Laura Vogt: 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: MundeleinWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Diamond Lake District 76 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 44Family: I am married and have 3 beautiful daughters!Occupation: I am designer of recycled wool and t-shirt accessories for godottygo and I am also a teacher at a preschool.Education: BA in Liberal Arts/ Minor in German, UW Green Bay, 1992. Teacher Certification for grades 1-8 from UW Parkside, 1999.Civic involvement: District 76 School Board Member 5 YearsElected offices held: School Board MemberHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 My number one campaign issue is to help our students to improve academically and be prepared to be productive citizens in the future.Key Issue 2 My second campaign issue it to assist our district in acquiring all the resources required for our staff to provide an exceptional edcuation for all students. It is important that our district has solid foundation through our programs and with technology.Key Issue 3 My third campaign issue would be provide adequate training for our staff to achieve these results because our teachers are our most important resource.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 was part of the team who hired the new superintendent, Dr. Petrella and feel confident in his expertise to lead our district. The common core standards are being implemented and introduced in an appropriate fashion so we are fortunate to have an experienced leader who has shown he can handle the challenges we face.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 District 76 offers a variety of wonderful programs to engage our students and helps our students feel connected to our community. We also have a diverse population that allows students a glimpse of the global world that will be a part of! It is important we continue to improve academically so that they can be productive members of our communityWhat 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?We have faced financial difficulties over the past years and have had to make changes in order to maintain our fund balance. It was necessary to cut over a million dollars from our budget over the past 2 years. We have made those changes without reducing our programs available to our students. District 76 has wonderful programs in music and art, a variety of after school activities (sports and academic), and we hope that as the economy improves we will able to continue all the programs that make our district unique. We continue to be fiscally responsible to the taxpayer while recognizing our students are our greatest resource for the future and it is our duty to provide them with the best education possible.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?Our staff is dedicated to our students and we have 2 more years on the current contract before that will need to be discussed.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, I do not believe that should be an option.