Don Alexander: Candidate Profile

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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: ItascaWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Itasca District 10 School Board Age: 44Family: Married with 2 children, 2nd and 4th grade.Occupation: Application TechnologistEducation: Bachelors - Computer Science MBA - Business AdministrationCivic involvement: Itasca Lions Club Itasca Princesses - Daddy/Daughter organization Itasca Guides - Daddy/Son OrganizationElected offices held: Candidate did not respond.Questions 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?I think district 10 is doing a great job at educating our children. I have 2 children in the district, and am very happy with the teachers and the school system.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.I'm sure there will be several budgetary issues that are not known yet, but will arise in the next 4 years. I support gathering as much information on the subject as possible, and using all available information to make the best decision for the district. It is difficult to be specific about programs to be cut or taxes to be imposed without all information on a specific issue available to me. I don't think speculation benefits anyone. I feel that only when you have all the information you can gather to make a good decision about a topic, then you can make a recommendation.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?NoAs 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?I think that every situation needs to be evaluated independently. I feel that only after all available information is taken into consideration, the school board should then decide on what action to take. I believe that in any negotiation situation, each side should come into the negotiations with an open mind and hear each other out. Common ground can usually be found with open minds.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 support what is best for the school system as a whole. I would have to be presented with all of the information about the situation, and evaluate how that would benefit the children of District 10. I think our teachers, superintendent and administrators are excellent. I do not think that arbitrarily boosting pay to boost pensions may be the best situation for future generations. Again, once all information on the matter is taken into account, then an informed decision can be made on the topic.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I'll address specific issues as they come if I'm elected. My goal is to bring a different perspective to the board, and try and make informative decisions to benefit the children, families, taxpayers, and teachers of District 10.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.The late Steve Jobs for forward thinking and innovation.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Respect. Respect others, and respect yourself.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?Nothing. I wouldn't jeopardize having the family I have now for a do-over.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Science. It made me ask more questions about every topic to get as much information as possible.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Treat others how you want them to treat you.