Gary Gordon: 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: LincolnshireWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Lincolnshire-Prairie View D103Age: 42Family: Married, 2 childrenOccupation: Government Finance DirectorEducation: MA in Political Science, Loyola University ChicagoBA in Political Science, University of California, Santa CruzCivic involvement: School Board Vice PresidentDirector of Soccer for Spring Lake SportsSoccer CoachFormer Treasurer and Board Member, Lincolnshire Community AssociationElected offices held: School Board, 2007 - presentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: noCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Continue to maintain the fiscal health of District 103 to ensure the long term availability of funding for our excellent educational programsKey Issue 2 Implement the programs identified in the District's Vision 2015 planKey Issue 3 Provide continuity on the board as we prepare for the upcoming turnover of high level administrative positions.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?Schools need to adapt to changing conditions. To this end, the District and Board recently completed a community visioning process, Vision 2015, to plan now for the future of District 103. This has given us a road map to follow to ensure we are preparing students for future challenges. Specific identified needs included enhanced technology and foreign language offerings. We must now ensure the implementation of this plan to ensure our students are in fact prepared for the challenges they will face.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?Like any local government, in the coming years District 103 will be facing reduced new development and flat or declining property values. Along with reductions in State aid, these factors will certainly limit future budgets. In recognition of these factors, District 103 has taken steps over the past several years to create a sustainable budget. As a result, for the near future it does not appear that significant reductions will be required. However, it is important that we continue to ensure that budget is balanced for not just the short term but also the long term. To this end it is critical that the Board continue to ensure that future expenditures are in line with the current economic realities.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.As a Board member, I must represent a range of constituents that include those that pay for services (the taxpayers), those that need services (the students) and those that provide services (the teachers and administrators). Certainly the support and insight from one of these groups is important, but not more so than any other group. I do not have experience as an educator but feel I am able to gain this insight in other ways when needed, just as I can gain a balanced perspective from the other constituencies. To ensure this balanced approach, I would not seek union support.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?In the not too distant future, District 103 will be entering into union negotiations. Consistent with the other union negotiations I have been involved with, I feel it is best not to negotiate through the press. I will say, however, that In the difficult economic climate we find ourselves in, contracts should reflect the realities of financial constraints.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?I would not support any action that would lead to pension spiking. There is no legitimate rational to increase the burden on the taxpayer supported pension fund in order to increase the benefits to individuals beyond those that are legally or contractually required.