Monika Bobo: Candidate Profile

Back to Warren Township High School District 121 School Board 4-year term

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: www.facebook.com/bobo4wthsboardOffice sought: Warren Township High School District 121 School Board 4-year term Age: 27Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Contractor - Regulatory Compliance Housing Legal SupportEducation: New England Law | Boston, 2013 Juris Doctor George Washington University, 2010 B.A., Political Science B.A., Psychology Political ScienceCivic involvement: Brad Schneider for Congress, IL-10, Mar. 2014 - Nov. 2014 Volunteer Loren Karner for State Representative, District 61, Sept. 2014 - Nov. 2014 Office Volunteer Warren Township Democrats, Warren Township Precinct Committeeman, Warren 290, Feb. 2014 - Present Treasurer, Apr. 2014 - Present In2Books, Gurnee, IL, Jan. - Apr. 2014 ePal (email Pen Pal) Ava Callender for Boston City Council, District 5 Boston, MA, Aug. 2013 Telecommute Volunteer Massachusetts Coalition to End Human Trafficking, Boston, MA, Jan. 2013 - Apr. 2013 Founding Team Member Not For Sale, MA Chapter, Boston, MA, May 2012 - Apr. 2013 Core Team MemberElected offices held: No previous public offices held; this is my first time running for public office.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?Warren does a wonderful job preparing students for the next chapter, both college and full-time employment. The district offers courses covering a variety of subjects, in addition to the required curriculum, to provide every student with options. Additionally, Warren faculty provides a supportive atmosphere for the students, which allows students to develop their potential. STEM education is critical for our future; I would like to increase the opportunities students have in the STEM subjects. By providing additional opportunities for STEM education and extracurriculars involving STEM subjects, students will have wider exposure to their opportunities after high school and benefit from a deeper understanding of the skills utilized in American industries.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 many school districts, Warren will face issues relating to administration and faculty pensions, and a growing student body. As a percentage of revenue, Warren receives less federal funding than other Illinois districts, on average. Moreover, the State of Illinois does not have the financial ability to provide additional resources to school districts. Local funding provides the revenue needed through Warren taxpayers. I have had the opportunity to attend Warren School Board meetings and witness the hard work of the current Board Treasurer (Ms. Rogers) in making sure the district remains financially sound. I would not support a tax increase for the Warren district, because I do not believe an increase is currently necessary.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, neither myself nor any direct family members are employed by the school district.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 expect employee costs to increase over the next few years, as the economy of the State and federal economy grow. I would not expect any employees to make concessions in the next round of contracts. As noted earlier, the current Board (and the Warren administration) works diligently to ensure that the district is financially sound, and it is the Board's duty to work with the various school employee groups to make sure all employees continue to receive the appropriate levels of pay and benefits within the district's means. School employees should not have to concede their current levels of pay and benefits, especially when the district is not experiencing financial difficulty.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?In the above described situation, I would not support the substantial increase in pay solely to help boost pension benefits. While the State of Illinois is in financial hardship, which has severely impacted pensions, school districts do not have the financial resources to substantially increase pay to make up for the loss in benefits, especially an increase so substantial that it would be effective against the benefits loss. Additionally, a policy (formal or informal) that only provides such a benefit to the superintendent or administrators would be greatly unfair to the dozens of educators in the district who have also suffered a loss in pension benefits.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The primary purpose of a Board of Education Member is to govern the school, by making decisions that are in the best interests of the students and the district as a whole. Board Members are well-respected by district residents, and should show respect for their district. Unfortunately for Warren, this display of respect is not always the case, and is evident in the Board meetings themselves. Events over the past several weeks have demonstrated the importance of recognizing that as a Member of the Board of Education, the primary focus always is - and should be - acting in the best interests of the district.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Pope Francis, his actions and teachings have reformed the role of the Pope and how the world views the Catholic Church.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Your day is not the same as everyone else's; you don't know what others have encountered and experienced today - good and bad.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?A recent confrontation with a co-worker in which I focused on trying to fix the problem, rather than listening to and acknowledging the problem.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?In high school I loved math; it taught me to look at problems rationally and analytically, taking into consideration the next steps.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Find your passion in life - discover, support embrace it - then help others find theirs.