DAVID LAMB: Candidate Profile

Back to Geneva Unit District 304 School Board

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: GenevaWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Twitter: Candidate did not respond.Facebook: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Geneva Unit District 304 School Board Age: 53Family: Julie and I have been married for 28 years and moved to Geneva 25 years ago. Both of our sons were born in Geneva. Matt is a 2012 graduate of GHS and a 2016 graduate of the University of Michigan. Mark is a 2015 GHS graduate and is currently a sophomore at Indiana University.Occupation: Managing Director, Nuveen Investments (since 1991)Education: University of Illinois, B.S. in FinanceDePaul University, Accounting Coursework for CPA ExamCivic involvement: Geneva C.U.S.D. #304 School Board Member"circ;cent;2013-PresentGeneva Baseball Association"circ;cent;Board Member 2001-2004, Director of Umpires and Commissioner "circ;cent;Coached travel and in-house teams for 12 yearsGeneva Feeder Program and Geneva Park District Basketball Coach - 5 yearsGeneva Academic Foundation Board Member "â#128;œ joined the Board in April 2012Lawrence Hall Youth Services Board Member 2000-2012, Pension, Investment and Endowment CommitteeElected offices held: Geneva C.U.S.D. #304 School Board Member (2013-Present)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 am running for re-election with the desire to keep the Geneva School District moving forward (#keepmovingforward) in terms of academic achievement and fiscal stewardship. I have served on the Board for the past four years and believe we have made significant improvements in several areas, but in particular, with communication and collaboration between the community, board, administration, and teachers. I also believe the current Board, which is comprised of members with differing viewpoints, is a highly functional group that stays focused on the goals and vision of the District. I believe I have contributed, in a small way, to the positive energy within the District and hope to have the opportunity to serve over the next four years.What do you think about the process for measuring student success in your district? Is it adequate? What changes, if any, do you propose?I believe the process for measuring student achievement is adequate within our District. I believe the District is mindful of the balance between over-testing and the need for appropriate assessments which provides the District, as well as parents, feedback on student achievement and progress. The proper amount of student assessments can also provide valuable insight into educational policies, as well as feedback on teaching and curriculum.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 role of the board of education is to set policies, provide oversight, and to ensure qualified personnel are hired to meet the goals and operational needs of the school district. In Geneva, we are fortunate to have two highly qualified educational professionals that oversee learning and teaching. Part of their responsibility is to stay abreast of current advancements in curriculum, implement changes to curriculum, measure results of the current curriculum, and provide feedback and information to the school board. The school board should have a general understanding of the curriculum, understand goals of the curriculum, and assess how well we are doing against stated objectives. If the curriculum is not meeting stated objectives, then the school board should ask the appropriate professional staff to assess the issue and make appropriate adjustments as necessary.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?I believe our District faces potential budgetary challenges over the next several years due to several issues including inadequate state funding levels, funding shifts away from property wealthy districts like Geneva, property tax freezes, and shifting pension obligations to the local level. Additionally, we are a PTELL district which essentially limits our revenue growth to inflation, and given that we have been in an extended period of relatively low inflation, our ability to make up revenue shortfalls is limited. I believe the District has done a good job of containing costs over the past several years with most of the savings coming from the operations and maintenance budget. We maintain our property and equipment in smart, efficient ways, but certain replacement projects and repairs have been delayed or stretched over multiple years. Those repairs and maintenance will eventually need to occur in order to avoid potentially even greater costs. Further pressure on the cost side comes from unfunded mandates which require additional staff and costs. In addition to cost containment, drawing on fund reserves to ensure the continuity of current programming is something I would favor in lieu of cuts to current programs.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?Fundamentally, I agree with school choice. Over the past few years several proposed school choice options have been presented to our community, and quite frankly, I do not believe they measure up to the product that Geneva School District has to offer. I believe our District offers a compelling and diverse curriculum with experienced and professional educators. I like the choice that Geneva School District has to offer. The one area that concerns me with school choice is that many times the operators of alternative choice schools can be elusive about student outcomes. I think it is important for the community and families to have accurate information about curriculum and student outcomes when making decisions related to school choice.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Effective and consistent communication with our community continues to be a high priority for the District and is an area where we have made major strides in the last several years. This will continue to be a focus of mine, as I believe the District draws strength from an engaged community.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.A bit unconventional, but the leadership skills of Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon inspires me. He is smart, upbeat, and slightly unconventional as a leader.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Didn't realize it was a lesson at the time, but my parents provided guidance on how to give back to the community by their actions.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?No do-overs. Prefer to think about what I can do better tomorrow as opposed to what I didn't do right yesterday.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Not sure I had a favorite subject, but I did have very influential teachers that provided me guidance that went well beyond classroom subject matter.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Life is not a spectator sport so jump in with both feet.