Jeffrey Idelman: 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: Wood DaleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Fenton High School District 100 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 57Family: Married with two children ages 15 12.Occupation: Agent for New York LifeEducation: Bachelor of Arts/Elementary Education/Northeastern Illinois University-1992. Masters degree/Educational Administration/Northeastern Illinois University-2000.Civic involvement: New member/Wood Dale Chamber of Commerce.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 To try and make sure that the Fenton staff, students, parents, and community continue to work together to insure that the students are as well prepared for life beyond Fenton as possible. This includes college, or a career, and includes the necessary knowledge of technology for the 21st Century.Key Issue 2 That when budget issues do arise, everything possible is done to keep all the different programs intact that contribute to well-rounded students.Key Issue 3 That the fewer, clearer, higher of the Common Core Standards become a common language in the Fenton community.Questions Answers What do you think about the shift to the common core standards? How big a role do you think the board of education should play in setting the curriculum for students and what ideas do you have for changes to the current curriculum?I am excited about the shift to these standards. As a former educator who felt that "No Child Left Behind" had unrealistic goals, the Common Core Standards fit the students rather than the other way around. Three words, (fewer, clearer, higher) summarize why I think they will work better. I feel the board's role in this should be to support the teachers and administrators by gaining a good understanding of the common core standards in order to better work as one group for the benefit of the students. The common core will take care of changes to the curriculum and lends itself to vertical planning amongst all the schools in the district.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 that with all the programs that are available to the students they are being given a good chance to be diverse learners. A key component to keeping the preparation moving forward would be to keep advancing the idea of the students developing their study skills, test taking skills, and technology skills.What budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax increases?There will be budget issues any time a contract is being negotiated, be it the teachers or any other group in the district. I think the key to addressing any issues is the willingness to listen to all sides before an opinion is formed and try to do what is best overall for the students in the district. With any possible tax increases, I think the same formula should be followed.As contract talks come up with various school employee groups, do you believe the district should ask for concessions from its employees, expect employee costs to stay about the same as they are now or provide increases in pay or benefits?Again,compromise is going to be a key word in any negotiations with all groups. The cost of everything goes up, including the cost of living and the cost of running the school. That is where both sides need to compromise, with everyone keeping the best interests of the students in mind.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?With the state of pensions in Illinois, as well as across the country, I would be in favor of cost of living increases in benefits, but certainly not a substantial increase that would be out of line with other increases.