Frank Zak: 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: Glen EllynWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Glen Ellyn Elementary District 89 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 52Family: Married with 2 children.Occupation: Corporate TrainerEducation: Bachelor of Arts in Interpersonal Communication, Marquette University, 1982. Master of Science in Education, Western Illinois University, 1984.Civic involvement: YMCA Princess Program Various Elementary and Middle School Groups and ActivitiesElected offices held: School Board Member, CCSD 89, 2005 - present.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Ratifying a new teacher contract that allows us to continue to pay our teachers competitively, attract quality staff and operate within fiscal constraints.Key Issue 2 To continue to manage our budget in light of current economic conditions, legislative issues and declining property values.Key Issue 3 To continue to focus on student learning and achievement in a rapidly changing global learning environment.Questions Answers What do you think about the shift to the common core standards? How big a role do you think the board of education should play in setting the curriculum for students and what ideas do you have for changes to the current curriculum?I believe the common core standards provide a realistic way to measure student achievement and teacher effectiveness. It creates standards across a wide spectrum that will allow significant opportunities to benchmark achievement and student growth in learning. I believe the BOE should play an oversight role and allow the superintendent and assistant superintendent of curriculum, utilizing their expertise, to develop the curriculum in conjunction with feedback from teachers and staff.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?Our district has a consistent track record of producing high performing students. I believe our motto "Learning for Life" is alive and well.What budget issues will your district have to confront and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, what programs and expenses should be reduced or eliminated? On the income side, do you support any tax increases?District 89, as have many districts, has made numerous cuts and renegotiated numerous contracts to try to maintain our goal of being fiscally responsible. District 89 has not had a tax increase in over 20 years. We continue to look for ways to reduce expenses while keeping student learning at the top of our mind. There are several legislative issues looming in the background (i.e. pension reform) that may make a tax rate increase inevitable.As contract talks come up with various school employee groups, do you believe the district should ask for concessions from its employees, expect employee costs to stay about the same as they are now or provide increases in pay or benefits?I believe that a school district is a product of all the groups it serves. Residents, teachers and staff. All groups must come together to look at any opportunities to save costs while still providing a top quality education to our students. All options must be explored.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?End of career salary increases are certainly getting a lot of attention. All compensation is negotiated as part of administrator and teacher contracts including retirement enhancements. We have already begun to limit end of career increases in our administrator contracts and will continue to do what is fair and equitable for all parties concerned.