Denny Vincent Composto: 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: Mount ProspectWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mount Prospect Elementary D57Age: 46Family: Married to Laura G. Composto, three children: Anthony C. (age 10), Michael V. (age 8) and John J. (age 5)Occupation: AttorneyEducation: BA in Philosophy and Political Science with a Minor in Business Administration from Depaul University, 1988JD from John Marshall, 1990MBA in Accounting from the University of Illinois, 1991LLM (Candidate) John Marshall, 2011Civic involvement: Pro Bono RepresentationCircuit Court Mediator and Arbitrator Sports CoachElected offices held: Morton Grove Firefighters' Pension BoardHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 School Boards are an important part of the public educational system. I believe there is a general impression that school boards can assert considerable influence over many of the educational decisions of the district and this is true in some respects, but not completely accurate in others. There is a myriad of statutes and regulations that impose governmental restrictions on the powers and authority of any school board in Illinois. The School Board must comply with and operate within the 100's of Illinois state statutes pertaining to schools, the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, the Illinois Open Meeting Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, numerous federal statutes and mandates, privacy laws, federal mandates, the Illinois Constitution, rules and regulations imposed by the Illinois School Board, rules and regulations imposed by the U.S. Department of Education, legal interpretations by the Courts, the Illinois Attorney general and other administrative agencies. The Board has to work within this statutory framework, which if you ask me, is extremely over burdensome, but mandatory. All Board actions and/or inactions must be in conformity with this web of statutory framework. Often, a board would like to do certain things, but may not have the authority to act or would be restricted in its actions due to the statutory framework. Part of the battle is figuring out if a certain course of action can proceed and/or how to proceed within the bounds of the statutory structure.This all being said, my main and foremost priority is to help maintain a structure for the District, oversee the development of an effective curriculum and assure that administration operates effectively and proficiently and to promote an environment of educational excellence which is in the best interests of the students of the District. Key Issue 2 My second priority would be to help formulate policy which would prudently and efficiently utilize the funds available to the District. It is essential for a Board member to always remember that the taxpayers of the District are paying the bill, not just the taxpayers who have children in the District, but also those who do not. Board members are stewards of the public purse and must utilize the funds available as resourcefully as possible. In the short term, the financial stability of the District is going to take some collective sacrifice with the understanding that by facing our issues now the District will continue to be strong and vibrant far into the future. This is a critical period in the District. Difficult, challenging and, to some, unpopular decisions will have to be made and quickly. I am willing to make the tough decisions and stand by and justify those decisions.Key Issue 3 My third priority would be to maintain strong, sound and fair employee relations and to explain the various Board decisions not only to the parents, students and taxpayers but to the employees. As a Board, it is important to convey a focused vision and mission, establish goals and institute a viable strategic plan to reach the established goals. My three outlined priorities will always take precedence (in the order delineated above) in designing District goals. My vision for the District is quite simple: To promote a cost-effective environment of educational excellence for the students. If elected as a Board member, I will always attempt to make Board decisions with my three identified priorities in mind: 1) the best interests of the students, 2) the best interests of the taxpayers and 3) the interests of the employees with the students#146; best interests being of primary concern. There is no question that there is an inherent conflict, contradiction and overlap with respect to these priorities and I am sure that not every member of each of the groups will always agree with decisions of the Board, but I truly believe if these priorities guide a Board member's decision making process, the students, taxpayers and employees of the District will ultimately benefit and flourish.Questions Answers How satisfied are you that your district is preparing students for the next stage in their lives, whether it be from elementary into high school or high school into college or full-time employment? What changes, if any, do you think need to be made?I am very satisfied that the District is preparing students for the next steps in their lives. This is not to say that it cannot be improved or be accomplished more cost-effectively.What budget issues will the district have to confront? What measures do you support to address them? If cuts are needed, be specific about programs and expenses that should be reduced or eliminated. Do you support any tax increases for local schools?My general philosophy and theory on elementary and junior high #147;education#148; is that the District should concentrate on the basic, fundamental elementary subjects: reading, language arts, math, science (including computer science) and history/social studies. Although it may not be entirely feasible, I would like to keep cuts as far away from the classroom as possible.I believe it is important to look at the budget as a whole; there should be a determination as to ""what amounts are available"" for the operation of the District and then the budget should be formulated based on the funds which may be available. Reserves should be utilized for emergencies and unforeseen expenses but not to balance the budget. Just as every family in the District must work within the income available to that family and make difficult decisions as to how the available income must be spent, so too must the District work within the amounts available to the District. I would consider cost reduction in all areas, but would start with the items which are farthest from the classroom. I would consider modest tax increases, as a last resort, but only after all budgetary cost items were thoroughly reviewed and cost reductions have been implemented. Is experience as a teacher or support from a union valuable because it suggests educational insights or detrimental because it creates pro-teacher bias? Please clarify whether you have such experience or would accept union support.I believe past experience as a teacher or support from a union generally can be valuable and provide very important insight and practical world experience, but such insight should never trump the primary concerns: the students, taxpayers and employees.I have never been an elementary school teachers and/or a member of a teachers' union. In my many endeavors throughout the years, I have been a member of various other unions and associations and I have been an instructor for various post-graduate and skills programs. At this time, I have not received support from any union or employee group.As contract talks come up with various employee groups, what posture should the board take? Do you believe the district should ask for concessions, expect employee costs to stay about the same as they are now or provide increases in pay or benefits?The Board must maintain a positive and open working relationship with the employees, especially the teachers. The Board must always continue to seek the input of and feedback from the employees. With this in mind, communication is essential and necessary. In an effort to balance the District's budget, the teachers should not be treated as adversaries, but as partners. Good teachers should be paid a fair and reasonable salary. This all being said, the Board has to function within the amounts available and after consideration of these amounts, the Board has to consider all alternatives to formulate a balanced budget. Balancing the budget becomes easier if there can be reductions from several or preferably all areas. Balancing the budget becomes much more difficult and can affect the quality of education if the cuts have to come from only a few areas. It is the job of the Board to try to spread the cost reductions around as much as possible. I do not think that anything should be taken off the table, including without limitation, concessions, freezes and/or increases. We need to do what is best for the students in a resourceful manner. We have to always remember that the teachers and staff are probably the most important determining factor of the quality of the education provided by the District's schools. Excellent teachers portend a first-class education. There is certain to be difficult times ahead with contract negotiations, but if all sides are rational, honest and open, an equitable and manageable agreement can be reached.If your district had a superintendent or other administrator nearing retirement, would you support a substantial increase in his or her pay to help boost pension benefits? Why or why not?Although if bound by contract there is probably nothing the Board could do, I would under no foreseeable circumstances agree to an arbitrary pay increase for the purpose of boosting benefits. Although it is my understanding that such salary ""kickers"" are completely legal in Illinois, it is not fair and it is clearly excessive. As was aptly stated by Upton Sinclair: ""It is difficult to get a man to understand something, if his salary depends on him not understanding."" It is important to be fair and equitable with all employees, but we must also be rational and realistic. If you give someone a dollar, someone else is going to be down a dollar. It is a zero sum game. We all pay for such excesses.