Ellen Mauer: 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: LibertyvilleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Libertyville-Vernon Hills High School District 128 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 47Family: Tim Mauer, husband Kate Mauer, daughter, age 11 Nick Mauer, son, age 8 Extended family in Waukegan, ILOccupation: Principal at Ravinia Elementary School in Highland Park, ILEducation: PhD in Educational Leadership Policy Studies from Loyola University MEd in Educational Leadership from National Louis University BS in Elementary Education from the University of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana Graduated from Waukegan East High School 1983Civic involvement: Rotary Club of Gurnee 2009-2011 St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Churh Parish Council Member 2005-2007Elected offices held: Board of Education Member for District 128 from 2005 to present.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Aging facilities at LHS and continual maintenance at VHHS are areas we need to have well planned. Our operating budget must include regular maintenance so that we do not fall behind on our cycles and end up paying more for something because of breakage. The aging facilities at LHS must be considered. Even with good maintenance practices, renovations and replacements of certain areas must be regularly examined and discussed.Key Issue 2 I want to work collaboratively with other board of education members to make sure that we are continuing to be responsible with the tax dollars we get each year. Financial oversight is a major part of this position.Key Issue 3 I want to continue to provide a quality educational experience for all students. Course offerings must be maintained and improved on a regular basis so that our students are well-prepared to compete in a global economy as adults. Extra-curricular activities should be maintained so that our students are well-rounded citizens.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 like the shift to the common core standards. We need to engage students in more depth rather than trying tocover? material on a broad base. This in-depth knowledge offers many options for increasing higher level thinking and analytical skills rather than rote memorization. I believe the Board of Education has the ultimate responsibility to approve the curriculum that the administration and community feels is important for their students so that they can function competitively in a global society. At this time, I do not believe significant changes are warranted because the district has done a stellar job in continually improving curriculum and coursework for our students.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 am very satisfied that our district is preparing students for the next steps in their lives. There is communication with colleges and expectations are discussed. Teachers actively seek ways to improve the experience that they provide for their students. One addition I?d be interested in seeing is some regular survey data from graduates rating how well our schools have prepared them for their next step.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?Our district, like all others, will continue to be concerned with the reduced funding at the state and federal levels. Although our local residents pick up the majority of the funding for our schools, any reduction from Springfield or Washington needs to be discussed and planned for in future budgets. We need to be particularly concerned with any potential legislation in which tax dollars that go to Springfield will bereallocated?. It is very premature to discuss any kinds of programmatic changes as that would require significant community input and lots of discussion. As always, we will continue to be vigilant about legislation of unfunded mandates.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?I feel that we need to offer a competitive package for our employees that does not stress our budget. We want to attract and retain the best and brightest, but also want to maintain our responsibility to the local taxpayers.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?At this time, retirements are a few years away. Our superintendent is not near the retirement age. Any package we offer must be discussed as a full board of education and not cause undue stress to the local taxpayer. It would be premature to speculate at this time.