Richard P. McDonald Jr: 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: Glendale HeightsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Queen Bee Elementary D16Age: 42Family: Married to Kim McDonald for 21 Years, 2 Children daughter studing to be a Chef/Baker Son is a Goalie playing Jr Hockey.Occupation: President of A Advanced Resume Service Specializing in Creation of Resumes and other related Documents. Also a CAREER STRATEGIST • CAREER SERVICES EXECUTIVE • EXECUTIVE RECRUITEREducation: Electronics Techinician Degree Devry Institute, 1987Information Systems Management CertificationCertified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW)Certified Employment Interview Professional (CEIP)Civic involvement: Volunter at job fairs and employment groups to assist people with their preperation on finding a new job.Elected offices held: N/AHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 The STUDENTS!! We need to make sure that we address their needs and make sure they are receiving the best education as possible.Key Issue 2 To make sure the board is keeping the best interest of the students when making decisions.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?There is always room for improvement. I unfortunately do not agree with several items that are going on in schools in general with the use of calculators in grade school and the fact that all grade school students automatically pass to the next grade even though it may be beneficial for them to be held back. These are items that are state driven and cannot be changed.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?With Illinois' budget issues there will always be budget problems. We need to be careful where money is spent and no unnecessary spending is happening. If cuts are needed we need to look at areas that will be the least impacting on the students well being. Noone wants to see taxes go up but unfortunately we may not have a choice.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.Support from the teachers and the union is valuable. I come from a family of teachers and believe they have a tough job that is not always respected, but that doesn't mean there is a teacher bias. We have to do what is the best for the school district which includes, the teachers, students, employees and the population of Glendale Heights. Not everyone will like the decisions that are always made but if it is the best solution for the district then that is what has to happen. We need to make sure we look at all options before a decision is made and yes working with the union is a must.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?Each contract talk will have to be looked at when they come up for renewal. The board will have to do what is best for all parties and work with each employee group to ensure that happens; it may mean giving raises, holding off for a year or some other agreement. The important thing is we need to work together and provide the best education we can for the students.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?No, our district already has a cash flow issue and last year we had to layoff teachers due to budget issues. The superintendent and other emplyees are being paid to do their current job, it would be unfair to everyone else to give him or her a raise just because they are retiring.