Christopher Karam: Candidate Profile

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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: BarringtonWebsite: www.chriskaram.comTwitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Barrington Unit District 220 School Board Age: 40Family: Wife, Katie - 15 year anniversary in November Son, Finley is 10 and in 4th gradeDaughter, Charlie is 8 and in 2nd gradeDaughter, Maeve is 5 and in KindergartenOccupation: Investment Consultant with Sheridan Road FinancialEducation: BS Decision Science Miami University, Oxford, OhioCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions Answers Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is it?I'm running for District 220 School Board to serve and give back to a community that has welcomed me and been such an important part of our family's history. My wife attended Countryside Elementary School, graduated from Barrington High School and we now have three kids at Roslyn Road Elementary School. We look forward to being part of District 220 for the next 12+ years and seeing our kids through their Barrington High School graduation. Being a School Board Member is a great way to contribute and preserve our excellent education system from which our family has flourished. I was inspired to run by my mother, Elaine Karam, who taught several grades in elementary school with an emphasis in special education. She excelled with working with children with varying learning disabilities and with children who fell on the Autism spectrum. It was, and still is, her great passion to learn about how others learn, especially those who need a little extra support along the way. Above all, I look forward to being a good steward of one of our community's great treasures. I pledge to contribute my time toward improving our children's overall academic experience and performance, working collaboratively with the Board while keeping our taxpayers in mind.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?Spending per pupil has increased at a rate more quickly than student assessment results. This is not a good trade off and the Board should be evaluating, dissecting and calibrating our approach if this trend continues.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 local boards of education are de facto extensions of the state board of education giving local control to certain tax issues, financial negotiations and student academic progress measures. Local boards should be very involved in the curriculum and learn how to augment or adjust accordingly to meet the needs of students and parents.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 or fee increases?Taxes are set to decline in District 220 pending the maturity of bonds in 2020. If the local Board does nothing the district's taxpayers are set for a much needed tax reduction. It is vital we hold the line to give some relief to overtaxed constituents. It will force the Board to be more creative with how and why we do things. You cannot continue to just tax and spend without commensurate results.What role can and should school choice play in your district? If Congress or the state approves a voucher system or other means giving students broader choices among public and private schools, how will that affect your district? What is the appropriate response for the board of education of a public school system?School choice is set to be on the national agenda given the new Secretary of Education's track record. Regardless of the extent school choice is allowed, the local Board should be thinking about programs and policies in a competitive manner. We should be the district of desire by parents in the surrounding community by following a sound oversight process that delivers results. If we do that, it will be good for our families, our property values and tax base. We cannot be afraid of school choice, we have to embrace it and challenge ourselves to excel.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?The State of Illinois remains without a budget and continues to have net outlfows of citizens. This will impact most school districts in the state by reduced enrollment. It is critical we be forward looking, realistic and creative with our approaches to educating our students given the volatility of the state's financial condition.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.I think the recent ascent of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt is quite remarkable. He came into power in a very adverse environment.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Remember how fortunate we are in this country. Don't take anything for granted. Nobody owes you anything.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Not sure of a do-over because I don't tend to look backwards. However, I always strive for a good work/life balance.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Math and Spanish were my favorite subjects in school. I still use my math skills everyday and occasionally need to speak another language.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Be respectful of others.