Joseph De Rosa: 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: WadsworthWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Joe DeRosaOffice sought: Woodland District 50 School Board Age: 40Family: Wife: RebeccaSon: Joseph Michael age 11Daughters: Ainsley Rae age 10 and Naomi Brynn age 6Occupation: Social Studies Teacher Lake Forest High SchoolEducation: Masters in Education from Barat CollegeBachelors in History and Social Sciences from Benedictine UniversityCivic involvement: As a history teacher, I have taught students about civic involvement, including the Constitution and American Government, for the past fifteen years in my United States History, World History, and African American Studies classes. In addition, I have coached high school baseball, basketball and volleyball. I also co-founded and served as the Community Director for TEDxLFHS--a community TED event. I am currently the faculty moderator of the Habitat for Humanity club. In addition I have coached my children's baseball and soccer teams, and I serve on the Gurnee Youth Baseball board as the assistant tournament director.Elected offices held: NoneQuestions Answers School finances seem to be a problem. What do you see as the main cause of financial difficulties and what solutions would you offer if elected?My first priority is to ensure that every Woodland student receives an excellent education. To reach this goal we need to provide quality comprehensive instructional programming that meets the needs of all of our students. With this as a guiding principle, we, as a newly elected school board, will need to address the reality that there are many questions about the future of public education, from uncertainty surrounding the state budget, to a potential property tax freeze, to the issue of school choice. While these issues may create financial challenges for our schools, I believe at a core level that with our district's students, teachers, parents and community members, we have the potential to be among the best schools in the state, and I plan to make every effort to ensure that, even in uncertain times, our solutions bring us closer to realizing this potential.As you know, state funding follows Woodland students whose parents elect to send them to Prairie Crossing Charter School in Grayslake - a longtime bone of contention. Do you see that as a problem? Please explain.I have been a public school teacher for the past 12 years, and I believe strongly in the mission of public education. My three children attend Woodland schools and have benefited from the hard work of their outstanding teachers. With this said, I believe we, as a community, need to continue to work to make Woodland public schools the best educational choice for our families. But I also spent time as a charter school teacher and administrator at Northtown Academy in Chicago where I was able to witness, firsthand, the role that charter schools play in education. Many charter schools meet the needs created by failing public schools, but our Woodland schools are succeeding. In fact, many parents choose Woodland Schools by seeking residence in our district. Still, the problem is not the existence of charter schools like Prairie Crossing: it's the way they are funded. Charter schools take a large percentage of district funding without oversight, which spreads thin the resources intended for the majority of the young people in the community's public schools. This issue needs to be addressed at the state level, and we need to be willing to advocate for change at the local level.With enrollment declining to 5,882 from 6,549 in 2012, per the state's report card, how to you view the district's staffing levels. Are there too many employees and what should be done? Please elaborate.Declining enrollment creates certain challenges in terms of the district's finances, but it also provides unique opportunities to reduce class sizes, re-allocate resources, and rethink the way we are using our existing school spaces to better meet the needs of our students. When the board begins developing our strategic plan this Spring, we need to keep our priorities at the forefront and protect the quality of the Woodland educational experience. We need to empower good teachers and administrators to provide the best possible education for our kids. We need to enhance the Language Arts and STEM classes that make up the core of student learning and the bulk of the questions on achievement tests. We need art, music, theater, and technology classes to inspire creativity. We need to provide resources and support for our students with special needs. We need to pay attention to health, nutrition and physical fitness. And our staffing levels need to reflect these priorities.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?As a board candidate, I am hesitant to address specific budget issues without the benefit of the details and context that will be provided by the Woodland superintendent, administration, and current school board members. But, I can say, without hesitation, that any plan for addressing budget issues must put the educational needs of our students first. I stand for the strongest possible plan to meet the educational needs of our students as well as their interests, creativity, and well-being.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?I have spent my career as a public educator, and I believe, once again at a core level, that it must be my priority in my role as a school board member to do everything I can to empower our students, teachers, administrators and community members to make our Woodland schools the best educational choice for every young person in our community. I want to do everything in my power to help the families in our district recognize that the dedicated teachers and staff that have done so much for my children and have impacted their lives and cared for them each day will do the same for every child in our community. And I want to help these dedicated educators have the resources, guidance and support to take our schools to the next level.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.President Barack ObamaWhat is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?It might sound simple, but the most important lesson my mom and dad taught me was the importance of being a good mom or dad.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?In my youth, I thought I could only root for one Chicago baseball team. I chose the White Sox. This may have been a mistake.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?My favorite subject was always history. My European History teacher, Tom Nall, challenged and inspired me to be the teacher I am today.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?I've given my kids lots of advice. It's kinda my thing. But if I had to pick one, it would be listen to your mother.