Anthony Wang: 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: PalatineWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Palatine District 15 School Board Age: 31Family: I have a wife and four children; two boys and two girls.Occupation: Manager of AdmissionsEducation: I have earned a Masters in Education and Bachelor in Business Finance.Civic involvement: Junior Achievement and Palatine JayCeesElected 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?My interest in becoming a D15 Board of Education member comes from a desire to serve the greater D15 community, ensuring that all stakeholders are represented when it comes to the use of their tax dollars. My goal is to leverage my professional background so that educational outcomes for all children can be improved through decisions made by the Board of Education. "Æ'What was your position on the district's proposal to build two new schools, which failed in the November election? Why? How should the district address its facilities needs over the next two years? Would you support another referendum, and if so, how do you think a plan can be developed that would pass?I was against the referendum. There are several reasons why it was not the best plan; the community and district as a whole were not involved, there was not a sufficient amount of data to back up the claims presented, there were concerns of segregating low-income Hispanic students and the concern of the district approaching its debt limit. In order to address facility needs, there are several steps to take; Boundary changes should be discussed again and there are geographic pockets of the district that can use updating. The district will need to collect additional financial data to provide a more accurate picture of community impact. The district will also need to engage the community and look at creative measures for addressing space before potentially putting together another referendum.As contract talks come up with other employee groups, do you believe the district should ask for concessions, expect costs to stay about the same, or provide increases in pay and benefits? If you are an incumbent, why did you support the 10-year teacher contract? If you are a newcomer, what's your view of the contract? Would you support similar length contracts for other employee groups? Why or why not.Teachers are incredibly valuable to our children and the district needs to be able to attract the best candidates. That being said, I was not in favor of the contract. My main concerns circle back to the lack of community engagement and transparency. I was also not happy that the board was not involved in the negotiations. One part of the contract that stood out to me was the reduction of PA's which perform much of the one on one instruction that is so valuable to students. I would not support a contract of that length due to the contract being financially static and difficult to project taxpayer impact over that length of time.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 main budgetary issues will be cost containment while ensuring safety issues are addressed by 2020. Addressing this will require using the district's tax dollars and income effectively to provide the highest quality education. Without getting into cuts, the board can get creative to address the needs of the remaining safety issues by utilizing D15 staff and limiting outsourcing the work.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 potentially brings competition into the district. This question of competitiveness revolves around the many great teachers and staff that are currently in the district and continuing to attract the best talent in the future. Making District 15 a model district with high student achievers while adapting to an ever-changing student population will ensure that regardless of schooling options and the political environment, it will thrive.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The board of education should be proponents of public education and the education watchdog for the community. This means being accessible, transparent and engaging to the community. As a school board member I will work to restore the public's trust.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I am inspired by the work of Dr. James Comer.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Life throws all kinds of curveballs your way, but its how you respond that defines you. Blame nobody, expect nothing and do something.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?No do-overs. I have made my fair share of mistakes in life, but its these experiences that have made me who I am.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History. My fascination grew from an incredible teacher that I had in HS. It is a subject that I still enjoy reading and learning about.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be the thermostat not the thermometer. Don't simply react to your environment, but intelligently regulate it.