Michael Raczak: 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: NapervilleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Indian Prairie Unit District 204 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 60Family: Married, two adult children - Kristin, 30 and Anne, 25.Occupation: Retired, Elementary and Middle School principal and special education teacherEducation: Bachelor of Science in Education and Special Education, Northern Illinois University,1974 Master of Science in Special Education, Northern Illinois University,1978Civic involvement: Volunteer and Church Communicator, Alleluia Lutheran Church Student Mentor in District #204 Volunteer and Consultant for the Association of Illinois Middle Schools President, Association of Illinois Middle Level Schools, 2004-2006 President, The Illinois Association of Persons with Severe Handicaps,1987-1990Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 First and foremost, great school boards know that they are in the business of providing superior education to its children. Board policy and goals should facilitate the staff's ability to continue to help children learn to their fullest potential. Indian Prairie School District #204 students have historically scored at high levels (over 90% meet and exceed state standards on ISAT) of performance as compared to state averages. Changes in test scoring and formats will be initiated beginning this school year. The Board of Education will need to establish new baselines of superior performance to maintain and improve our high standing. In addition, careful monitoring of the academic achievement of each of our student population groups continues to be a priority. District #204 is a wonderfully diverse school district. Active problem solving with our students, parents, teachers and administrators must occur when any group does not achieve at the highest levels of performance.Key Issue 2 With a 2013 budget exceeding 280 million dollars, District #204 runs a major business entity. Unlike most corporations, the District is dependent on many governmental sources for its income. Due to the on going financial crisis that grips the state of Illinois and the continued increase of mandated state and national educational initiatives, approximately 39 million dollars of cuts have occurred over the last several years. Remarkably, the district has continued to perform at high levels, especially in terms of student achievement. Yet, additional cuts may be necessary to maintain the excellent financial standing of the district. The district must maintain a balanced budget and spend within its means. Therefore, the Board of Education will need to continue to work with the community to determine how much we can afford to spend for the various educational and extra-curricular programs that can be made available to our children.Key Issue 3 The Indian Prairie School Board must attain an increased level of trust among its constituents. Trust can be further developed through the demonstration of a more professional demeanor at meetings and by conducting an annual evaluation of Board effectiveness. Second, it is clear that the most effective school boards continually engage in a two-way conversation with the community in order to best advocate for our children's education and the district's performance. Actively listening to the needs of our constituents is paramount. Effective communication + trust = a true partnership in education.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?The implementation of the common core standards has the potential to be the most important educational reform movement in recent years. The authors of the new standards believe that they have been carefully written and "are aligned to college and work expectations, include more rigorous content and application of knowledge through higher order skills, informed by top-performing countries to ensure that our students succeed in a global economy and are evidence and research based." Effective Boards of Education do not write curriculum. They entrust the district experts to research, write and implement curriculum. Active Board members, however, check the progress of the curriculum writing, ask probing questions, provide feedback based on community input during and after the curriculum adoption process and monitor student progress through summative and formative assessments to guarantee that our curriculum is allowing our children to perform at the highest levels possible.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?Although to date, Indian Prairie School District #204 has met the community's mandate of preparing the majority of our children for college and careers after graduation, it is clear the challenge of providing 21st century education to our students in order for them to participate in an ever-changing technological global economy will necessitate that the district never be satisfied with the status quo. Current curriculum will need to imbed the new skills necessary for our children to perform successfully in the future. Perhaps new curriculum will need to be written to guarantee that skills are taught by staff and incorporated into the lives of our children. In addition to our traditional curricular offerings (math, science, language arts, history), greater emphasis will need to be placed on global awareness, business and entrepreneurial literacy, technology, critical-thinking and problem-solving abilities, information literacy skills and communication and collaboration skills.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?Since the fiscal crisis that faces the state of Illinois and the increasing mandates to provide 21st century education continue to exist, further cuts to programming may need to occur. Since District #204 has already cut approximately 39 million dollars over the last several years, it will be increasing difficult to eliminate programs without affecting children. Teaching and learning must become the first priority of our community if more cost reduction is necessary. District staff and educational programs that deal directly with our children should be protected to the greatest extent possible. Administrative costs will need to be scrutinized. Also, community dialog must occur if extra-curricular activities are considered. Yet, equity in the decision making over the elimination of activities will need to occur. A Board of Education needs to guarantee that we reach out to the broadest needs of our children. Before any tax increase could be considered, the Board of Education will need to assure the public that it is maintaining and monitoring a cost effective balanced budget.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?The nature of teacher contract negotiations should entail the consideration of all factors including the economic conditions of the district. If it is fiscally necessary, all groups must understand the current condition of the district and be willing to offer concessions. The district, however, has the responsibility of placing the best teachers and staff in front of its children. In order to attract experienced, highly qualified staff, the district must provide a competitive salary based on the current market value of the Chicago metropolitan area. The Chicago Tribune reported in January, 2013 that Indian Prairie School District #204 teachers average salary ranked 68th of out of 122 Chicago area districts.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?The superintendent and administrators of a district should not receive any additional pay boost beyond what is stipulated in an existing teacher contract. Historically, pay boosts were offered to teachers and administrators at the end of their career to reward longevity in a district and to offset salaries that were not competitive to other careers. Since salaries are now more commensurate with other occupations, pay boosts over time may be eliminated for all school district employees.