Gary Percy: 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: ElginWebsite: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/home.php?sk=group_167526283289398ap=1Office sought: Elgin Area Unit D46Age: 51Family: Married 26 years with 2 daughtersOccupation: Employed as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician and Crew Chief with American Airlines since 1984Education: US Navy Tech School and University of the District of Columbia for Aviation Maintenance TechnologyCivic involvement: Member of school district U-46 Citizens#146; Advisory Council since 2004/2005 school year; currently CAC Vice-Chair and Co-Chair of Enrollment Facilities Committee; past Chair and Vice-Chair of Legislative Committee. Also served for five years on former Congresswoman Melissa Bean#146;s NCLB/Education Advisory Committee.Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Include all stakeholders in the process of trying to reform the educational system. The education of the children in our district must come before all other concerns.Key Issue 2 Work with area legislators to bring about a stable revenue stream.Key Issue 3 Strive to reform NCLB to reflect educational realities, make ESEA/NCLB less punitive.Questions Answers What prompted you to run for U-46 school board? If you're a newcomer, how will you make a difference? If you're an incumbent, how have you made a difference?I believe that the knowledge and experience gained during my tenure on CAC will translate well to the Board of Education, where providing a quality 21st century education should be the primary goal of all concerned. Nothing less than the future of our country depends on the ability of our children to compete in the global marketplace.With many area high school graduates having to take remedial classes before they can take college-level coursework, what can U-46 do to better prepare students for college?Remediation is a nationwide problem. I believe nationally the statistic is in the vicinity of 63% of kids entering college require some form of remedial classes. By adapting our curriculum to college-ready courses, increasing the rigor of those courses and through assessments to ensure kids are prepared, we should be able to reduce college remediation.Are you committed to eliminating U-46's operating deficit? The administration has set a goal of erasing it by the 2014-15 school year. Is that too aggressive or not enough? What areas would you target for reduction? Is anything off limits?Eliminating the operating deficit is a daunting task. First, one must understand why the deficit exists. There are a myriad of reasons. Some of the deficit is structural and some is the result of the District not being paid in a timely manner by other entities including the State and counties. Economics will determine if 2014/15 is too optimistic. Everything should be on the table.With all union contracts up this year, how should the district approach negotiations? In light of the continuing deficit and state funding issues, do you support a salary freeze? If not, do you support contracts that tie increases to inflation?All groups, everyone, will need to approach these negotiations in the spirit of compromise, the children MUST come first! Everything, all subjects, should be on the table.While the district has not yet had to borrow to meet payroll, it has struggled with cash flow in recent months. What should the district do to manage cash flow so it will not have to rely on tax anticipation warrants? Should it restructure existing debt?I believe the issue of debt restructuring is before the Board now. I would support efforts to improve the district's finances, including debt restructuring. In order to manage ""cash flow"", one needs to have the cash to manage. Hopefully the State realizes that their decisions have far reaching consequences outside of Springfield. We need to work with all levels of government to ensure U-46 has a stable funding stream.