Timothy Burns: Candidate Profile

Back to Elk Grove Township District 59 School Board

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: Elk Grove VillageWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Elk Grove Township District 59 School Board Age: 37Family: Wife=Jennifer(Gugliotta)Burns Children=Colin (7), Meghan (7), Emma (3), Parents = Linda and Bill BurnsOccupation: Special EducationEducation: Educational Doctorate, Master of Arts, Master of Science Bachelor of ScienceCivic involvement: Trustee for the Elk Grove Village Library, Member of the Knights of Columbus, former Byrd Elementary School P.T.O. Treasurer,Elected offices held: Trustee for the Elk Grove Village Library,Questions Answers How satisfied are you that your school district is adequately 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 feel that we have solid monitoring of academic progress and good articulation and alignment with our corresponding high school district. I would like to a larger emphasis on cohort data that focuses on how our 8th grade graduates are doing on milestones such as AP exams, ACT and college entrance exams and what can be done in the elementary school to support their future success. I am also very interested in delving more into what social-emotional supports and interventions our 8th graders need once they get into 9th grade. Essentially how are our students doing with the functionality of being a 9th grader and what if anything can we do to support the students transition into 9th grade during their time with us.What budgetary issues will your district have to confront during the next four years and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, be specific about programs and expenses that should be considered for reduction or elimination. On the income side, do you support any tax increases for local schools? Again, be specific.I think that this question must be answered from two fronts. The first is that we must be judicious with the funds that we have and will generate from the local tax base. In this area I want to ensure that we have a healthy financial reserve but do not want to have an excess of financial reserves in order to reaffirm to the tax payers that were are collecting an appropriate tax levy and not collecting just to save it for another day. I think we need to be very mindful and vigilant with regard to Illinois State Board of Education transportation reimbursements and may need to revisit and re-explore why students may need to travel outside of their home school to another school within the district. I feel that a slight change in the state's method of calculating the transportation reimbursement could have a major effect on the districts finances. I am also interested in learning about the extent to which District 59 utilizes its special education cooperative (NSSEO) and if more programs and services can be brought back to being serviced by the district directly within the home school environment. I think that we will also need to be mindful to potential changes in the pension laws and how this may effect our finances.Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?I am currently employed by a public school district in Cook County and my wife is employed by a school district in DuPage County. No one within our family is employed or affiliated with District 59 from an employment stand point.As contract talks come up with various school employee groups -- teachers, support staff, etc. -- what posture should the school board take? 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 am an advocate of "interest based bargaining" where we identify issues of interests from both sides and work within a problem solving based approach around issues of interest and concern. After identifying the areas and issues of interest and understanding the perspectives of both sides we can start to problem solve how to remedy the issues from which conversations may lead into discussions on potential concessions from one side or the other. We have to first understand what the other sides perspective is on the issue without making assumptions and then talk about how we can solve the concern.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 am in favor of an initial three year contract with a five year extension based on performance for superintendents. I am also in favor of a two year contract for central office administrators and building principals. With this being said the contract is the contract and there should be now perks or privileges beyond what is stated in the contract. If an administrator wants to retire before the expiration of their contract than that would be their decision to make but without any expectation of the terms of the contract being changed.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?One of the largest issues for me as a candidate is to explore the current extended school hours of district 59 that were enacted this year and ensure that the time is being used to continuously improve our children's education and to give our students rich and robust learning experiences. When you have two or three school districts serving one town it can potentially be a positive or a negative for a potential home buyer to know that one school district has a longer day than another. We want to be able to articulate with solid data what benefit our students are deriving from having the longer school day so that it is always seen as a positive asset.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie because he is an executive that is both accountable and approachable, and comes across like an average guy.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?The value of hard work, and the importance of family.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Enjoying the present moment a little more and appreciating the little moments that go by much faster when you get older.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite subject in school was social studies, as it helped me to understand that different perspectives must always be considered.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Their is intrinsic value in committing your self to a cause that you value greater than yourself.