William Harper: 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: SchaumburgWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Schaumburg Twp. Elementary D54Age: 55Family: Married to Barb and we have 3 children. Justin is 28, is married and a police officer. Kristin is 24 and works at Golf Rose Animal Hospital. Brandon is 22 and is working on his masters degree in accounting. All 3 children went through District 54.Occupation: RealtorEducation: 2 years collegeCivic involvement: PTA from 1990 to 2000, coached youth baseball, basketball and bowling.Elected offices held: Board member in School District 54 from 2001 til present and while on board served on the policy committee and budget committee.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 What is best for the children of District 54.Key Issue 2 Working environment for teachers, staff and administration. Strong communication with teachers and union.Key Issue 3 Continue to have a balanced budgetQuestions 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?Very satisfied. We now have 16 schools that have reached the 90/90 mark, which is the district's goal (to have 90% of their students meet or exceed the state standards).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?We have had a balanced budget for the last 15 years. We evaluate programs every year and we don't look for new revenue, we look for ways to fund programs we need.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.When making any decision you have to look at all opinions. Those from teachers, staff, parents and community groups. The key is to look at everyone's experience and determine what is best for the children. We have a great teacher staff and I always welcome their insight and opinions.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?We should always be looking to provide the best education while at the same time watching costs. We have mantained quality teachers in District 54 while sharing in the changes of benefits and insurance with the teachers.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?Every contract has to be looked at differently. With the new state legislation the raises are now capped and we either match them or come in under them.