Laura Mellon: 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: MundeleinWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Mundelein High School District 120 School Board (4-year Terms)Age: 52Family: Married to John for almost 20 years, 1 daughter, a Senior, at MHS, and a son, a Junior at MHSOccupation: I am a Youth Leadership Advocate at Lake County Center for Independent Living AND the Party Coordinator at Mundelein Park and Recreation District.Education: BA in Economics, Indiana University, 1982Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: Candidate did not respond.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 To raise the academic excellence at MHSKey Issue 2 Good relationships between staff, administration, students and parentsKey Issue 3 To bring more positive public exposure to MHS and to raise it's image locallyQuestions 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 recognize the need for common core standards and want to include ways for students and teachers to claim their educational uniqueness. My 2 children have gone through the Mundelein School system since Kindergarten, with very different educational needs, and there have been times when the requirements underscored their ability.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?My experience as an advocate and instructor for high schoolers with special needs has led me to see that MHS is doing a good job preparing students for their futures. However, we will need to be open to changes that will meet the needs of our quickly changing world, and with regard to the individual needs of each student.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?I have to take my hat off to the current Board members for taking the budget from red to black. I hope to continue on their path. I do not support tax increases.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?Nothing is off the table, but it is hard to predict what situation may arise in the future, or to predict what steps we will need to come to a consensus.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 not support an increase in pay for an administrator nearing retirement, unless there was money in the budget to do the same for teachers and other staff. If the salaries and benefits are fair now, then let's stay the course.