Lisa Willuweit: Candidate Profile

Back to Benjamin District 25 School Board 4-year term

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:BioQA Bio City: West ChicagoWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Benjamin District 25 School Board 4-year term Age: 42Family: husband-Chad Pechman 2 children-daughter in 5th grade and son in 3rd gradeOccupation: Humanities Division Head (high school administrator)Education: Bachelor of Arts in Teaching of Social Studies from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1995 Masters of Arts in Educational Administration from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2000Civic involvement: Secretary of the Benjamin Foundation for Academic Excellence Member of the Illinois Civic Mission Coalition Chairperson of the DuPage County Social Studies Conference Involved with civic education opportunities for students as a Social Studies teacher and administrator (Candidate Forums, Voter Registration Drives, Local Government Official Meet and Greets) DuPage County Deputy Voter Registrar Volunteer Girl Scout leader for six years Volunteer softball coach for four years PTA Art Awareness VolunteerElected offices held: noneQuestions Answers 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?Over the six years that my children have been students in the district, we have been extremely satisfied with the education they have been receiving. The school not only provides quality experiences in reading, social studies, science, and mathematics, but also in music and art. That well rounded education is crucial for the education of the whole child. The small environment of the district has created a sense of community with the staff, students, and parents which positively contributes to the educational experience for everyone. As a teacher at the high school District 25 feeds into, I have seen firsthand the high level of preparedness that Benjamin students have for high school.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 for local schools? Again, be specific.As with any district, challenges will continue in the future due to reduced funding from the state, increased unfunded mandates from both the state and federal government, and rising costs. My attention will be on ensuring that the high quality programs and personnel in the district continue to be supported.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?I am currently employed by Community High School District 94 and have been since 1996. No one in my direct family is employed by Benjamin District 25.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?Any effective school board must balance their responsibility to the taxpayers with providing completive salary and benefits for the staff, in order to ultimately provide the best educational opportunities for the children.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?A reasonable and customary retirement bonus is something worth considering, but extravagant bonuses would be harmful to the financial health of any district.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Benjamin District 25 is a high quality district providing strong education experiences for our children. With the increased use of technology, as well as the increased frequency and demands of state testing, we must be mindful of the impact they have on current programs and instruction time. Maintaining a strong education in the arts is important to me, as research demonstrates that students perform better in all subject areas when involved with music and art programs.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Although not current, Jane Addams and Eleanor Roosevelt have always inspired me with their tireless work to improve the lives and rights of citizens.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Spending time together as a family; we had family vacations, family dinners, and my parents were involved in scouts and coached our sports teams.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I would have pursued more extracurricular activities earlier in my academic career. I waited until high school and wished I had started in junior high.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Social Studies and Music. Music was a part of my life through college and beyond. It taught me valuable lessons in leadership, commitment, and dedication.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Stay true to yourselves. Find what you enjoy and don't be afraid to pursue it.