Todd Rusteberg: 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: Oak BrookWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Butler District 53 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 43Family: Married with two school age children currently attending School in District 53.Occupation: Global Project Portfolio ManagerEducation: B.S. in Business Administration with a specialization in management information systems from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville School of Business. I am also a certified Project Management Professional.Civic involvement: I have served Butler District 53 as a member of the School Board for the last four years. Additionally, I was a member of the Citizen's Finance Advisory Committee for the Village from 2009-2011 and most recently I am Co-Chair of the Residential Enhancement Committee for the Village focused on bringing in younger families into Oak Brook.Elected offices held: School Board - District 53 (April 2009-Current)Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Potentially a new school in Oak Brook.Key Issue 2 Teacher Negotiations next yearKey Issue 3 Candidate did not respond.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?The common core standards will help the students understand what they are expected to learn in a consistent way. This consistent framework will help the students, teachers and parents to all be on the same page in terms of academic goals and attainment of those goals. This will help track the students' progress year to year to ensure when they graduate, they are prepared with an education that is closer linked to real world experiences. Ultimatley, this will help them to succeed in the pursuit of further education and their careers.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 believe our District is doing a great job of preparing our children for the next stage of their lives. District 53 provides one of the best educations available. That being said, if we stand still, we will be passed up. Our school has a reputation of continually trying to improve and become better in every area and with the commitment we have from our teachers, parents, administration and board, we will continue to move in the right direction. We need to continue to look for ways to develop the whole child and implement 21st century learning techniques. Finally, we need to ensure we provide the best environment we can that is conducive to learning all of the skills that will be critical to the child's future success.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?Candidate did not respond.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?We are a top school district with a very competitive salary and benefits package. Additionally, the working environment and parental involvement is fantastic. It really does take a village to raise a child, and we are fortunate to have such amazing teachers, parents, administration and a community supporting the children in their educational journey.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 issues that the Illinois Pension programs are facing, this would not make sense.