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Keith J. Briggs: Candidate Profile

Carol Stream Elementary D93

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Carol StreamWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Carol Stream Elementary D93Age: 51Family: Married, two childrenOccupation: Police OfficerEducation: Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, Northeastern Illinois University, 1989Civic involvement: Fraternal Order of PoliceElected offices held: School BoardHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoneCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 In the difficult economic enviornment we must ensure that we continue to provide our students the highest quality of education expected from the community.Key Issue 2 We need to continue to be responsible for all financial decisions made to ensure that there is no misuse or unnecessary spending within the district.Key Issue 3 Believing that every hire in the district is a future leader in the organization, we need to work on identifying these individuals and preparing them for the future. Mentoring and succession planning enables the organization to develop these individuals to move into higher positions, which is important for us to support.Questions Answers How satisfied are you that your district is preparing students for the next stage in their lives, whether it be from elementary into high school or high school into college or full-time employment? What changes, if any, do you think need to be made?I am extremely satified with the quality of education provided to the prepare our students to be our future leaders. It is important that we are current with changing educational trends and technology that comes with change.What budget issues will the district have to confront? What measures do you support to address them? If cuts are needed, be specific about programs and expenses that should be reduced or eliminated. Do you support any tax increases for local schools?Salary, healthcare and technology are always a concern during budget preparation. In the current economic enviornment we must ensure good financial planning for not only the current year but long term. Long term planning is a great measure to prepare the district to address potential problem areas in the future. All programs currently in place in the district need to be evaluated on a continuous basis. This process assists the district in determining those that no longer may be effective in the education of our children. If programs are ineffective we can remove or replace them and in some cases save money in the process. At this time I do not support a tax increase. Is experience as a teacher or support from a union valuable because it suggests educational insights or detrimental because it creates pro-teacher bias? Please clarify whether you have such experience or would accept union support.It is important for a School Board Member to understand the educational process, therefore it is not necessary to have experience as a teacher. You must understand the needs of teachers and administrators to be successful in the classroom. Having this knowledge gives insight into the spending practices of the district.In my professional career I have worked with students, parents, teachers, principals and district administrators and although not an educational expect have a good understanding of the process. My years of management experience would also be useful in being a School Board Member. I would hope that anyone who believes that I can be of benefit to the district would support me. As contract talks come up with various employee groups, what posture should the board take? Do you believe the district should ask for concessions, expect employee costs to stay about the same as they are now or provide increases in pay or benefits?The board should be open minded and respectful to any employee group negotiating a contract. The stance in regard to all aspects of a contract should not be decided until both sides have met and have meaningful dialog.If your district had a superintendent or other administrator nearing retirement, would you support a substantial increase in his or her pay to help boost pension benefits? Why or why not?I do not support a substantial increase in pay but would consider one that is reasonable. We should however, abide by the pension laws that the current employee was hired under. Current employees should not be penalized for the State's financial mismangement.