Shelly Marks
Local News

Candidates for the Homewood School District 153

Candidates are Gregory V. Lawrence, Deborah Smith Havighorst and Shelly F. Marks. All are incumbents.


Gregory V. Lawrence
Education: Master of Science in Education, Chicago State University, 1991.
Occupation: Retired 2014.
Current employer: Previously Dean of Student Development, South Suburban College, 2000-2014.
Incumbent: I am an incumbent in this office. I am completing my 12th year of service.

Most important issues: To ensure fiscal responsibility to our community and promote our common shared values.

Goals: To serve and support the learning needs of all the children in our district.


  Shelly Marks

Shelly Marks
Education: Homewood Flossmoor High School Class of 1973, B.A. Speech Communication 1977 University of Arizona M.S. College Student Personnel Administration 1978 Indiana
University-Bloomington.
Occupation: My husband and I own Distinctive Jewelers in Homewood and I am a fitness instructor at Intense Conditioning-Homewood.
Current employer: see above
Incumbent: I have served on Homewood SD 153 School Board for 24 years.

Most important issues: School Funding-We continue to find responsible ways to bridge the gap between our underfunded schools and what is needed to provide our students with the education they both need and deserve.  Without a doubt this is our greatest challenge.
     Student Achievement-There are many measures of student achievement.  It is essential to help our students achieve at the highest possible level so that they can attain the skills they need to be successful in high school, college, or their chosen path after high school.  We want our students to have limitless options when they leave our district.
     Attracting & Retaining Outstanding Staff-Our outstanding staff is the backbone of our school district.  It is important to make sure that they have all of the tools they need to be successful in the classroom including opportunities for professional development and training, reasonable class size, and a supportive environment that reflects the important work that they do with our students.

Goals: I am proud of the accomplishments of our district.  We have an excellent environment in our schools that promotes learning and good citizenship.  We are fiscally responsible and transparent in our decision making. My goal is to continue the tradition of putting students first in all of the decisions we make and to continue to find ways to challenge our students on a daily basis.
     It is important for us to always remember that children learn in many different ways and that much of what they learn is not measured by PARCC. Our students’ worth is so much more than a score on a standardized test.  It is my goal to continue to offer music, art, physical education, and STEM activities along with extracurricular options to enhance our students’ educational experience.
     Our community values our schools and we are appreciative of their support.

Goals: My goal is to carry on our tradition of open communication with the community so that our schools continue to be a place of pride in Homewood.

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