Michael Shackleton: 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: Barrington HillsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: ForthcomingOffice sought: Barrington Unit District 220 School Board Age: 54Family: My wife and I have two children attending District 220 elementary and middle Schools and Rudy, our two year old pup.Occupation: Founding Partner of a successful Management Consulting firmEducation: Bachelor of Science, Finance- DePaul University Coursework completed at the University of Chicago including business and law graduate schools.Civic involvement: Strategic planning committee -LaSalle Language Academy Elementary, -Blue Ribbon Award winning Chgo Public Magnet SchoolPrinciple selection committee -Countryside Elementary School, District 220, (Blue Ribbon Award winning)Coach soccer, basketball, baseball -Near South Youth Association-ChicagoCoach Barrington Park District, Basketball, Barrington Youth Baseball, Flag Football -Barrington Youth FootballBarrington Lions ClubPack 187 Cub ScoutsServed Chicago Park District liaison -Chgo Women's Park Gardens Community Garden -elected to Advisory Board for the Park which rebuilt the neighborhood center to include the first ever indoor playground area for younger children.Support/Volunteer for Parent Teacher Organizations and multiple charitiesElected offices held: Elected Officer, Beta Gamma Sigma, National Honor Society for Business Students, DePaul UniversityMember, Advisory Board, Brother Leo V. Ryan Center for Creativity innovation, DePaul University College of CommerceElected Chicago Women's Park Gardens Advisory BoardElected Board of Directors, Kensington Park IIQuestions 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?As an alumnus of Barrington High School and then on to the University of Chicago, now living with my wife and two children attending schools within our district, I'd like to contribute more to the community. This is an opportunity to help by providing new insights and perspectives to the challenges the School Board faces; to balance the pursuit of excellence and innovation in education for all students with responsible stewardship while giving real consideration to all voices within our community. My broad business background collaborating as part of diverse teams toward growth objectives including governance related work for the University of Chicago Office of the Vice President for Research National Labs position me well to make a real contribution. Especially in these times of uncertainty around funding from property tax, the State and Federal governments, how we spend every dollar and the efficient allocation of resources plus efficient operations are paramount. Ongoing Tax increases to support spending are not a sustainable solution. With a very high percentage of District 220 funding coming from property taxes, and property taxes rising fast, it is especially important to be excellent stewards. Engaging the private sector to support our public education should be expanded. Planning should be based on accurate, current data. If data that enables accurate forecasting is unavailable, we should be both creative and very careful making decisions that involve spending on new growth without saving elsewhere.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?It is adequate to an extent but there is room for improvement. Test scores are not always an accurate measure in and of themselves. More tests do not necessarily translate into better metrics. Which data in addition to academic test scores to utilize in measuring student success is worthy of consideration. How we define student success is also important.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?While the Board of Education should certainly contribute to the conversation around student academic and other achievement, it should primarily support the Superintendent and all Staff and teachers to actually develop and set the curriculum.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?First, I do not support tax increases. The District is facing funding uncertainty due to the State of Illinois budget impass and disfunction... most of the District's funding by far comes from property taxes. The Federal component of funding is also uncertain. In such an uncertain revenue environment, how we as a District spend the money we receive is all the more important. District 220 is facing some infrastructure needs over the next years and what exactly they are is being studied by an architectural firm at this time, with community conversations about it begining this month. We need to balance meeting the needs of the students (and teachers) with fiscally sound judgement and critical decision making. There may be an opportunity to eliminate some costs due to improved technology and better space utilization. Organization structure should also be looked at for efficiency of operation. We would need accurate data to base any decisions on, including future enrollment numbers.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?How our district would be affected by such a change is unclear. The amount of the voucher would be an important variable. Any public school system should try to plan for the possible decrease in enrollment the voucher system may cause which would vary from district to district. We already have school choice which is good for our community when compared to the alternative. We do not have enough information to accurately forecast how a voucher system would impact our district.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Continuing the degree of student achievement and excellence while balancing innovative teaching and learning with fiscal constraints is a challenge we face. Fairness and engagement for all students and families is very important. Differentiated learning is very, important. New applications of technology and other innovative learning opportunities deserve and are receiving very careful consideration by teachers, administrators, parents and others. Listening and giving consideration to all voices within the community, especially any majority and shaping decisions with that feedback is crucial. As an alumnus of Barrington High School, I'm keenly aware of the hard work and contributions so many people have made over time to build the outstanding community and school district that we enjoy. Not every member of the community has the same stake in the school district. We need to operate efficiently and ethically as good stewards of what we've been entrusted with, spending every dollar wisely. Leveraging private sector resources to support our public education should be expanded. We should value both diversity and excellence as well as collaboration and teamwork in general, especially between parents, teachers and administrators on behalf of the students, and also including our other community stake holders.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.There are too many to chooseWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Think Big- anything is possible with dedication and work over time.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?No regrets.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Judicial Decision Making-U of Chicago Law SchoolIt taught the value of careful considerationIf you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Treat others as we would like to be treated and enjoy your childhood---If you don't enjoy what you're doing, you can find something else.