Education drives 56th state House race

By Kevin Beese For Chronicle Media
Michelle Mussman

Michelle Mussman

The race for the 56th District state House seat pits a mom on a mission against a Schaumburg native tired of bad policy decision in Springfield.

Michelle Mussman, a Democrat, won the seat in 2010 with a campaign focused on a mom with real life experience managing her family’s budget having a lot to offer. Once in Springfield, she voted to cut her own pay and gave 10 percent of her salary to local organizations. The graduate of the University of Cincinnati has a bachelor of science degree in design. Her husband, George, is a teacher at Fenton High School in Bensenville. They have three children.

As of the last filing with the Illinois State Board of Elections, Mussman had $746,788 in her campaign fund.

 Jillian Rose Bernas

Jillian Rose Bernas

Jillian Rose Bernas, a Republican, taught Spanish in Texas and worked in Chile after college. She returned home four years ago to find that friends in Schaumburg that she had grown up with had moved to different states for better job opportunities. The international relations manager for a medical association, she has an undergraduate degree from St. Mary’s College and a master’s in education from the University of Notre Dame.

As of the last filing with the Illinois State Board of Elections, Bernas had $213,903 in her campaign fund.

The district

The 56th state House District includes parts of Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Roselle and Schaumburg.

Education

Improving our schools is paramount in the campaigns of both women — one a former teacher, the other a mom.

Bernas: “As a former teacher, I believe that every child deserves access to a world-class education. I am running for office to make our K-12 education system a priority. Rather than continuing to spend money on political pet projects, I support a call by Gov. (Bruce) Rauner to increase education funding by $400 million. At the same time, we need to improve the way we spend that money by eliminating wasteful bureaucracy, putting more money into our classrooms … Although politicians, including my opponent, say they prioritize education, our current budget is a clear demonstration of political leaders not prioritizing our children’s futures.”

Mussman: “Many people chose to live in our community because of the quality of the schools. As a mother of three boys who is married to a high school teacher, I believe that preserving and strengthening these institutions, as well as making college affordable, is vital to our state’s future. Improving the performance of public schools is critical and requires that all parties — parents, teachers, administrators and members of the community — work together to make education a priority for children. The state needs to invest in funding all levels of education appropriately and honor its obligation to pay our schools on time.”

State budget

Both women feel that the budget need to be a more collaborative process.

Mussman: “We must live within our means and maximize every hard-earned tax dollar. Legislators need to go through the budget line by line and reduce spending. We must end taxpayer-funded programs that aren’t working and taxpayer-funded jobs that are unnecessary or duplicative. We must find and eliminate fraud and waste at all levels of government. Legislative leaders should not have total control of the process — the days of legislative leaders drafting a budget in a backroom should not return.”

Bernas: “Our budgets should reflect our values and priorities. Our community values education, compassion for our neighbors and the opportunity to pursue our dreams. I’m going to Springfield to craft government policy that reflects those values. Currently, the state of Illinois does not have the funds to pay for vital programs and services because money is being prioritized for other expenses, such as a $35 million grant that went to a school in Speaker (Michael) Madigan’s district outside normal grant lines.”

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— Education drives 56th state House race —