Thomas Lawler: 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: Wood DaleWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Fenton High School District 100 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 38Family: Married, 4 year old daughter.Occupation: Hair StylistEducation: Marist High School, Capri Beauty CollegeCivic involvement: Governor-appointed member of The Illinois Department of Professional Financial Regulation; Advisory Board Member, Technology Center of DuPage; Advisory Board Member, College of DuPage; Advisory Board Member, Regency Beauty Institute; Board Member, Hair Professionals School of Cosmetology; Advisory Board Member, Capri Beauty College.Elected offices held: Filled vacancy on District 100 Board of Education (September 2012 Present).Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 I want to support alternatives to college. While college or university may not be the reality for all students, it is vital that we prepare them for the workforce by supporting their pursuit of trades. A tradesperson can earn a fine living as a respected member of our community. These kids should never feel like a failure because they aren't attending a four-year college.Key Issue 2 The amount of money we spend relative to our student achievement is shameful. The easiest thing in the world to do is to throw taxpayer money at a problem and hope it goes away. The problems in our schools remain and we need accountability to get the results we desire.Key Issue 3 A realistic and sensible approach to pension reform: We will not all be happy, but something must be done.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 think it's a good start. The Board should have the correct people in place to ensure a successful transition to the common core standard and policies. To that end, we need to monitor and intervene when necessary so our kids are prepared for any path they choose.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?A simple Google search shows that our kids can do better. If a child fails to meet the school's level of achievement, then we must keep working with the boy or girl until they meet and exceed those achievement levels. Pushing them on to the next grade is unacceptable. We need to compare ourselves to the most successful districts, elevate ourselves to a higher level, and never make excuses for our kids or our community.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?As pension reform becomes a greater concern, we will all have to make tough, realistic choices. I do not support tax increases. Our district receives plenty of income from our taxes. Our problem is how we spend it.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?Contract talks are a multi-dimensional issue. New contracts will impact taxpayers, school employees, families, and, most of all, our children. Still, I will not advocate the status quo or increased pay or benefits when the average teacher salary is roughly twice the average taxpayer's salary. The average household income for a Bensenville resident is $52,000.00. The average household income for a Wood Dale resident it is $57,000.00. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, the average teacher salary at District 100 is $105,803.00.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?Absolutely not. That is one of the reasons our state is in such terrible financial shape. We should not take away something someone has earned, but the practice described above is essentially theft of money that we could otherwise spend on educating our children.