Kim M. Hansen: 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: Hawthorn WoodsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Fremont Elementary D79Age: 42Family: Married with four children-three daughters that attend Fremont Middle Intermediate Schools and a son that is in preschool. I have had children in Fremont District 79 for nearly nine years and will have children in this district for the next ten years.Occupation: Director of Business Development, Toolbox.com. Previously, Publisher, Technology Group, Penton Media Inc. Skill set: fiscal responsibility, solid leadership, strong negotiation skills, effective communication, and the ability to set and achieve goals.Education: Bachelor of Arts in Marketing, Minor in Psychology, Michigan State University, 1990Civic involvement: Fremont Education Foundation trustee, Fremont PTO Ways Means Co-Chair, Girl Scout Council Community Manager, Girl Scout Recruitment Partner for Fremont/Mundelein region, Girl Scout leader for three Fremont troops, Holly#146;s Hope for a Cure committee member, Christ Lutheran Preschool Fundraising committee. In total, I estimate that I volunteer over 250 hours of my time annually to children and community. I have a passion for community service. Two of the two Girl Scout troops that I lead have received two of Girl Scouts#146; highest awards. My 8th grade troop has achieved their Bronze Award for their commitment to our community#146;s seniors and will complete their Silver Award this spring by contributing over 30 hours to helping children in need. My 6th grade troop has earned their Bronze Award through their commitment to the AYSO VIP Program and is in the process of earning their Silver Award by creating a sustainable, outdoor learning environment at Fremont Middle School. This commitment to volunteering has afforded me the opportunity to interact with a wide range of Fremont parents, educators and community members, giving me a well rounded and informed perspective for our board. Elected 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 Curriculum with a Plan for the Future. Fremont District 79 has strong academic scores in most areas, with the exception of writing where last year only 76% of students met or exceeded standards. Fremont has experienced significant growth and the demographics of the population, along with its needs, are changing. I believe our district needs to focus on areas of concern, like writing skills, and also address how we will meet the changing needs of the student population.• Track progress regularly and expect each individual student to improve a full grade level each year #8211; more so if the student is currently tracking below their grade level.• Institute intervention programs at each school and grade level to help children at risk earlier. • Provide educators and staff the tools and training necessary to meet the changing needs of the student population.• In 2011, ISAT will not be testing writing skills. Our district needs a plan to continue to monitor, track progress and improve our students#146; skills in writing. In 2004, ISAT ceased testing writing skills and when they began testing again in 2009, our district scores plummeted from 90% to 68%. • Pay issue to students#146; social and emotional well-being and how it impacts their learning environments and abilities. If elected to the board, I would push for committees in our areas of concern that would bring together teachers, administrators and board members that work together to set goals and objectives and set timelines for progress reports in each area.Key Issue 2 Fiscal Responsibility. Currently, Fremont District 79 has a strong financial rating. With limited anticipated growth in revenue and rising costs, our district needs to:• Make sound decisions with additional spending equal to expense reduction. • Place the technology and resources in the hands of the students and educators with accountability to ensure goals and objectives are being met for the investment.• Protect our community#146;s investments and property values by maintaining our district#146;s reputation and financial rating.If elected to the board, I would volunteer to sit on the finance committee to participate fully in the goal of holding to a balanced budget.Key Issue 3 Community Involvement. If elected to the board, I will strive to create increased community involvement and awareness.• Promote increased discussion among parents, administration, and educators.• Participate in and provide more open communication with the community.• Encourage students to become engaged in their community. I would like to initiate a program that promotes involvement and recognizes our students that give back to their community through community service. If elected to the board, I would push for more transparent communication with the community and as stated above, work to initiate a program that promotes and recognizes community service.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?Historically, I feel that District 79 has done a good job of preparing our children as they move from school to school and from middle school to high school, as evidence by our students#146; strong test scores and school placement. Looking forward and recognizing the changing needs and demographics of our district, we will need to closely monitor individual student progress, provide early intervention for those students that require additional help, and recognize that academic scores alone do not dictate a student#146;s success. An area of improvement for our schools is learning more about the social and emotional factors that our children face during their school day and how it may be positively or negatively impacting their scholastic success.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?Our school district#146;s current budget anticipates limited revenue growth. The challenge for our district and the board will be to keep a tight rein on expenses and anticipate the need to cut dollar to dollar for increased expenditures. If we are successful in doing this, there should not be a need for tax increases or drastic cuts.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 do not personally have formal teaching experience nor have I sought the endorsement of a union. While I do not feel that this experience or endorsement is necessary to be a successful and contributing member of the board of education, I do feel it is vitally important to have open communication with unions and our educators, as our teachers are one of the most valuable assets we have as a district.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?As with any negotiation, I feel that the board needs to enter into discussions from a neutral standpoint and perform as much due diligence as possible in order to come to the most equitable terms for all involved. District 79#146;s teachers are in the first year of a new three year contract that provides for modest salary increases each year. Our current district teachers#146; average salaries fall roughly in the middle of a scale that compares neighboring districts, although this is slightly below state average.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 favor a substantial increase to a superintendent#146;s or other administrator#146;s salary if they are nearing retirement in order to boost their pension. In our state, a superintendent#146;s pension is greatly impacted by their highest salary years. Our district#146;s administrators are fairly compensated in comparison to neighboring districts and the state averages. Artificially inflating these salaries at the end of a career to increase pension funds is a misuse of taxpayer money and an abuse of the pension fund system in relation to how it was intended to be utilized.