Melissa Slinn: 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: Villa ParkWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: DuPage District 45 School Board Age: 37Family: I am married to David Slinn and we have three children, ages 12,10 and 8 years old.Occupation: Speech Language Pathology AssistantEducation: College of DuPage - A.A.S.Civic involvement: Some of the positions I have held include Destination Imagination Team Manager, York Center/Stevenson PTA President, Chairman PTA Programs, Chairman PTA Spirit Wear, Chairman PTA Community Dollars as well as serving on various committees for School District 45, such as Stevenson School PBIS, York Center/Stevenson School Leadership Team, and District Strategic Planning Committee. I have also volunteered within the classroom.Elected offices held: York Center/Stevenson PTA PresidentQuestions 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 believe that School District 45 is continually working to prepare students for the next stage in their lives. The team of administrators and educators work hard to implement new and improved programs geared toward preparing students for college readiness. In order to continue to adequately prepare our children for the next stage in life, our district needs to continue to provide our educators with high quality and necessary professional development. I also feel that it is important that our district work toward educating parents in the best ways to provide educational support at home.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.Our district, as well as all school districts in Illinois, face funding cuts from the state. It is important to continually be aware of and fight against legislation that would cut funding to our district. There is also an issue with a delay in payments from the state. In order to remain fiscally responsible these issues need to be considered. If it were necessary in the future for our district to make cuts, I feel the budget should be evaluated closely and only items that do not have an impact on student learning should be considered. I am not in favor of increasing taxes.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 a school district. My husband, David Slinn, is currently employed part-time by District 45 as a program assistant for the 2014-2015 school year. He is also a substitute teacher within the 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 feel that it is very important for our district to employe highly qualified and effective teachers, support staff, etc. In order to do this it is necessary to offer competitive compensation. Although, with that in mind, contract talks are called "negotiations" for a reason. There needs to be a "give and take" from both sides.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 do not support an increase in pay in order to boost pension benefits. In my opinion, this practice is unethical and financially irresponsible.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?It is important to me that ALL schools in our district are represented on the Board of Education. Even though we are one district, each building has different demographics with different necessities. These needs and differences should be considered when creating policy and overall decisions for the district. All of the children in District 45 deserve an equal education and equal representation.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.