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Robert Cabeen: Candidate Profile

Geneva Unit District 304 School Board (4-year Terms) (Independent)

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: GenevaWebsite: http://n/aOffice sought: Geneva Unit District 304 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 67Family: Married, two children, one grandchildOccupation: I am a retired airline pilotEducation: I have a BS from the university of Illinois in education with a minor in aviation tech.Civic involvement: Former chair board of trustees Baker Methodist church Former chair board of directors Elgin Choral Union Former chair Willowgate HOA Former scouting troop leaderElected offices held: none except hoa positionsHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: noCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 TO maintain the quality of our schools affordably.Key Issue 2 to better communicate with citizens and improve understanding of board actions and processes.Key Issue 3 To rebuild the relationship between the commmunity and school staff.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 fully support the further development of common core standards and their use in our schools. I think the move toward tougher PSAT grading is correct and I believe Geneva will rise to the issue. I don't believe the board should micro manage the curriculum and in general I feel the current curriculum is good.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?Geneva cannot relax in it's drive to be one of the top schools in the state, as such we will be serving the students of our community well and prepairing them to go forward with there lives.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 the current board is doing the correct thing, abating taxes when possible and this policy should be continued. I do not support any tax increases.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?In this difficult economy, pay increases will be very hard to provide, however I think as a general rule an indexed (based on the CPI) pay increase is fair if the district can afford it. Each employees' pay will have to be evaluated in light of the districts finances before any increases are given. Employees ask for raises and employers ask for cuts We don't always get what we want. (with apologies to Mic)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. This policy is out of touch with the times, and puts more stress on the retirement system.