Jon Baffico: 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.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Oak Grove District 68 School Board Age: 42Family: I have been married to my wife Tiffani for 15 years and have three daughters, Ella, 12, Hailey, 10, Michaelene, 7 who attend Oak Grove.Occupation: Principal St. Patrick High SchoolEducation: B.S. Math Education, Indiana UniversityM.A. Educational Leadership, Concordia UniversityCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?What motivates me, as it does in my role as principal, is to provide the best environment possible for students to succeed and grow. To have the opportunity to impact change is exciting.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?In today's current system, standardized testing is adequate yet incomplete in many instances. I think the district is trying to measure student success using a variety of platforms, yet I am not sure how well any of it is absorbed and understood by the public.How big a role do you think the board of education should play in setting the curriculum for students and what ideas do you have for changes to the current curriculum?I think those that have been hired by the district should be entrusted to make educated decisions regarding the curriculum. I do think my expertise in education could lend a perspective to the group--in particular how students transition into high school.What budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax or fee increases?At the last board meeting, the idea that the school district is staring at $100,000+ deficit is something that may involve some difficult decisions moving forward. As far as specifics to cuts, further analysis would have to be done with regards to cuts in the budget. As difficult as it is, using fees or tax money is something that is reasonable to use as a means to generate additional revenue.What role can and should school choice play in your district? If Congress or the state approves a voucher system or other means giving students broader choices among public and private schools, how will that affect your district? What is the appropriate response for the board of education of a public school system?School choice is fundamentally the best thing to support access to a quality education for all. As someone who is currently in a private school, it could bolster and stabilize school enrollment during a very critical time for private schools moving forward. The appropriate response would be for the school board to analyze the potential economic and operational outcomes school choice might have for our community.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Candidate did not respond.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Tom IzzoWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Being respectful of peopleIf life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Participate in sports in collegeWhat was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Math and eventually it led me to teach it for 13 yearsIf you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Pursue your passions with a strong level of commitment and the results will be to your satisfaction.