbearing on females and they, the students that came and spoke out, were both male and female. That spoke about, you know, the dress code as it related to the young ladies and what was really. I was so impressed by it because they made sure they had an equal number of men the young men who that spoke about it as well as young women, and that they were able to address the school board in a way that wasn't offensive. They, you know, they were able to articulate their position.
Speaker 2:And not only that, what I loved about it. I always tell when I had my own office I would say you know, you can bring the problem but try to bring a solution. But they actually had done research and had gone to another neighboring school that had actually redrafted the dress code for girls and say, hey, take a look at theirs, they're like us there, they are very similarly situated, like we are, they are a suburban school, they have great sports programs, like we do. Look at this, which was wonderful. And so it's those types of things that you know really make a difference. And so if more people possibly came out or just identify a group and got together and made a public comment, we do, and what happened as a result of that is that the dress code was changed. You know the advisory team looked at that and updated it.
Speaker 1:Wow, what a great thing for those students to see and realize because the school board obviously represents their governing body right now but how important it is to be able to go and in the future, talk before their village board or before Congress or something. It's a great lesson. And to see a real change come about from it Absolutely, and it was able to.
Speaker 2:the change took place during that school year because the actual advisory committee was reviewing it and tweaking it, so it was very timely.
Speaker 1:How proud those kids must have been Absolutely, absolutely. Very cool. Describe the time requirements of a school board member besides the meetings.
Speaker 2:Besides the meetings, I would say maybe it depends on the issues. You know, sometimes we don't have major issues, but sometimes there are issues that we have. You know where we're required to have emergency meetings. So I want to say, in preparation for the meeting, because we, all of our documents are uploaded, we're able to actually see them, we're able to actually review them before we come to the meeting as well, so that if we have any questions, we're prepared for it. I would say anywhere from about five to maybe six hours a month is what it would take at the end of the day.
Speaker 2:What is great about this school board is it's really ran very organized and well and I can appreciate that, especially when I've heard of some other districts and none in time for you to review them. Things are uploaded in time for you If you have a question that if I need to talk to the treasurer and say I don't understand what this expense is, so because things are uploaded timely and provided to us in a timely fashion and it's organized, it's not as time, it's not, it doesn't rob you or take as much time because of the organization of it. So but I know it took a long time to get there and I'm just happy that it's where it is. But it can take anywhere and if we're going to conferences, of course during that time that we're attending conferences it's more time, but I would say anywhere from. You know, maybe five to 10 hours a month at the most, depending on if it's a good month.
Speaker 1:One of the one of the important things that's going to be coming up in the next couple of years for the district is a superintendent Tingley is going to be retiring. What is the process leading up to that? What would you see from now until I think it's two years until he retires? What happens to prepare for that?
Speaker 2:So we've already started preparing for that. We've already started identifying their credentials that that individual should have. We will, of course, have to make that announcement. We will have to actually post it. We will have to have a search for that, for that, for those individuals, the candidates that fit those different criteria, there are certain things that he's working on currently to make sure that certain things are in line. We're making sure that our budget projections are in line and that we're staying on top of that so that when a new person comes on, that they're not handed, you know, something that is not. That is currently in process.
Speaker 2:So we have a plan, we have a five-year strategic plan that's put into place, which we're actually in line with, and so that's the type of organization we actually bring in a strategic planning company that comes in, that comes in from the outside and takes what our issues may be and help us to develop that plan, and we're right on track. At the end of the year we look at that again and see where we are. Are we meeting those goals? Are we exceeding those goals? So the next superintendent is actually handed those things so that they're given the necessary tools to actually be successful. So we've already started that planning in place. As a matter of fact, that's a consistent conversation that how many years you know Dr Tingley has. And where are we with this? Are we online so that the next person that comes into play, that they'll be able to just pick up the basket where you left it and just take it to another level? So I think we're in a real good place, wow.
Speaker 1:The district in the last number of years had gone through a lot of financial issues and now that the ship has been righted so much financially, what would the future plans be for the school district?
Speaker 2:So there's a lot of renovations that are in the plans as well, now that we are, and that are built into the budget, because, you know, most of the buildings are, you know, different ages and so they, of course, were built at different times. We've put those into the projections as well as to different renovations, that the renovations to make sure that we can maintain the buildings or that the buildings can possibly withstand what you know, because we're in a climate where the weather changes, so we need to make sure that certain things are done. We're right now we're working on, like, repaving the tracks and so things like that, so those are actually already in line and already put into our budget. As far as our projections, our current treasurer is excellent, and what was great about that? When we talk about succession, the prior treasurer, he was his assistant at the time and so he was able to move into that position and he's just taking it to the next level. So I think we're in an outstanding position as it relates to finances, which is really comfortable.
