Candidate Forum

We just held our candidate forum and for those that missed it, we had an amazing group of parents volunteering to run, and a dedicated crew of community reps volunteering to continue to support LaSalle, unopposed. It's a great feeling knowing that however this election turns out, LaSalle will be well-supported by passionate advocates for equity and inclusion in education. ICYMI, here's a transcript of my opening remarks: Hey everyone! I'm Kat O'Brien. I appreciate this opportunity to share with you how I can continue my service as the current chair of our LSC– leading our council, supporting LaSalle, and our community.

I’m running for re-election to do all I can to center our students’ needs in the work of the LSC.

In the past two years, I’ve met some of our biggest challenges with big ideas– recruiting teams to collaborate effectively to deliver results, because I’m also big on follow-through.

When schools closed - I produced a show that put teachers on television, bridging the digital divide for millions throughout Chicagoland.

When schools started the year remotely - I helped ensure that all our students had access to remote learning within the first week of school.

When schools reopened - I made it my mission to ensure that everyone in our community had access to life-saving vaccines as soon as they were eligible.

Every time – it was teamwork that made the dream work.

As a writer/producer, and professor, I work well with others and transform individual passions to collective productivity– by helping folks understand each other’s perspectives, and facilitating shared decision-making.

I brought that energy to the council for the past two years. And now, I want to take our council collabo to the next level –from shared-decision making, to shared leadership. From inclusion – to belonging.

My kids are in 1st and 3rd grade. Their last “normal” years were Kindergarten and NEVER. I know what’s at stake for our students – their safety, their relationships, their emotional growth and academic progress –

The biggest challenge the newly elected council will face is working together, to collaborate effectively in approving a new school improvement plan that addresses those diverse needs, amidst ongoing CPS budget uncertainty … and COVID.

I’m all in for the long haul. Passionate, dedicated. We’ll be at LaSalle through 2029, my husband teaches at LPHS, I teach at DePaul – this neighborhood is our forever home.

If we are going to emerge from this pandemic–

Ensuring that we meet the diverse needs of all our students, to succeed at LaSalle and beyond–

Then we must also elect a council that can effectively collaborate to support our staff, teachers, and our families in partnership towards meeting those goals.

Thank you for listening. Please connect and share your thoughts with me here at Kat4LSC.com. After the opening remarks, we entertained a Q&A with 30s to respond. Stay connected for more on the upcoming election.