Bill Barnabee: 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:BioQA Bio City: GurneeWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Woodland District 50 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 44Family: Married, 2 childrenOccupation: SupervisorEducation: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: None.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.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 think the CCSS are a step in the right direction as we move forward readying and preparing our children for college and for a future in the job industry. I think the BOE should work with the staff, educational specialists and administrators within the CCSS to set a curriculum for each grade level and core subject area. I believe in order to move our students forward, we need to have curriculum materials that are current and offer our students opportunities to keep up-to-date.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 in the Woodland Certified Support Staff and their passion to teach our children. I know that they make differences everyday in the student's lives that they cross paths with. I think that they need to have current and up-to-date teaching materials have access to training in the CCSS for the curriculum and/or grade level that they teach.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?I believe that the Woodland Community has always supported the District. However, they also see that times have changed and taxes don't necessarily support the programs, staff and materials that the District offers. I feel that the cuts need to stop from the people who serve the children of our District the most - the staff! Before I make a comment about cuts, I will look at the District Budget first to find creative ways to cut expenses without falling into a tax increase or cutting needed staff.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 believe that the Woodland Certified Support Staff have made many concessions in regards to their salary and benefits. They stepped up to the plate and took a hard pay freeze last year when the District asked that of the Union Members. I believe in the right to be satisfactorily compensated for your hard work.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, the pension system in Illinois is already underfunded by the State not meeting their portion of the payments for years and years. Each teacher/administrator pays in roughly 10% of their income from each paycheck. How can you justify upping a Superintendent's Salary near retirement when the system can't bear the burden already. That would be saying that current teachers should fund that and the possibility exists that they will have nothing when it is their turn to retire.