Pamela Becker Dean: Candidate Profile

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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: Buffalo GroveWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Wheeling District 21 School Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: One son, Michael, age 20, a junior at Butler University.Occupation: President, IPAT, Inc.Education: B.A. Kenyon College M.A. University of Notre DameCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: CCSD21 Board Member since 2002Questions 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 am very satisfied with District 21. Our staff work hard to provide an outstanding education for our students, as evidenced by their success in high school and beyond.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.Like all districts in Illinois, we struggle with respect to finances due to the funding sources available to us. The state has been woefully remiss in reimbursements, and it's only been the last year or so that we haven't had to issue tax warrants to cover the lateness of our property tax payments from the county. If cuts are necessary to keep a balanced budget, our board Finance Committee will review our budget and make recommendations. Unfortunately, as we operate very leanly, any budget cuts would likely impact our educational programs.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?No.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?We have a very congenial relationship with all of our employee groups, and we work together when contracts need to be negotiated. Our teachers and our administrators have made concessions; when it was clear a few years ago, during the trying times of the recession, that we needed to save money or possible cuts would impact staffing, they agreed to freeze salaries for a year. Our entire district is dedicated to providing the best education possible for our children, so working together towards that goal is not difficult for us to accomplish.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?Our salaries are competitive, based on experience and work success. They are not designed for any other purpose.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I am running for another term as I believe I can continue to contribute to our district through my role as Chair of the board Communications Committee, as well as through my background and expertise in standardized assessment. Both issues are important ones in the next few years for our community.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Jane Goodall and her life's work to make a difference has inspired me.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Taking responsibility for yourself while helping others in the community was something my dad taught me.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Earning my PhD when I was still young.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Psychology was my favorite subject in college, and it led to my graduate studies and life work in educational and organizational assessment.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Think about how an issue could work and make a positive difference, instead of how it could be hard and difficult to accomplish.