Hofmann: Local school president gets top honor, recognized

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Shelly Marks of Homewood, District 153 Board of Education president, receives 2011 Burroughs award from Rep. Will Davis. The award is given annually recognizing outstanding school board leadership. | Supplied Photo

Updated: March 1, 2012 8:07AM

Shelly Marks, District 153’s school board president, recently received the 2011 Thomas Lay Burroughs Award, which recognizes extraordinary leadership on behalf of education at the local level in three areas: Improved student learning and educational excellence, equal educational opportunities and crisis resolution. Skills such as consensus-building and teamwork, as well as vision, courage and integrity were also taken into consideration.

Marks has served 19 years on the District 153 Board of Education, the last nine as president. Under her leadership, the board has been credited with having 90 percent of students in the district meeting or exceeding state standards in math and 86 percent of students metting or exceeding the standards in reading, despite spending less per pupil than the state and cutting its academic achievement gap in half since 2006.

According to district officials, Marks has been specifically applauded for advocating early childhood education as a means to level the educational playing field for every student. She is also credited with implementing a successful district-wide diversity program called Homewood SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity).

“In these times of limited resources, it’s not easy to do the right thing by students while still being a responsible steward of taxpayer dollars. Yet Shelly has managed to do that on our school board for the past 19 years,” said Supt. Dale Mitchell, who nominated Marks.

Representatives of the Illinois State Board of Education presented Marks with the award at District 153 regular board meeting Jan. 23, and many local residents and well-wishers were present.

Marks reflected on the award and her experiences in a recent interview:

What prompted you to run for a school board seat initially, and what has kept you going?

My parents really believed in “giving back to the community” and I always found ways to volunteer. I think public education is one of the greatest things our country offers. So, being a part of a school board was a natural fit for me. Our schools have always excelled and when I ran for the board the first time I wanted to continue that tradition. We continue to find ways to improve learning and improve our schools in spite of significant challenges. That really keeps me going. I love Homewood and being on the board has been a great way for me to make a contribution to our community.

How has the role of local school boards and public education, in general, changed during your tenure?

In some pretty significant ways it hasn’t changed at all. I was very naive when I was first elected. I really believed that Springfield would do right by the children in this state and fund schools fairly. They have never met their obligation to the public schools in the state and that has been a big disappointment to me. As far as changes, technology is a big one. It has been integrated into every aspect of learning in our schools and has really enhanced our students’ opportunities and experience.

Another big change is the way we look at what happens in schools. We talk more about learning than teaching. Our schools are so much more student-focused than ever before. Our staff works so hard on collaborating with each other and they are so concerned about each student’s individual progress. I know that teachers have always been focused on their students but I really see a difference in the way they meet the individual needs of their students. Our programs are much more individualized than ever before. We have many more interventions in place for students who need extra help in order to learn a concept or skill. We also work very hard to challenge students who find it easy to learn.

What do you consider your most significant accomplishment and proudest moments?

Actually, I don’t think it‘s been thankless at all! I am surprised that people take the time to thank me! Proudest moments - one would have to be the courage of our board when we chose to convert to grade centers. It was such a contentious time in our community and I was so proud to be a part of that board. We took the time to listen and to evaluate what was best for our district.

Another significant milestone was when 80 percent of our community voted to increase property taxes so that our schools could continue to do great things for kids. It doesn’t get much better than that! I was so proud of our community and the dedicated volunteers that worked so hard on the referendum effort. And I was filled with admiration for our staff for voting to take a salary freeze. It was a huge sacrifice and shows just how dedicated they are to Homewood’s children.

I love welcoming our new teachers and seeing their growth over their years in our district. I have such pride in the job that they do and the way they work with students. Each time I am in one of our schools I am filled with pride because of the atmosphere in each building. There is so much learning going on, the children are so respectful, there is a warm, caring feeling that represents, for me, exactly the way a school should feel. I am so proud that this is the atmosphere in our buildings.

Who inspires you? And who do you hope to inspire?

Aside from the typical answer of my parents, my husband, my kids ... and all of that is very true ... I really think, as hokey as it sounds, I am inspired by life and the people who are in my life. Our staff, the students, our superintendent, my fellow board members — everyone has so many great ideas and such extraordinary dedication. I am constantly inspired to improve and do a little bit more and do it better.Also, I have been very lucky to serve with some amazing people on the board. Each one has inspired me to bring my best every day. Who do I hope to inspire? Our students to do the best they can every day, and to take my job one day. And our staff to continue to create magic every day with their students.