Chris Stanton: Candidate Profile

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:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: HampshireWebsite: http://www.votechrisstanton.comOffice sought: Community Unit D300Age: 52Family: Married, 3 sons (all 3 attended D300 schools)Occupation: Management and IT ConsultantEducation: Candidate did not respond.Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: D300 School Board Member, 2007-2011Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Our students perform at different levels and the curriculum and programs should be up-to-date, relevant and allow all to succeed. We must provide a high quality education to all D300 students.Key Issue 2 The district should continue to be fiscally responsible and transparent in our financial reporting.Key Issue 3 The board, administration and staff working together must find a way to reduce class sizes.Questions Answers What prompted you to run for the D300 board? If you're a newcomer, how will you make a difference? If you're an incumbent, how have you made a difference?I am seeking re-election as I feel it is important for the district to continue to responsibly manage the resources of the district to allow all of the children of the district to receive a high quality education and to be prepared for their next step in life.One of the ways that I have made a difference is since elected in 2007, I have served on the finance committee as the chair. As a member of this committee and as a board member I have worked closely with the board and administration to achieve a balanced budget every year. I have been an active board member and have voiced my opinions in all discussions, committee meetings and board meetings. It is difficult for any individual board member to take credit for accomplishments since the governance of the district requires a majority of the vote from all board members.With significant budget cuts already made and more on the horizon, how do you propose the district maintain teaching standards? Please be specific.With the budget cuts already made and the new ones proposed, we as a board and the administration have to find a way to reduce class sizes. If we allow our class sizes to continue to grow it will become increasingly more difficult to have high performing students. Our district needs to continue focus on college readiness, strengthening our core curriculum and possibly changing our block schedule in our high schools to allow more flexibility in scheduling classes and teachers.If various unions fail to meet a list of concessions to save the district about $5.2 million, administrators warn cuts would hurt students. What is your approach to contract talks?My approach would be to negotiate with the unions fairly, openly and in good faith. The deal should be structured for at least 3 years to allow for stability and predictability in our costs. The majority of the district budget is employee costs, we need to be more creative in our contract negotiations with our unions and non-union groups to get the most out of the revenue that we expect to receive while minimizing any negative effects on our students and our programming. Over the past couple of months we have been reviewing the current contract with administration in preparation for the upcoming negotiation with the union.Should the district continue to provide programs that receive funding from the state, but are not mandatory? If so, which ones?Non-mandatory programs that are fully or partially funded by the state and are conducive to the learning experiences of our students should be kept. I would not pick out a specific non-mandatory program to remove. Non-mandatory programs are constantly reviewed and it is the responsibility of the curriculum staff to assess programs and make suggestions to the board as to which programs should be retained or removed. A more pressing concern is as funding from the state is cut, more programs and services are becoming non-funded or partially funded mandatories. This is forcing the district to use funds that would normally pay for other programs. Since the district is regulated by the state, there is currently not an option to stop providing these mandated non-funded or partially funded programs or services. The district has an upcoming Legislator Breakfast to meet with our State Legislators and we will bring this to their attention so they can take our concern back to Springfield to explore what our options are as a district.What changes can the new superintendent make to ensure the best educational opportunities for students in District 300?Mr. Bregy is off to a great start by spending time in all of the schools, with the principals and interviewing all of the staff in the central office. He is approaching the new position with goals and plans to address all areas of the district. As he works on the restructure of the district, it is essential that he has every district staff member focused on providing a high quality education to each D300 student.