advertisement

Mara Thanos: Candidate Profile

Medinah District 11 School Board (4-year Terms)

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: MedinahWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Medinah District 11 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 46Family: I have been married for almost almost 20 years, and my husband and I have 4 children.Occupation: I am a middle school social studies and language arts teacher.Education: Master degree in curriculum and instructionCivic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: noneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 My number one campaign goal is to continue to support the excellent curriculum that my 4 children have benefited from in District 11.Key Issue 2 I would like to support safe schools.Key Issue 3 Candidate did not respond.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 the shift to common core standards is appropriate as well as interesting. I believe the district should embrace these changes and continue to strive to meet and exceed the common core standards. The role of the board of education is to support the curriculum director and committee as they review and plan for any changes that may need to be made to the current curriculum.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?I am very satisfied with the district. My oldest daughter is currently at Lake Park and is taking 2 AP classes as well as 1 honor class. My second child is a freshman at Lake Park and is taking an honors class this year. Both of my girls had a smooth transition from middle school to high school. Therefore, I feel the district has done a fine job preparing my daughter academically and helped foster the idea of life long learning.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?When budget issues arise I look forward to working with the other members on the school board to make decisions that benefit all of our stakeholders. I believe that strong schools help the entire community.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?I look forward to working with all of the members of the District 11 community to deal with a contract talk that provides a win-win situation for all. It is crucial in the current global economy to employ excellent and distinguished teachers, and it is equally important to be fiscally responsible.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?I would analyze the practice of surrounding district, and listen to the opinions of fellow board member before I would make my decision.