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Veronica Sparksman (Sherrard CUSD 200 School Board Member, Illinois, candidate 2023)
Veronica Sparksman (Nonpartisan) ran for election to Sherrard CUSD#200 School Board Member in Illinois on April 4, 2023.[1]
Elections
2023
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Veronica Sparksman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sparksman's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My name is Veronica Sparksman, I’m a 2021 graduate and precious Homecoming Queen of the Sherrard #200 school district, and previously worked a political organizer in the 2022 midterms organizing in Illinois’ 17th Congressional District!
- I’m running as a candidate for the students and parents who have been left behind, I myself faced bullying and struggled in school, and I think our district needs to serve those who have historically struggled.
- I believe in fiscal accountability and responsibility, our district is misusing tax dollars in ways that do not reflect our community, and I’ll fight to ensure that no program is underfunded. Programs such as the Drama Department and competitive teams have been drastically underfunded in previous years.
- As a former student and recent graduate, I have a unique perspective that would be an asset to the board. I’ve been in district classrooms more often and more recently than any currently serving board member, took part in numerous extracurriculars, and share a personal relationship with many local government officials. I am the unique, youthful, and experienced candidate this school district needs in light of recent challenges.
I adore local issues, and have dedicated my life to furthering discussions of problems facing rural Americans since my days in high school. My passion for education has always been at the forefront of my political involvement, as rural communities have historically been underfunded and forgotten in comparison to suburban and urban school districts. It’s my belief that every child deserves a good education, regardless of who they are, what obstacles they may face, and any outside influences. I believe our curriculum should encourage students to explore their creativity, while guiding them towards being the best people they can be and providing them with the tools they need to live a good life.
As a disabled trans person, I’ve seen how society can often fail people simply because they are different, and I’ve made it my focus to ensure that everybody is ensured a fair shake in all aspects of public life. No student should be bullied, or receive a lesser education simply because they are autistic, LGBT, disabled, or for any other reason. All children deserve a seat at the table, and deserve to be cared for by their community.
Outside of local affairs impacting the school district, I am also passionate about lowering the tax burden on the working class, strengthening the social safety net, defending Social Security, and improving our infrastructure.
My first job was as a seasonal worker on a food truck owned by a lifelong family friend. I operated the cash register, took credit cards, grilled food, set up our truck and location, and assisted customers with whatever else they might need. I worked for roughly four summers in this job, whenever school was out for the summer.
The school board is meant to govern the school district in a way that provides all students and parents with an equal opportunity to get involved in education. They have a responsibility to listen to public opinion in all matters, but must also use their own discretion to ensure that everybody is guaranteed a fair eduction, even in the event that policies that may be required may not be exactly popular.
School board members are there to protect our education and our children, use tax dollars responsibly to further the community, and represent the community in pursuit of public recognition and further funding.
I believe that our local representatives are always there to serve us, and that we should be building a greater relationship with local government officials. Representative Dan Swanson is already a friend of the District, with FFA members visiting him during their annual Ag Legislative Day where they visit the State Capitol. We need to be pursuing and building more relationships like that, especially with newly elected State Rep Gregg Johnson and State Senator Mike Halpin, who have a passion for the local community.
Local government is far too often underutilized in education. It is through these relationships that we can campaign to increase public education funding, receive additional assistance from the state and local counties, and use these relationships to pursue grants and special programs for the district.
The school district should be involved not only in the community, but in the lawmaking process as well where applicable to education.
I believe that in our district especially, safety and equality have become frequent issues that prevent our children from receiving the great education they are owed. I’ve spoken to several families who have had to leave the school district because they didn’t feel safe, were subjected to bullying, or were the recipients of various threats. I myself received death threats my senior year after coming out as transgender, and I know of several students who have been in physical altercations that left them with injuries.
You can’t focus when you’re afraid of coming to school. A child cannot learn when they are concerned, scared, and under direct threat of other students. The district has completely failed to address these complaints, to the point that we have seen students hospitalized from student-on-student violence. The school board needs to enact a no-tolerance policy for violence, and begin enforcing policies that are already in place to prevent bullying and violence. Children should not be afraid to come to school, school should be a place where children can be safe and happy to see their friends, and I believe increasing funding to after school activities while also clamping down on student violence and bullying will allow our children to feel safe again.
I believe that school board members, above all else, have a responsibility to protect our children and ensure that everybody is provided a fair shake and a great education. All else is secondary to the wellbeing of our children, as we’ve been trusted to educate, protect, and socialize them through the classrooms and extracurricular activities we offer.
Outside of our responsibility to the children, we have a responsibility to be involved with the community. Serving as a public official does not stop at the end of the board meeting, it continues and carry's itself into all aspects of life. We have a responsibility to volunteer and serve the public, we have a responsibility to advocate for our community in the local government outside of the district, and we have a responsibility to listen, not talk. It is called public service for a reason, it is the responsibility of our elected officials to serve us, and fit whatever needs we the people have, rather than the people serving the government.
I simply want to leave the world better than I found it, above all else. In terms of policy suggestions, I would love to leave our extracurriculars and other departments better funded than they are currently, and would be even happier to see student violence taken seriously as an issue rather than being brushed under the rug.
Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
External links
[1] ↑ Submitted to Ballotpedia's candidate survey in 2023.
