Linda Lucke: 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: LibertyvilleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Libertyville District 70 School Board Age: 64Family: My husband Roy, is an employee of the Center for Public Safety of Northwestern University. I have a son Robert, aged 31, who works in Security at Northwestern University, and a daughter Megan, aged 28, who works for Northwester Mutual Insurance.Occupation: retired teacherEducation: I have a B.A. from Northwestern University, a M.A. in Library Science from Northern Ill. University, and a C.A.S. in Educational Technology, also from Northern Illinois.Civic involvement: I have been a member of the Board of the Fox Lake Public Library for ten years, and of the Cook Memorial Public Library Board for ten years I am a member of the North Lake Retired Teachers of the Illinois Education Association, and a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society for women educators. I am also a former Deacon of First Presbyterian Church of LibertyvilleElected offices held: I served as Secretary and President of the Fox Lake Public Library Board, and Secretary of the Cook Memorial Public Library Board. I have also served as Secretary of the Libertyville Education Association, Region Chair of Region 60 of the IEA, and am currently Special Projects Chair of Delta Kappa Gamma, and Legislation Chair of the Lake County Retired Teachers of IEA.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?As a former district teacher, and the parent of two children who passed through the Libertyville system and moved successfully on to college, I believe our school system does an excellent job of preparing students for success. I believe part of the job of any board member will be to see that our schools continue to provide the excellent education that is currently available to our students.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.It is clear that the financial future of the school district will depend heavily on decisions made at the state and federal level. With the state facing its current financial crisis, it will be vital for local boards to monitor and work for legislation that will assist and support local schools. I feel it is premature to plan for either cuts or tax increases until more is decided at higher levels.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 a retired teacher of District 70, having spent 26 years as Learning Center Director of Butterfield School. No other family member has any connection with District 70.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 believe that fundamentally, school board members and teachers have an identical goal, which is that both want to provide the best education possible for the students of the district. Given this as a base, I believe that an approach based on mutual respect should be adopted by both sides during any negotiations. Decisions on concessions, benefits, and salary must be based on both the financial considerations of the district, and concern for the educational program. Good teachers and administrators are essential to a good school, and to attract and retain talented staff, working conditions, salary and benefits must be competitive to other highly rated districts.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?Given the current status of the pension system, I am not in support of late career salary bumps for administrators nearing retirement. Such a move only succeeds in shifting the financial responsibility for administrators from the local school district to the pension system. I believe the responsibility for funding administrative salaries should remain with the local school district who employs them.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I am concerned about the testing/over-testing of students, and the over-reliance on test scores for school and staff evaluation. I am also concerned with the smooth implementation of common core standards, and how they will effect the educational program. While common core is important, I think it is also important to develop the whole child, through access to art, music,and physical education.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I admire Jane Goodall, for being a ground breaker in so many ways, and giving her life to a cause she loved.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I learned that I was responsible for my decisions, and had to be prepared to accept the consequences, both good and bad, for those decisions.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?There is nothing major I would want to change.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite subject was language arts, and my love of reading has led me to want to share that love with others.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Never stop learning. Learn something new every day. Everything that happens has the potential to teach you something, and that learning will enrich your life.