Kenneth Van Dyke: 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: SchaumburgWebsite: NoneTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Schaumburg District 54 School Board Age: 42Family: Wife AmyDaughter Brianna 11. Fifth grade.Daughter Ashlyn 9. Third grade.Occupation: Mail Carrier since 1999Education: Associates in Arts.Civic involvement: DISTRICT 54 INVOLVEMENTS--Regular attendance at board meetings since 2013.-Budget Review Committee 2014-2017-Fees Committee 2014-2015-DCAC Meetings 2015-2017-Appointed to ACDI 2016ADOLF LINK AND PTA INVOLVEMENT-Committee Chair for Health/Safety 2014-2017-Committee Chair for Treat Days 2014-2017-Committee Chair for Recess Equipment. 2016-2017-Regular volunteer throughout the year for events, activities and programs that include:Fun fair, book sales, kindergarten registration, hearing vision screening, etc.REGION 37 OF PTAs INVOLVEMENT-Health/Safety 2015-2017 -Active involvement during all Region 37 activities and events. COMMUNITY ADVOCACYCoordinated with school administration and Elk Grove Police Department on crosswalk safety.Elected offices held: NoneQuestions 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?The success of District 54 comes from strong collaborative relationships between the three main components of the school system: parents/students, teachers, and taxpayers. Each of these is vital to the success of the other. Every policy, practice, and procedure affects each one of these components. As both a parent and taxpayer in the district, I recognize that I am an important part of the collaborative relationship. I am running for this school board position to help contribute to the continued success District 54 parents/students, teachers, and taxpayers have come to expect.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?The district utilizes standardized tests: (MAP, PARCC, STAMP), along with standards-based assessments to measure student success. The results are shared regularly with the students and their parent/guardian. These scores are used to adjust the placement and level of instruction for each student. Not only are the results shared with students, but the students are actively involved in setting realistic goals about how they plan to improve throughout the upcoming trimester. From what I have observed, District 54 has a very thorough process for measuring student success. Administrators and teachers seem very well informed about the needs of their students, but at times, I do feel there is too much testing.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?Setting the curriculum is an important task determined collaboratively among many. Each plays an integral part in the ultimate decision. The superintendent and his staff have a major role in setting curriculum. This includes convening a task force made up of administrators and teachers. They are professionals who know what is needed in a curriculum. All the pertinent information from the task force should then be shared with parents and taxpayers for their input. After this step, the information is presented to the board. The boards job is to act as a system of checks and balances to determine whether the proper due diligence was taken by all involved parties. After careful consideration of all pertinent information, the board then makes the final decision.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?Budget issues that are beyond the districts control would include property tax freeze, unfunded mandates, and redistribution of education funding by the state.Any downsizing and/or eliminating of school programs would be thoroughly examined and cannot be determined without collaboration between all stakeholders. I have no knowledge of any fee increases at this time.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?District 54 gives families options when it comes to selecting which district school their children attend. Families not only have the choice of their neighborhood school, but also schools that teach English-Spanish dual language, English-Japanese dual language, Mandarin-Chinese immersion, Sign Language, and a community school. As a district that goes through great lengths to ensure the success of their students, any potential national or state level mandates that negatively affect the District 54 community should be opposed.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The American Academy of Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic, CDC and USDA all recommend at least 60 minutes of physical activity for children. With elementary recess time reduced and only two days of physical education class, I feel we need to take a fresh look at what can be done to increase daily physical activity.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.NoneWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?It's your internal drive that leads you where you will go in life. Setting goals and working to achieve them is ultimately up to you.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?In a different field, one that would give even more opportunity to interact with people while striving to create a positive impact on their lives.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Physical education taught me teamwork and how each person on the team is valuable for team success.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Use each day to accomplish what is the most important to you. Life goes by quickly, it's important to live each day to its fullest.