Philip Sultan: 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: www.sultanfor76.comOffice sought: Diamond Lake District 76 School Board Age: 36Family: Married with two childrenOccupation: Head of Business and Financial Analytics for Discover Home EquityEducation: Bachelor of Arts, DePaul University (2005) and MBA, Lake Forest Graduate School of Management (2005)Civic involvement: Volunteer coach for the Vernon Hills Soccer Club and for the Vernon Hills Park District BasketballElected offices held: NoneQuestions 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?This is the question that addresses the reason that I chose to run for school board. As a board member, the interest of the student population that their future should be the top priority. With that said, published academic results suggests that there is a great disparity between the academic performance of the student population between demographics. Talking with current and prior teachers and administrators, this issue has persisted over time and extends beyond the classroom. Parent and community involvement is a key component of student success. Whether it is sitting down to help with homework, becoming involved in the PTO, attending board meetings or information sessions, or getting to know your teachers and the administrators, your actions will foster a greater sense of community and will resonate with the children of this district. As a board member, I promise that contribute to our community by ensuring that all initiatives will be transparent and dialog will commence prior to decisions being made.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.A key budgetary issue that the district will be addressing within the next four years is the facility reconfiguration agenda. Aging facilities and budgetary constraints has led us to a point where the board will be determining the landscape of the district. Pending facility closures and/or upgrades are major investments that cannot be made lightly nor unilaterally. I have a depth of experience in evaluating and implementing capital investment decisions for both healthy and distressed entities. We need a board that is willing to work with the community and the teachers to ensure that the children are not adversely affected. Regarding tax increases, I believe that every dollar spent is an investment in the future of all of the children in this district. Before additional funds are requested, the board should be ensuring that the current budget is being properly allocated to value-added initiatives that enhance student performance. Taxation should be considered when no other options exist.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?NoAs 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 the answer resides in what forms of compensation are the most effective to benefit the children of this district. According to a Daily Herald article from 2012, the hard-working teachers in this district were among the bottom 10 in the state. This would suggest that we may have a greater challenge in attracting new teachers during times of turnover. Unfortunately, certain business and residential factors of the taxpayer base limit the income that the district receives. Talking with some of the teachers in this district, though, low relative pay is a concern but their passion to teach is not directly correlated with the compensation they receive. These teachers love and are dedicated to the students of this school. There has been a shift in the respect and treatment that they have received from the administration (including the board) from one of inclusion to one of exclusion. Working conditions, collaboration, and having an ability to craft the direction of this district is just as important to them as pay. I will work with the board, administrators, and the teachers to ensure that any decisions made will be in the best interest of the students and this district.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?No, I would not support any option to increase pay to boost pension benefits. Any such action would be detrimental to the financial health of the school district and would take future funding away from initiatives that would benefit the children we are elected to support.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I feel all candidates need to address the current 1:1 technology initiative. This will bring a new level of technology learning to our students and I commend the current board on the impending roll-out. Unfortunately, the board has been focusing solely on the hardware investment. Talking with teachers and administrators in the district, there has been limited guidance on the software and curriculum component. There has been limited focus on how the teachers should be using this technology to instruct and evaluate their students. The overall 1:1 strategy is not apparent to the public nor to the teachers. The board needs to consider and communicate all aspects of any investment that they make on behalf of this district. Decisions made in a vacuum, even with the best intentions, can be ruined by failed execution and lack of support from those who are supposed to endorse them.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.As cheesey as this sounds, it would be my parents. Their tenacity and dedication to their children inspires me to be a better person.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?There are no shortcuts or handouts in life. If you want to change yourself or the world, you need to make the first step.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?The ability to go back and thank all the individuals (teachers, friends, and family) who helped shape me into who I am today.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History. It is a subject that requires a devotion to researching and narrating the past so the future can benefit from our lessons.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?To never give up on yourself. Life is full of challenges and the quality of one's character is defined by how we react to them.