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A fresh face on the ballot
Long Grove resident Adam Plummer is seeking election to the Diamond Lake School District 76 board. | Photo provided
Updated: February 11, 2013 6:29AM
Three seats are up for grabs in the April 9 election for Diamond Lake School District 76 board, and voters will be presented with four possible contenders to fill them.
Incumbents Keith Loeffler, Beverly Seaver and Laura Vogt are running to keep their spots, while the newcomer is Long Grove resident Adam Plummer.
Plummer has never run for elected office. He believes the current board done a good job and simply wants to contribute.
Plummer said he is personally invested in the actions of the board since his 7-year-old son Matthew attends Fairhaven School and 5-year-old daughter Julia will be starting kindergarten there in the fall.
Plummer and his wife volunteer their time for school events, and Plummer also coaches boys soccer through the Vernon Hills Park District.
He hasn’t had much of a chance to campaign, but Plummer said that he has found it interesting speaking to community members in the course of collecting signatures to get on the ballot.
“People have very distinct feelings about how things should be done,” he said.
Some of the sentiments he has come across so far are that the school district should have a more prestigious reputation and that there should be more alumni pride about having attended a Diamond Lake school.
There is also some interest from parents about being more informed electronically and less paper being used for letters and mailings. However, Plummer acknowledged that this might not work for everyone.
The candidate’s main concern is technology’s role in education. Professionally, he has had a career in technology software and IT infrastructure and wants to make certain that Diamond Lake students are properly prepared for a world in which tech know-how is increasingly important.
“I don’t think that technology should be a replacement for traditional teaching methods,” Plummer said. “For example, we have our son do math exercises using pencil and paper. However, technology is an important part of the overall set of fundamentals from which children can benefit.”
If elected to the board, Plummer said he would want to lead or contribute to technology related initiatives.
Another interest for running is to keep parents in the know about what the board is doing. Plummer said he believes parents are well informed about what goes on in their children’s classrooms, but a view of the big picture can be elusive, such as changes to the core curriculum.
To prepare for his run, Plummer has attended several board meetings and spoken with current Board President Lisa Yaffe, who is not up for re-election in April.
As far as what a school board member’s most important function is, Plummer believes it is striking the right balance between students’ interests and the need to run schools in a financially responsible manner.
“In that regard, board members serve to represent all district residents – people with or without children – all of whom want to ensure the community schools are doing their best to produce great students,” he said.
If his current bid to be on the board is unsuccessful, Plummer said he would be open to giving it another go.
“If not elected, I’ll be happy to campaign again,” he said.~.
