Vincent Juarez: 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: WildwoodWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Woodland District 50 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 36Family: I am married to Laura Juarez, CPA. We have two boys; Adam who is in first grade at Woodland Elementary West and Ryan who is entering Kindergarden in August 2013.Occupation: PGA ProfessionalEducation: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: I am involved in the Lindenhurst Chamber of Commerce, Antioch Chamber of Commerce and Fox Lake Chamber of Commerce. I am also active in Cub Scouts Den 2 Pack 672 as well as children's programs at Wildwood Presbyterian Church.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Financial Responsibility - A board member has the responsibility to students, taxpayers and staff to manage the district's resources efficiently and effectively. I would like to continue to focus on providing the necessary resources to the classroom to provide teachers with the needed materials to create a dynamic and engaging classroom environment. I support finding ways to increase cost management and productivity in areas that don't directly impact students.Key Issue 2 School Safety - I will provide students with the safest environment possible. This includes continuing to train staff increase awareness on important life safety issues such as bullying, chronic medical conditions life threatening allergies.Key Issue 3 Well rounded curriculum - I believe in the importance of varied subject material such as band, music, fine arts and foreign languages. I also believe in the importance of technology and believe we need to provide the students with current equipment.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?As a parent, I believe it is important to continue to raise the expectations to prepare students for future successes. The common core standards will better provide parents with a framework of the subject matter in the English and Math classroom. This will allow parents the ability to better support the teachers' work with their students at home. I believe the board's role in setting the curriculum is to provide policies that the administration would use in proper hiring, professional development and training for teachers and staff. I also believe it is important that the board set the appropriate tone to encourage constructive discussion among members of the administration. I will work to ensure that the curriculum provides successful learning for all types of students. Additionally I would like to provide students with an engaging environment that sparks their imagination and curiosity.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 would like to continue to improve on past successes to stay relevant and competitive in the global society.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?Like many school districts, Woodland District 50 feels financial pressure. I will support maintaining current programs and resources that benefit students directly while eliminating overhead and non-value added costs. It is hard to estimate Woodland District 50's 2013-2014 financial position until the collective bargaining agreement is made public. I don't support tax increases above the rate of inflation.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 would like to compensate teachers fairly for the valuable work they provide while considering the district's limited resources and non-payroll requirements. All this must be done to ensure the resources programs for the students are maintained while working with a balanced budget.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?I would not support an increase in pay to boost pension benefits.