Nancy DiCanio: Candidate Profile

Back to Queen Bee District 16 School Board

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: Glendale HeightsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Queen Bee District 16 School Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: Sons - Michael and JonathanOccupation: Office AdministratorEducation: B.A. Psych M.A.T. - Education (6 hrs to complete)Civic involvement: Member District 16 School Board for 28 or so years Secretary Ollman Townhome Assn.Elected offices held: President Vice President MemberQuestions 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?Our District has made many improvements in math and reading programs and staff, but there is always room for improvement. In addition, I would like to see more emphasis on science. Math and science are the bases for many good careers. We must continue to ask more of our students---they will rise to the challenge. We are in the process of evaluating every program to ensure each one does what we expect it to do.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.We are currently in a good place with our budget. We have had a balanced budget due to the deep cuts in staffing made a number of years ago. We continue to watch state funding and hope that a real answer to the need for a new, improved, and logical funding formula will happen soon. Schools take the biggest piece of our tax dollars and those dollars must be spent wisely and with accountability.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?When working towards my M.A.T., I worked in District 15 (Glendale Hts), Wheaton and Naperville. My son was recently employed by District 16 as a member of the janitorial staff. He had previously worked for the district as part-time summer help while a teenager.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?We work closely with our staff to maintain good relationships. Our union membership gave concessions when asked and we have provided pay increases to the best of our ability. When times were tough, the union members stepped up and helped. It is so much better for everyone to be working together than to be adversarial. We are all there to make a difference for the children in our care.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 could support some increase depending on length of employment with the district and work quality, although I am not certain what is meant by 'substantial'. I expect that the entire pension system will see changes.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?Encouraging our community to become more involved with the schools. Continuing to address all the needs of our growing bi-lingual population. And making certain we are still meeting the needs of ALL of our students and preparing them for high school and beyond. We are working closely with the Glenbard district to align programs.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Candidate did not respond.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Education is important.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Finding out sooner that my younger son had cancer and getting him more aggressive treatment.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?English/language arts. Strong communications skills are necessary for almost every job. One of my current job responsibilities is editing very technical reports.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Get as much education as you can.