Todd Cox: Candidate Profile

Back to Wood Dale District 7 School Board 2-year term

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: Wood DaleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Wood Dale District 7 School Board 2-year term Age: 48Family: Christine - Wife. Married 17 years. Jessica - Daughter 13 Wood Dale Jr high. Kevin - Son 9 Westview ElementaryOccupation: Logistics Manager - Frito LayEducation: BS - Sociology Winona State University. Winona Mn. 1988. Lake Park HS Roselle, Il. 1984.Civic involvement: Wood Dale Junior High PTO Treasurer 2013-2015. Wood Dale/Itasca youth basketball Coach. Wood Dale youth Baseball Association Coach. Wood Dale youth softball Association Coach. Wood Dale Water Rats Swim Team Parent club volunteer. Bensenville Wood dale Bandits Football Parent club Volunteer.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.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?District 7 is adequately preparing students for high school. However, improvments can always be made especially in the area of STEM. From a technological standpoint I feel we are moving in the right direction - i.e., the 1:1 initiative. We are building a solid base for our students to build upon in their future educational and employment endeavors. The district can improve on facilitating transitions from elementary to Junior High and from Junior High to Fenton.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.Decreased funding is a concern, but the district seems to be stable. The district has been working hard at reducing operation costs and this needs to continue. As a Home Owner in Wood Dale, I would not support a tax increase without exhausting all other viable options.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 not employed by the district and I do not have any family members employed or seeking employment form 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?The dirstict faces the same type of challenges any business does. I would not support large increases in pay, nor would I support reducing benefits. I would like to see a solution that is fair to both the employees and the taxpayers.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 not support an increase in salary. There are state rules in place limiting the the size of an increase allowed.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Common Core Standards. Alot of debate on this topic. However It is the mandate and the district must comply. These are the standards our students will be tested on and I want to give our students every advantage to prove their knowledge. The community needs to know when there are changes that the schools need to follow and be able to have an understanding of those changes.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.