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Tania Rodriguez, 4 years: Candidate Profile

Diamond Lake Elementary D76, 4-year term

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: MundeleinWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Diamond Lake Elementary D76, 4-year termAge: 30Family: MarriedOccupation: Financial AidEducation: Associate in ArtsCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: District 76 Board MemberHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 n/aKey Issue 2 n/aKey Issue 3 n/aQuestions 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 think our district is doing a great job of preparing our kids to go into High School. My brothers and I graduatedfrom this districtand we could not have accomplishedthe success we've had without getting a strong foundation through District 76. In the future Iexpect to continue to work with WestOakto make sure we are setting high standards for our students sothey can take theirnext step whether it be Stevensonor Mundelein High School.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?Like most districts in our area we've had toface issues with our budget, however, I am proud to say that District 76 will continue to make an effort in reducing expenses with first and foremosthaving our student's futures in mind. I expect we will have to make tough decisions but I trust that my colleagues and I on the board will make the decisions that best reflect our students growth.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.District 76 always welcomes our teachers to have input in the board and we work with the union to make the best decisions possible.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?Yes, I expect there will be tough decisions the board willhave to makein the future and sometimes the best decision won't be the most popular, however, I trust we will come up with a decision that will benefit all parties involved.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?If this were to come up in our district I would have to discuss this in detail with my fellow board members by weighing the pros and cons and what it meant financially for the future of the district.