Timothy Johnson, 4 years: 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:BioQA Bio City: MundeleinWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mundelein Elementary D75, 4-year termAge: 51Family: Married, 3 ChildrenOccupation: Engineer/ManagerEducation: BS Electrical Engineering, Purdue UniversityMS Electrical Engineering, Purdue UniversityPh.D. Electrical Engineering, Florida TechMBA, Florida TechCivic involvement: Coaching - SoccerElected offices held: Member - Board of Education - Mundelein Elementary District #75Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoQuestions 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?We can never be satisfied with the preparation we provide for our students. We can always do better. I do believe that given the resources available to the district we have done an exceptional job for our students and the community.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?Falling enrollment, falling EAVs, and budget pressures at the local, state and federal levels all contribute to placing the school district under significant financial pressure. We need to balance our short term needs with the long term health of the district and the community. It is impossible as an individual to identify programs or expenses that need to be cut - this process requires input and involvement for the faculty, staff, administration, parents and community to determine the proper balance of reductions, cuts, changes in programs and possible increases in taxes.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.Teachers and the local teachers union are critical members of our community and decision process. Including them in the discussions strengthens the debate and does not create an un-due bias.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?A number of factors enter into contract negotiations and each case must be considered on its own merit.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?A number of factors enter into contract negotiations and each case must be considered on its own merit.