Denise Glasgow: 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: Arlington HeightsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Arlington Heights District 25 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 46Family: Married to Thomas Glasgow, three children Alexis, Trevor and Claudia.Occupation: Former Assistant Superintendent, Former Elementary School PrincipalEducation: Doctorate of Educational Leadership Master of Educational Leadership Master of Educational Curriculum Bachelor of Elementary EducationCivic involvement: AHSD 25 PTA Council Member South PTA member Former Westgate PTA Board President Former Westgate Girl Scout Leader Northwest Community Hospital Foundation MemberElected offices held: Arlington Heights School District 25 School Board Member Arlington Heights School District 25 School Board Secretary Former Westgate PTA PresidentHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 My number 1 issue since I was elected to AHSD 25 in 2005 is to provide all students in Arlington Heights School District 25 the academic, social and emotional education to prepare them for the 21st century, while being fiscally responsible.Key Issue 2 My second issue is to improve communication between the school district/board and the community. I believe the school board/district can continue to look at ways to enable the community to better understand and discuss school district issues. We have great strength when we collaborate and work together. Finding ways to harness the collective resources of our community can only make our school district stronger.Key Issue 3 My third issue is to make sure we continue to deliver the best education possible in a sound and fiscally prudent manner. The district has had a great record of providing excellent opportunities for students within a responsible budget. Given the states financial crisis, revenue levels for the school district are threatened. However, as a board we have to proactively manage and balance the financial needs of the district that best meets the needs of the students of AHSD 25.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 fully support the shift to Common Core Standards. The standards clearly communicate what is expected of students at each grade level. They allow our teachers to be better equipped to know exactly what they need to help students learn and establish individualized benchmarks for them. The Common Core State Standards focus on core conceptual understandings and procedures starting in the early grades, thus enabling teachers to take the time needed to teach core concepts and procedures well in order to give students the opportunity to master them. With students, parents and teachers all on the same page and working together on shared goals, we can ensure that students make progress each year and graduate from school prepared to succeed in college and in the workforce. The School Board's role should be to support efforts to align our curriculum and instruction with the Common Core Standards.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?Arlington Heights School District 25 continues to do an excellent job of preparing our students for High School District 214. Arlington Heights School District 25 students remain in the top tier of all academic areas for students entering high school. In order for students to remain in the top tier, our administrators need to continue and improve the dialogue between our school district and the high school district.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?Perhaps the biggest budget issue is with the State of Illinois, in particular its paralyzing pension obligations and its failure to provide school districts the financial support on which their budgets were predicated. The pension debate, as to whether local school districts will help pay for pensions, as well as the reduction or elimination of state income will have a great impact on the future of AHSD 25 finances. We will need to examine all areas of our budget in order to continue to provide the best educational programs within our budget. Parents and the community have come to expect the excellent conditions of our buildings and facilities, low teacher-student ratio as well as a broad based curriculum. We will need to weigh these expectations with our school district finances in order to determine if any tax increases are necessary in the future.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 negotiations are very important and among the biggest expenditure in the school district budget. The School Board and the school employee groups have always successfully negotiated a mutually acceptable contract, which was in the best interest of the students and community it serves. Negotiations are often a delicate give and take process, in which concessions from both sides are often needed. Concessions can be in a variety of forms such as money, time or resources. The AHSD 25 teacher negotiation process has begun and will hopefully result in a successful agreement in which all parties' needs are met and most importantly is in the best interest of the students in AHSD 25.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?Our Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Sarah Jerome, is retiring at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. The School Board did not give her an increase in pay to boost her pension benefits. We are facing critical financial times and therefore would find it very difficult to support giving administrators pension benefit increases.