Flossmoor resident Michelle Hoereth was concerned about how School District 161 was meeting the needs of her son. She stepped up, joined the board and ended up serving both the Flossmoor district and Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233.
After 10 years as a board member, Hoereth is giving up her duties.
“I think what I have tried to do was look for where there are successes but also highlight where there are opportunities,” she said.
Hoereth and her husband are parents to four sons. It was about a dozen years ago when they recognized one of the boys was going to need special assistance. He was a second grader and Hoereth remembers it as “conversation after conversation after conversation” with school officials trying to figure out the best way to make sure his needs were met. She decided to run for the school board.
Hoereth served two three-year terms on the District 161 board. She came to recognize there was much work being done by staff.
“I think once you join the board you realize that the school district is a whole enterprise and so there are people who are focused on educating students, focused on the social/emotional aspects of students,” she said. “And then there are people who are focused on training teachers or making sure you have the best facilities and resources.
“I think it’s not until you become a board member that you have a full appreciation for all those things that make up a school district. I tell people…to be an effective school board leader you have to roll up your sleeves for all those parts and at least become knowledgeable enough to be able to make informed decisions.”
One important decision for District 161 was hiring Dana Smith as superintendent after several tumultuous years of leadership turnover. She commends Smith and the school principals who are working hard at moving the district forward.
Hoereth is appreciative of District 161’s “remarkable teachers who are so committed and so dedicated, and they go far beyond the work schedule to support students. I’ve always, always appreciated the energy and commitment and sacrifices our teachers make for students in District 161.”
She took her elementary district experience to the H-F board. She believes it added a special dimension to some of the conversations and decisions.
At H-F, students are preparing for their futures, whether that’s college, the trades, or immediate employment. H-F works “to make sure every student who comes through District 233 is prepared to go to college.” The board and administration understand college “may not be the path that some students will take, and they have that choice, but our job is to make sure they have the tools to go to college if they choose.”
H-F has completed its commercial kitchen, updated its clothing construction and interior design spaces and is about to open its new science wing. She’s ready to see how the spaces are exciting students and can improve learning.
Hoereth said: “I’m really proud of the direction this board is moving into. We ask tough questions. We have intentionally created the space for us to do that. The board doesn’t hold back. We ask the questions that need to be asked in part because it’s our job. The other reason is because we’re so invested in teachers and kids and our community that we have to ask these questions in order for us to make these decisions that impact everyone.”
While she is stepping away from her role on the school board, Hoereth said she is planning to stay connected with H-F and Flossmoor schools. She wants to start a program that can help parents moving into the area be better informed on the schools because “there are written rules and there are unwritten rules.” Setting up a parent partnership program could help address a newcomer’s concerns.