Speaker 1:So along those lines. For me, lincoln Way accounts for about 27% of my property tax bill. So how can Lincoln Way taxpayers be sure that the school district is spending their tax dollars in the most efficient way possible?
Speaker 2:I would say come out to the budget hearings. I would say review the budgets when because we're required to post those budgets I would say, become very familiar with how the money is being used. None of that is secret. It is there. Sometimes, when people do come out and they have public opinion and it could be the same time we're meeting about the budget they'll get up after the public comment and we're and we're we're now heading into talking about the budget. So what I would say is that pull, go to the Web site.
Speaker 2:You know, I believe that Dr Tingley has the type. He's the type of individual that if there's a question, he'll point that person into the right direction and align them with the right person to get those answers. But it's all right there on our budget. So and those things are posted really wants, really is concerned about the use of the funds and the manner of the funds and believe that maybe something should be altered a little bit or maybe we should have more in this particular line item or allocated differently. Then what I say is that pull those budgets down, review them and actually come to the meeting and make those comments so that we can take those into consideration, because we're required to actually post those and we're required to ask for public opinion and public comment as it relates to that.
Speaker 1:Okay, Talk a little bit. Maybe what you would like to see happen with the Lincoln Way North building.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow. So with the Lincoln Way North building, not so much what I would like I don't have a personal opinion as it relates to what I would like but what it is such a beautiful property that I hate that it's not being utilized by or recognized by some entity that could come in to bring some more value to the community, because it is a beautiful building it really is and so I hate that it sits there. I know that there were some talks at one time of the state of Illinois and different entities you know that want to utilize it and there are some other things that are possibly in the in the makings maybe another school of some sort, since it's already a school. It's wired for that, you know it's set up for that um, some type of program of some sort. We have a great theater there. You know that is really. You know that is that is completely built out for that. So because of the way that it was structured and because of the way that it was constructed, I would hope that maybe some type of be great if there was, if it could be used by a junior college of some sort, some other type of program like, currently, the Lincoln Way School System.
Speaker 2:We have a dual credit program with Joliet Junior College and we also, just in the last year, which I'm proud to say that I helped put together we have a dual credit program with Governor State and I was able to at the time I was, I knew the president of the university at the time and I was able to actually put together a meeting of the parties and we were able to get that. We were able to actually create that dual credit program, which I think is outstanding. What it allows students to do is it allows students to actually get some college credit in addition to, if they want, to, take AP courses. But they can also take some college classes that will, where they're registered at that university or that junior college and they're also satisfying a high school requirement while they're also gaining college credit. And so they go into college and with not only maybe some of their AP credits, but they go in as well with these dual credit classes, because they were college classes and every student is not a great test taker. So you have students that take some AP classes but they don't necessarily get the score that they're looking for or hoping for to get the college credit.
Speaker 2:What I love about the balance with dual credit. Classes is taught at the college level and you're taking your registered and you're only paying like a small administration fee maybe a hundred dollars or something and you're actually getting college credit taking this college course, and both of my daughters were able to benefit from both. They took some dual credit classes. My youngest was able to benefit from the dual credit program that we have with Governor State right now and she was able to take honors accounting and it was offered through the. It was offered through Governor State and it was at the school. She's a finance major with accounting one under her belt.
Speaker 2:So I would love it if we could, if we could find maybe another higher institution that could occupy that space, that could help us even create more of those possibilities. Because that's what I do love about Lincoln Way is that it's a place where I think everybody is something for everybody. If you want to go into a trade, you want to go into traditional college, that there's something. We have the pathway for you as well, and that's what I really love about it.
Speaker 1:Along the lines of my next question, talk a little bit about Lincoln. Way seems to have a really good balance of college prep as well as trade school integration and prep. Talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 2:So it's funny because that's what I started talking about that because to be successful doesn't mean, does not require you to have a, you know, to have a bachelor's or an associate's, of course, if that's the route you want to take. But what I love about Lincoln Way is that there is a pathway for those that want to do something non-traditional. If you want to become a firefighter, you want to become a paramedic, those are all very successful opportunities that you can. It's the training ground. So the relationships that we've actually created with, like our Joliet Junior College where you can take some of those classes to prepare you for the to become a firefighter or to become a paramedic, I think it's, it's absolutely great.
