Char Lynnette Dalton: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Char Lynnette Dalton

City: Naperville

Office sought: District 203 Board of Education

Age: 39

Family: Yes, three beautiful children, ages 7, 10, 12

Occupation: Business Attorney

Education: Doctoral Degree (JD)

Civic involvement: Active volunteer in Lawyers in the Classroom, Street Law, Diversity Law Student program with Association of Corporate Counsel, and volunteers with disabled adults in Naperville

Previous elected offices held: None

Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? NA

Website: www.chardaltonfor203board.com

Issue questions

What are the most important issues facing your district and how do you intend to address them?

The most important issues in Naperville 203 district are: (i) hiring and retaining highly impactful and quality teachers; (ii) maintaining safety and security in our schools, with empowered and trained individuals, prepared for safeguarding from danger, crime, attacks, and other perils that are increasingly an issue; and (iii) ensuring the school curriculum has consistent programs intentionally geared to promote greater social awareness, anti-bullying, mental health education and assistance to our children on drug resistance and education. Though there is no silver bullet for these complex issues, I look forward to engaging with the teachers, parents, students and faculty, to get their perspectives about what is working and what is not. I am skilled at quickly getting to the root of issues, and feel passionate that policies must be informed by those who work with our children every day. I have a great amount of gratitude and respect for our teachers and other school faculty who dedicate their professions to helping our kids. We must ensure they are engaged and aligned in the solutions to these issues.

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 am extremely impressed with certain aspects of the district in preparing students for the next steps in their lives. Academically, we strive for excellence and are blessed to have fantastic teachers, technology, tools, and very good curricula which are all geared toward preparation for college. My concerns, as a mom of three kids in Naperville schools, are that sometimes too much emphasis is placed on standardized tests and results, including at an elementary level where I have observed many students (including my own) live with a level of stress over testing that is just too great at their ages. I'd like to see more emphasis on mental health of the students at all levels, including teaching them how to manage emotions and ensure the total wellness of the individual is being cultivated. I would like to see our curricula linked to programs that encourage social awareness, emotional intelligence, self-esteem and bolster self-confidence. Without those characteristics being developed in tandem with a strong academic curriculum, our students will lack the necessary ingredients to be successful in the professional world.

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? Be specific.

Like any business, the district must be held accountable to its budget and has a responsibility to carefully analyze all categories and areas of spend. Over the next four years, the cost of technology as well as the growing community in Naperville will place strains on the district budget, especially if we are to keep on the cutting edge of technology, as well as maintain the current classroom sizes that we have. Investments will need to be made in infrastructure, as well as staffing and other expenses. As a business person who analyzes budgets and categories of spend every day, there are always decisions that will have to be made to make an investment in one area, or to make a cut in another. The decisions are never easy and should not be generalized or made without a fact specific query, guided by data and well-informed research. Many politicians in the public sphere campaign based on platforms that they will "never raise taxes", or will "never make cuts". Both statements are in my opinion irresponsible if the outcome of doing either of those things might be reckless under the circumstances. Each board member has a fiduciary obligation to make decisions that take into consideration all of the circumstances, facts, advantages and disadvantages of a particular action. This is certainly the case with respect to budgetary cuts, as well as decisions that impact taxes. It is also important to assess how these decisions can impact the community at large, such as programs that serve underprivileged youth or the economically challenged.

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?

No. I am not employed by the district, nor do I have any relatives employed by the district.

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?

I believe the board should be well-informed and seek input from the various school employee groups. The board has a duty to act in a fiduciary capacity, and is responsible for making decisions that are in the best interests of district 203 schools. The board should not act in a role as advocate for any one special interest group however it should make decisions that are based on the totality of the circumstances and factors. The question about employee concessions or raises in pay or benefits is a generalized question. Without having that question placed in context, having market data, performance criteria linked to pay, budget bench marks, etc. it is not possible to provide a thoughtful response. As a woman in corporate America who is also a leader of several departments, I am often encountered by individuals who advocate for pay increases. I would never consider making a decision or offering an opinion on such requests without first understanding the value proposition that individual is bringing to the table, the ways in which his or her role has changed from what their starting salary was, as well as an analysis of what the market merits for their particular position or role. When dealing with employees in the district, we similarly need this type of analysis before making decisions that impact our district, teachers, students, and community at large who support this through taxes.

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?

My answer to this is similar to the prior answer. Supporting an increase in pay must be a well thought out decision that is not based on emotion, or guided by a desire to get to a certain outcome. Teacher pay and pension benefits requires a thoughtful analysis of the facts such as: market data, community bench marks from neighboring or competing districts, an understanding of how performance or success is defined in the role, saturation of job market or availability of quality competitive candidates as well as budgetary considerations or restraints. This is a delicate needle to thread to get right, and the process must be objective and data driven.