Eric J. Staley: 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: NorthfieldWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Oakton CollegeAge: 37Family: Single, no childrenOccupation: I own my own business. I build and design organic vegetable gardens for families as well as teach gardening at homes and Lincoln Park Zoo, Boys and Girls clubs and the Lake Bluff Montessori school.Education: Currently enrolled at Oakton. I will be getting my associates of arts degree this summer and continuing my education somewhere in the city.Civic involvement: I am the Oakton Community College Student Trustee.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: Candidate did not respond.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 To help maintain the high academic, environmental and cultural standards set forth at Oakton.Key Issue 2 Fiscal responsibilityKey Issue 3 Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers With enrollment up at my many community colleges, it can be challenging to keep pace as far as available classroom/lab space, the number of qualified teachers and available course work options. How would you manage that?I would support further development of alternative methods of classroom education such as an online element or other methods to encourage students to try and take classes in off peak hours.In tough economic times, many students (and working professionals) turn to a community college for its educational value. How do you ensure that a person's financial sacrifice equates into an educational benefit?I believe Oakton already provides the best value in education and I don't think I am alone in that belief as Oakton has the highest retetion rate of any community college. We are also fortunate to have the lowest tax rate of any district.Is a tax rate increase needed and, if so, how do you justify it?We have the lowest tax rate around.Community colleges provide many services to a diverse population. Is there a service your college should be providing that it is not, or reaching a segment of the population that it is not?It is vitally important to sustain services to those who are not yet at the level of college courses and to continue to find funding for our programs that help people receive their GED. We no longer live in a world where you can find a job that can offer more than a minimun wage salary without higher education. Maintaining these services are essential for all our futures.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.I have fallen in love with Oakton. Being a returning adult student I couldn't have found a better place to return for an education. I want to give back and see Oakton continue to help other grow. Being both a student and a taxpayer I think I have a unique perspective to serve both the greater community as well as an incite into the mind of todays students.