Speaker 2:There's also what I also like is, or what I also love a lot, is the level. Love a lot about Lincoln Way is the fact that we have great programs for those individuals who may have some learning disabilities as well, and we have a great co-op program as it relates to that. So it's a huge school but under one umbrella, as far as I mean different, the three different schools, but under every umbrella. Under the umbrella of that we have something for everybody. We have something for everyone to be successful and to have the the necessary tools to be successful, be if they want to to be successful, be if they want to go to college or if they want to actually go into a trade of some sort.
Speaker 1:I got to go through. Damon Gast teaches the welding at Lincoln Way East and I got to go. I took his class. He does like an adult welding class in the evening and this was a couple of years ago but I never knew. You know there's a machine shop in there, a wood shop, and you know a mechanic and they're fixing cars. I mean these are all really valuable skills whether they go on to college or not. That students are leaving with Absolutely that students are leaving with. That you see kind of going along the wayside in too many schools. So that is great to see that the schools are recognizing that and embracing it.
Speaker 2:And there's actually. You know what's also great about it? Not only do they have fairs for like different colleges to come and to showcase their different schools, for students to have a car, for us, that we have different college fairs, but we also have a lot of occupation fairs, where we have different trades and different opportunities that are there's a place literally for everyone. If you have the, if you have the desire, no matter what you know, what your pathway may be, there is something for you and but at the same time, you have to take advantage of them, but they're there.
Speaker 1:Safety is something that's important to every parent. Talk about how, or tell us how, can parents be sure that their kids are safe going to school.
Speaker 2:That's a hard one. Yeah, that's a hard one. I think that the to make sure that your child is being safe. You know we have different notification systems that you should sign up for. You know that you can go onto the website so that you will know if there is any type of an issue. There is a calling system. You need to make sure that you log in and put all your contact information in there, as well as your primary and secondary, and if you're not available, who's the next person? All of those systems really work. You know myself having two daughters that went through the school system, when things would happen, you know all of our phones would ring because if you have them there. So I think that that's one thing that's very important.
Speaker 2:Talking to your children. You know, going over some of the safety protocols that we implement, that one of the things that we realize is that when students, one of the complaints that administrators have shared with us is that students will hear something but they'll share it first with their friends before they share it with administrators. It's as though they feel that they have to share with the friend first to warn the friend, but the person that can make the difference is really the administrator. So the administrator sometimes hear the you know alleged threat or whatever may happen, second and third hand. So I think as parents, parents need to make sure that they communicate to students. You know, if you hear something, first go to an administrator, or first tell me and I'll go to the administrator before you tell your friend. And then you realize after you told four or five friends, oh, I should say something to an administrator. So I think that's one of the challenges, is that making sure as parents, as a community, that we're all aware of the safety protocols and that we follow them, because when we follow them then it allows us to have a safe environment for our students.
Speaker 2:You know, unfortunately we're in a climate where it's just a scary time. It just is really scary there. You know, when I grew up in school I never had a drill like the kids have today. And now that I'm a professor, I had my first drill and it was probably I would say that was probably a little bit more intense because it's a university, but at the same time it was intense and they're living in a different day and age than when, you know, you and I went to school.
Speaker 2:So I think we have to just continue to communicate to them that it's OK, you know, to tell us, you know it's OK to talk to us. If you can't talk to me, talk to another administrator. Let them know what you heard. If you see something, literally, say something. Let them know what you heard. If you see something, literally, say something. And I think that that is one of the things that social media makes desensitizes, has desensitized our youth, unfortunately, and so I think we just have to continue to communicate to them so that they're not desensitized. So I would say, as a parent, communicate to them that they must speak up, they must say something to someone that they trust, who's an administrator or a teacher in the school.
Speaker 1:And that's a really important distinction too, which you know, yeah, you don't think about. You probably get so quick to shoot out a text or send it, but who to say it to is important. What do you feel is the best way to address differences of opinion on the board, or even a difference of opinion between the board and administration?
Speaker 2:When you say what is the best way to voice who?
Speaker 1:So say, you have a differing opinion from another board member on an issue. How do you express that between each other?
Speaker 2:I think the best way to express the opinion sometimes is that to just like with anything is to maybe have a sidebar conversation. Maybe have a sidebar conversation because sometimes we misunderstand what someone is saying and sometimes we're quick to arrive at a conclusion that could take you down the wrong road. So one of the things that I do like about my fellow board members is that I believe I could have a side conversation with them, and I've had side conversations, and then what it does is it allows you just like with. The communication is key. That's the key to any relationship I don't care where it is, you know, in your home, if you're in a work environment is to communicate.
Speaker 2:I will not understand if you make a comment. I won't really have the full meaning of that because I'm going to interpret it based on my experiences, and that's not fair to you, because you're my experience and yours is totally different. But at the same time, when you make that comment, you don't know my experiences right. So the way that we actually grow and mature and work together collectively for the school or for any organization that we work for is I may need to say, hey, can I have a, can I have a conversation with you. I want to better understand when you made that comment. What did you mean by that? Same thing with me.
