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Edwin Specht: Candidate Profile

Mundelein High School District 120 School Board

Back to Mundelein High School District 120 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: MundeleinWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mundelein High School District 120 School Board Age: 55Family: Candidate did not respond.Occupation: Director Human ResourcesEducation: MBA -Marketing University of Illinois Chicago BS - Penn Sate UniversityCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Former Board Member of Mundelein Consolidated High School Board of Education - April 2006 until April 2013, President of the Board from April 2006 until April 2011Questions 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?The Mundelein School District continues to improve in preparing students to continue on after their time at Mundelein High School. It is my belief that the current administration continues to look for ways to prepare students so that they are fully prepared to enter the next stage of their lives whether that is attending college, entering the military or going straight into the workforce.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.Mundelein Consolidated High School District 120 is on a solid financial footing. When I took over as president of the Board of education in April 2006 the district was approximately $6 million in the red. In my final year on the board, the district was in the black and our bond rating had been improved by the rating agencies. The key was and still remains that a district must pass a balanced budget and live within its means.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 have never been employed by any 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?While I don't believe it is in the best interest of anyone to explain negotiation strategy in a questionnaire, I will say that from my experience in being involved in three separate contact negotiations the key is for both sides to keep the lines of communication open.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?The current Board of Education recently hired a new superintendent so this not an issue at Mundelein High School.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?No one issue stands out, I believe that the board plays a dual role in the education process; 1) represent the entire community that elects the board member and 2) support the administration as they improve the educational experience of all students.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Candidate did not respond.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Candidate did not respond.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Candidate did not respond.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Candidate did not respond.