Mary Akemann VanSlyck: 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: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Elgin Area Unit D46Age: 65Family: Married 44 years. 4 children 2 boys 2 girls all adults nowOccupation: career specialist Bartlett High School 10 yearsEducation: Presently finishing a BS thru Northern Illinois UniversityAttended University of Wisconsin Madison a long time ago for 3 years.Civic involvement: Larkin Center 12 years on the board. 2 years as president. Citizens Advisory Council 10 years committee chair for committees like academy, curriculum, graduation requirements. 4 years on the Elgin Community college Alliance for College Readiness with 2 as co-chair of Allied Health committee.Long time adult Sunday school teacher.Boy and Girl scout leaderElected offices held: noneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: noCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 I want students to exit high school ready to do their next choice whether it is a school or a job.We need to improve areas from academics to guidance to achieve this.Key Issue 2 U-46 does not effectively collect and use statistical data. What data that is collected is not easily available to be used by administrators, teachers and parents.Key Issue 3 There are many inequities in achievement between students. U-46 needs to find more effective ways to bridge those gaps.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 have been interested in education all my life. My father served 18 years on the U-46 board and we used to discuss schools and how they could be better.I have always been committed to public education. Now is a good time in my life to try to help improve the U-46 schools.I will study the research and ask good questions to hold the administration accountable.I will use my years of work in the schools and Citizens Advisory Council for U-46 to advocate for students.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?I think we need to increase graduation requirements. I think we need more rigor and accountability by students in ""regular"" classes.They need to be expected to do better We need to steadily increase responsibility for students as they move from freshman to senior year.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?We must eliminate the deficit. The timetable seems reasonable.If the promise of more funding from Illinois comes true, than we could look at a faster timetable. All expenditures should be looked at yearly for effectiveness.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?Negotiations should be done in a spirit of cooperation with the best interests of students at the forefront.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?The state has said with the tax increase, it will be paying it's bills on time. If payments come as they promise, the question will not arise. Given the state's financial troubles, however, it will be wise to be ready in case Illinois falls significantly behind. One should look at restructuring as market conditions change.