Joe Sonnefeldt: 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: http://www.joesonnefeldt.comOffice sought: Mount Prospect Elementary D57Age: 46Family: Married, 2 children ages 22 17Occupation: Self-employed musician and music teacher since 1987. Part-time band assistant at John Hersey High School since 1992.Education: Bachelor of Music in PercussionBachelor of Music in Jazz and Commercial MusicAmerican Conservatory of Music, 1987Civic involvement: Former board member of the District 57 Education FoundationMember of 2002 District 57 Facilities Task ForceElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 To increase the level of constructive engagement between the school district and all community stakeholders in order to restore faith in our public schools and trust in the board.Key Issue 2 To reduce and eventually eliminate deficit spending.Key Issue 3 Sustaining educational excellence in the long term.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?Since the district's most recent report card places us in the top 2% of elementary districts in the state, I am currently satisfied with the preparation of our students. We should remain on the path of continuous improvement and assessment of all programs. There have been concerns raised about the effectiveness of the current middle school math curriculum and I would like a thorough assessment of this program.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?Next year's budget is projected to have about a $900,000 deficit. I will work with other board members and administration to eliminate the deficit by looking at all areas and targeting areas which have the least impact on the delivery of services in the classroom. I don't have preconceptions about what should be cut nor do I have areas I consider to be ""off-limits"". I will give strong consideration to the community input collected via the recent survey. Increasing class sizes through teacher lay-offs will be a last resort. I do not support any tax increase in the near term and will work to reduce deficit spending.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.My experience as a substitute teacher in District 57 as well as a part-time assistant in District 214 gives me valuable insights into the day-to-day operations of our schools and the impact that both administrative decisions and board policies have on students. I have never been a member of a teachers' union. I am ""pro-excellence in teaching"".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 current negotiations with the teachers will likely be concluded before this election. Should the contract come up for renewal while I'm on the board, I will re-evaluate it in the context of economic conditions and the fiscal health of the district at that time.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?Absolutely not! This practice is a violation of the public trust and it drains valuable resources from the primary mission of the school district: to provide the highest quality education to our children that the community can support.