Election 2013: Patricia Dieball

Name: Patricia A. Dieball

Position sought: Maercker School District 60 Board of Education

Email address: patriciadieball@gmail.com

Residence: Willowbrook 

Family: Single, no children.

Education: Bachelor's degree in photojournalism, Columbia College Chicago; M.A.T. in Elementary Education, Dominican University; National Board of Professional Teaching Standards: Nationally certified as a teacher of English as a new language.

Occupation: Educator, English language learning and bilingual education

Years in District 60: 6

Previous elected offices: Maercker School District 60, board member 

Applicable experience qualifying you for the position:

• Served previously as a board of education member, one term
• Served on boards of local organizations affiliated with my church
• Served on Young Adult Ministry Advisory Board to the Diocese of Joliet, three years
• Very involved with local and international educational initiatives

What is the primary reason you are running for this office?

To see that fair policy is enacted that is beneficial for all stakeholders in Maercker District 60.  As a teacher, I offer a unique balance to the school board when considering policies, programming and student advocacy.

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

To ensure a smooth transition to the new administration, and that they have the necessary tools to evaluate and address the needs of Maercker District 60 going forward.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

As a practicing educator, I have a solid understanding of best practices in education as they relate to students, staff and the entire learning community.

What do you believe is District 60’s biggest strength?

Maercker School District 60 is a collaborative community where all stakeholders work together to solve problems, create, innovate and inspire.

What do you believe is District 60’s biggest weakness?

The changes to state and federal funding for essential services; recent shifts of funding to the local district to fund programming make it difficult to create balanced budgets and properly implement initiatives.

In terms of a school district, how would you describe a board that is fiscally responsible? Does District 60 currently have a fiscally responsible board?

A fiscally responsible board needs to have a creative and thoughtful vision for sound decision making. The current board has made fiscal responsibility a high priority. 

Related pages: 

• Election 2013: Maercker School District 60 Board of Education
• Lisa Bishop
• Paul Watkiss
• Arthur Andersen
• Pradeep Tekkey
• Michael Gombosi