Speaker 2:Once I understand that that doesn't have to play out in front of everyone, because that's part of communication, but because that's not why I'm elected. I'm elected to make sure that we are looking at everything and that we're protecting and that we're putting things in place. That is, collectively recognizing the people who are our stakeholders, recognizing the people who are our stakeholders our students and the faculty and administrators and the community that we're doing a great job there. But not for you and I to play out our differences and waste the time. So what I do is that it's better for me to pull you to the side to make sure I understand, before I waste taxpayer dollars with going back and forth with a disagreement and then you actually understanding what I'm saying, and then I think we can either agree to disagree collectively and understand where each other's where, where we each, what our comments and where we stand with one another, and where we stand with one another.
Speaker 1:As we sit right now, it doesn't look like there will be any challenges, challengers for the 210, just the three incumbents. So I appreciate you talking to me, but I'm a little curious of why you would still talk to me when you don't have a challenger no-transcript.
Speaker 2:We have our jobs, we have our families and different things like that. So I saw it as an opportunity to ask people to vote for me to know a little bit more about me, to vote for me to know a little bit more about me, and if I'm going to be a community servant, why not? You know? You know? You know, say yes to an interview. You know, I think that would be a little not. You know, some people may not find the time, but at the same time, I think that it was time I needed to make.
Speaker 1:I think that's a great answer and I certainly appreciate you doing it as well. What advice would you give to anybody now or in the future that's looking to run for school board or public office?
Speaker 2:so I would say get to know the community. You know I, like I mentioned to you, I had lived here for a while before I actually ran for the school board or even submitted my application for the vacancy. Education is near and dear to me and I'm so happy now in my career that I'm able to merge both of those, that I'm in an academic environment but I'm still practicing law because I love education. I grew up in a household of principals and so educators, so it is. You know, it's something that's very, very I'm very passionate about, and because I live in the community and I wanted to, I felt that there was a need to make sure that there was, there was, I felt there was a need for diversity as well, and I believe that I'm level-headed as the same, meaning that I'm able to hear different opinions at the same time and not necessarily be offended and, you know, and agree to disagree at the same time, and that's what I think my law background allows me to do. So if anybody is looking to run, I would say become involved in the community. You know, before I ran, I was on the Economic Development Committee, you know, with the village. I had done some other things with the village and in the community. I had served on some of the parent handbook boards with Chelsea, so I had done different things in the community and I had become familiar with some of the administrators. So if it's something that you're interested in, you know, first get involved. You know, go to some community different things, get to know people that are there.
Speaker 2:Both of my daughters played sports. So you know, when you have children that play sports, you definitely get to know the community as well, and so that's what I would say and find out what is the responsibility of the different positions. What I found is very interesting is some people don't really know what the school board does. You know they believe that the school board, you know, selects, you know all of the curriculum. Well, there are directors of curriculum, you know they report to us, but really our person is the superintendent. You know we're oversight, so we don't get into the, we don't get into the small details, and so I think some people really believe that you know we get into those things.
Speaker 2:So what I would say is do the research on the roles and the responsibilities, because maybe they're not aligned to what it is that maybe something else is better for you. Maybe they're not aligned to what it is that maybe something else is better for you. I remember when I went to law school one of my peers said that at the time her background was in, she was an auditor for the Chicago Transit Authority and she was thinking about becoming treasurer Cook County treasurer and she said, when she really looked at the roles and the responsibilities, because of her audited experience, it was better for her to become Cook County clerk. And she ultimately did. And she said because the Cook County clerk's office had to audit a lot of filings and things like that. So what I would say is do the research behind the different roles and the different responsibilities, because what you think you might be good at it might be another position that's better for you. And also get involved with the community and know the needs, the pros and the cons, those positions as well.
Speaker 1:Before we wrap up, anything else you want to add or say.
Speaker 2:I'm looking forward to the next four years. I am I'm looking forward to seeing the growth that Lincoln Way will have. I believe that we're in such a great position that now we're just going to take things to the next level. So I'm very excited to see that and to be in this space to see that happened and to see the continued growth of all of our programs. Academically, you know, as well as athletic. You know athletics as well as you know providing opportunities for our students, which we continue to expand. So I'm very excited about being in that space.
Speaker 1:Well, that's great. Well, be sure to check out our website and our Facebook page and subscribe to our YouTube for all of the Canada interviews. Deidre, thank you very much for talking with me. This was very informative and be sure to vote on April 1st, thank you.
