Diane Eldridge: Candidate Profile

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: AntiochWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Emmons Elementary D33Age: 39Family: Married, three childrenOccupation: Registered NurseEducation: Bachelor of Arts in Biology, Goshen College, 1993Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Goshen College, 1997Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Supporting the growth and development of excellence in education while being mindful of fiscal spending.Key Issue 2 Candidate did not respond.Key Issue 3 Candidate did not respond.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 have been very pleased with the progress being made at Emmons. Students have historically performed well at the high school level. Recent efforts to improve long range planning and goal setting are encouraging. I believe the district should continue to make a proactive stance in helping students make greater educational achievements.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?The current economy will force school leadership to be judicious in making spending choices. Programs and spending will have to be subject to ongoing assessment to assure that our finances are being utilized to produce the greatest outcomes.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.I do not have experience as a teacher, but have worked previously with at-risk children as a case manager and have worked with schools to assess and meet their educational needs.Having school board members with teaching backgrounds can certainly bring valuable insight, but I believe that it is important to have a well rounded group with various backgrounds and skills to enrich the productivity of the board. It is the responsibility of all the members to act in a nonbiased manner, with the overall goal to have a highly successful school system.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?There are many factors to be considered to make the best decision for all parties involved. It will require careful scrutiny of the budget to prepare a contract which reflects fairness for the district employees, the students and the taxpayers. It will be important to provide a competitive compensation for the employees while providing the resources that create a positive working and learning environment.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 believe that all employees deserve a fair and justified compensation that falls within the budgetary constraints. All budget decisions should be made with the goal of giving the school and the district the best possible outcomes, regardless of the retirement status of the administration.