Lisa Yaffe: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Lisa Yaffe

City: Unincorporated Fremont Township (Mundelein)

Office sought: Board of Education, Mundelein High School

Age:

Family: Husband & two children in district - a freshman at Mundelein High School and a 7th-grader at West Oak Middle School

Occupation: Self-employed Leadership Instructor & Coach; Program Director, Leadership & Executive Development Programs at University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Professional & Executive Development

Education: B.S. Business - Indiana University; MBA - Southern Methodist University; Masters in Liberal Arts & Certificate in Leadership - University of Chicago

Civic involvement: Girl Scout Troop Leader

Previous elected offices held: Board of Education, Diamond Lake School District 76; Appointed 2009, Elected 2011 & 2015, President 2011 - 2019

Incumbent? No

Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your district and how do you intend to address them?

Student Safety - Not specific to MHS, but for all schools. Today's learning environments include opportunities and risks prior generations couldn't have imagined. We must be vigilant in assessing and anticipating the challenges of vaping/tobacco, opioids & other substance abuse, violence, cybersecurity, etc. I would support all of the current efforts by the district and its partners in health care and law enforcement, as well as support the work of student groups - such as MASC, the Mundelein After-school Coalition - in inviting students to surface issues and to design student-centered health & safety strategies and programs.

Shoring Up the System - As I detail below, I am pleased with - and inspired by - MHS's career-readiness approach. I would push us to examine if there are students who are not yet reaping the benefits, so that we can heighten every student's ability to pursue their interests.

Shared Superintendent - It is essential for current and future students and staff that the shared superintendent model (between MHS and Mundelein Elementary #75) get established effectively. I would leverage my 9-year board experience to ensure we are addressing issues so that this model serves both districts (and other feeder districts) for the long term.

How satisfied are you that your school district is adequately 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?

I am very pleased with the direction I have seen Mundelein High School taking in pursuing a long view and a comprehensive approach to career readiness. I have seen evidence that Mundelein High School pursues college readiness in academics - and that it is also proactive in heightening parent and student awareness of the strategies and processes for college search & selection and financial aid. Importantly, and more uniquely, the high school administrative team has also been focusing on cultivating awareness, business connections, and employment opportunities for non-college technical skill careers, especially in Lake County. I support this direction and would work to ensure we are continually identifying ways to enhance the information flow about, the technical skills development of, and the employer relationships for a flow of high skill, high wage career-ready students. This creates a virtuous cycle of education/skills and work/jobs for our community.

What budgetary issues will your district have to confront during the next four years and what measures do you support to address them? If you believe cuts are necessary, be specific about programs and expenses that should be considered for reduction or elimination. On the income side, do you support any tax increases? Be specific.

Having reviewed the district Annual Report and having discussed the financials with the district business manager, I do not have concerns about the district's ability to meet its commitments. The district appears to be fiscally sound and to be proactively reducing debt obligations. The opportunity for the district at this time is to ensure taxpayer funds are being used in the most responsible way possible to ensure the district is fulfilling its mission and goals.

Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?

No

As contract talks come up with various school employee groups - teachers, support staff, etc. - what posture should the school board take? 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?

A Board's job is one of balance. Having participated in several contract negotiations, I have learned that you must take multiple factors into consideration. Tax levies from taxing bodies (such as MHS, fire departments, libraries) are one factor calculated in taxes; the economic health and growth the district are also factors - contracts are not happening in a vacuum and require an understanding of the various factors at play.

Taxpayers want to know that their hard-earned dollars are being used effectively; outcomes (graduation rates, school district reputation) matter.

Teaching requires advanced education, skill, professional development, honest/constructive evaluation, and passion - and should be compensated accordingly. We should find efficiencies through process improvement and retiring lower-value expenses to fund appropriate levels of pay for teachers, as informed by external data on teacher pay.

Boards tend to take a longer view on affordability and risk. I advocate for contract commitments that do not exceed future revenue. In the contract at my current district, we have successfully implemented a ceiling to teacher pay that is tied to the Consumer Price Index. That is, collective teacher pay increases will not exceed the pace of revenue growth from taxes.

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 state is now regulating this practice.