Kevin Lindell: Candidate Profile

Back to Northwest High School District 214 School Board

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: Mt. ProspectWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Northwest High School District 214 School Board Age: 57Family: Wife Lisa; 3 children Ben (18), Faith (16)and Christian (12)Occupation: Insurance Broker Vice PresidentEducation: BSBA; University of North DakotaCivic involvement: Current High School and Youth Sports (Football and wrestling) Official; Prior Youth Baseball and Basketball coach. Prior Church Council member. Former 'Big Brother' volunteer.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?I have been a resident of the northwest suburbs for over 30 years. Six years ago my family made the decision to build a new home in Mt. Prospect. The primary motivating reason for leaving our prior community was to find a school system where our children can be best educated to be prepared for life. We found this in D214. I now want to give back to the community that I have come to enjoy so much. With 2 children in D214 schools (along with a 7th grader) I feel it is important that the board have representation with members that have "Ëœskin in the game'. (Only 1 of the existing board members currently has a D214 student) The strong performance of D214 schools has resulted in our communities becoming magnets to potential homebuyers. This draw of people to our communities protects the value of our most costly personal investment, our home values. As a result of our strong school system, I want to make sure that we continue to be sought after communities. Another issue that is motivating me to seek a board position is related to the impending financial impact of our state's budget crisis. I want to be part of the solution as we deal with the state's failure to distribute education funding to our communities. As a new board member, I offer the district voters a person that will ask a lot of "why" questions and not be afraid to challenge the status quo.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?Historically, school districts have used standardized testing as the method of measuring student education successes. Over the past couple of years, D214 has been on the cutting edge of the National objective of "ËœRedefining Ready'. D214's Dr. Schuler is leading this National objective. D214 has the benefit of getting in on the ground floor of this education "Ëœgame changer'. This program does not solely rely on standardized testing to measure the readiness of students to succeed in school and life. This program starts in the elementary schools and continues through high school. As a prospective new school board member, I support adapting this National objective to D214 schools. It is my opinion that high school is a time for preparing a person for success in life and that success should NOT be solely measured via a standardized test. The opportunity to be part of an education community that is setting the standards and goals of schools throughout the United States is very exciting! However, as with any new program, we WILL have to come up with measurement assessments as to whether the new program is having meaningful impact and IS resulting in positive changes. These measurement assessments have to be shared openly and honestly in the community.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?We need to prepare our D214 students to succeed in our global economy. Our students are creative, energetic and talented. The talents that they possess are far reaching. We need to prepare them for success. I do not feel it is the responsibility of the board of education to set the curriculum for students. However, it IS their responsibility to oversee and approve the curriculum that is being recommended by school administrators.An effective school district needs to monitor industry, technology and employment trends and respond to the education needs of this group of future workers. With D214 representing a wide range of diversity, flexibility has to exist in meeting the needs of all students. I believe that opportunities for students to develop skills via specialized curriculum and classes at district high schools should be promoted and encouraged. If a carpentry class is offered at one high school, all D214 students should be aware of this class and encouraged to enroll. I would also strongly support "ËœIntro to Trade Classes' and internships to allow students the opportunity to explore areas of interest and whether such careers are ones that they enjoy and would like to pursue as a career.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?The existing budget logjam in state government is having meaningful ADVERSE impact to public schools through the State of IL. Despite having adequate reserve funding, D214 is not immune from the current problems. The district is currently owed $5 Million from the state. The key to surviving tumultuous times is to be prepared. Preparedness involves taking a look at all incoming revenue and measuring this to established projected budget needs. We cannot count on revenue that has historically been provided by the State of IL. Thus we need to look at the impact that community tax revenue is projected to have for our district. Considering the economy has improved and businesses are strong in Northwest Suburbs, I feel we need to look at this source of revenue for the district BEFORE we approach the resident tax payers on increases. Just like managing a home budget, we cannot only monitor the top line revenue. We HAVE to closely monitor expenses of D214. Goods and services contracts need to be bid out to assure competitiveness, salary contracts need to be negotiated effectively and overall belt tightening needs to be done. If I am elected a D214 board member, tax increases and fee increases would be the absolute last resort of revenue source. As a business professional, I have over 35 years of experience in managing budgets. I have managed budgets in both plentiful as well as challenging times. I am very qualified and prepared to assist in making tough decisions when required.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?It is my opinion that allowing a voucher system would cause significant issues to D214 schools. We have worked very hard to develop our schools into top performing institutions. One of the key benefits of residents in our communities is our school system. As a result of our school systems, D214 communities are targeted as some of the most desired areas in the Chicago area. People pay a premium (in home values) to reside in our district. I am concerned that allowing students open access to our schools would potentially undermine our home asset values. I would also foresee potential problems in school crowding and our ability to effectively manage projected school enrollments. The board of education would need to conduct a very thorough study to determine what benefits could be realized by D214 schools in regards to expanding school choice.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I offer the district a representative that would have current children attending D214 schools. (Only 1 of the existing 7 board members has current children in the district) Our family has a Senior and a Junior in the district (along with a 7th grader). I feel it is very important that there be numerous representatives on the D214 board with current "Ëœskin in the game'. It is important that when programs are presented by district administrators that there be numerous members on the board that can validate the value of offered programs. As a parent of currently enrolled D214 students, I have real life experiences of D214 Programs that were both in the best interest of the students and educators (switching the school calendar to mirror that of colleges"circ;brvbar;.with finals being conducted before Christmas / New Year's break) and another that was NOT in the best interest of students and their families (Summer School bridge curriculum that not delivered in a manner that was expected by the students or their families). With the continual interaction that I have with other D214 families with active D214 students, along with having "Ëœskin in the game' for the next 6 years, I feel that I truly differentiate myself from the other candidates"circ;brvbar;"circ;brvbar;and existing board members.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Rahm EmanuelWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Be honest and be true to yourself.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have continued my education and pursued an advanced business degree.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Math. I attended a 1 room country school for my 1st 3 years. I had the opportunity to listen and learn from other classes.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Your word is your bond. If you say you are going to do something.....do it.