Haresh Patel: 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: Vernon HillsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Diamond Lake District 76 School Board Age: 40Family: Married one daughter in 6th gradeOccupation: IT - Operations ManagerEducation: Bachelor's in Computer engineering from UIC Master's in Distributed Systems (Computer Engineering) from DePaul UniversityCivic involvement: Currently serving partial term as an Educational Board member for Diamond Lake School District - Volunteer at local Hindu templeElected offices held: Educational Board MemberQuestions 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'm very pleased with the progress that we have made in Diamond Lake School District in last 3 years. I believe we are preparing our school students well at this point for high school; but we still have some work to do.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.We would have to balance our needs against the approved budget. We are hoping that housing prices will get better, which will help us financially in future years. At this point, we do not expect any major cuts; but financial resource will be well managed to meet district's needs.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, I'm not employed or retired from a school district. None of my family members are employed by the school district where I'm seeking a school board seat.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?School board will consider various parameters that are part of the contract and come to an agreement that is reasonable within district's financial capacity.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 would support terms that have been defined part of superintendent's contact with district. Any additional increment or substantial increase would go through board's approval and I would consider other factors before supporting any decision.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?There are a few key issues that I consider important. Students' educational achievement is very important. We should be preparing students for the next level - high school / elementary school. Provide after school or summer activities to help students and keep them engaged. - Proper usage of available resources and educating parents about it. - Encourage parents to be more engaged with their children's school activities.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Narendra Modi, India's Prime Minister.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Listen and respect.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?Math - Algebra. Apply in day to day us and better analytical skills.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be respectful of others and helpful to others.