Elisa Camp: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Elisa Camp

City: Mundelein

Office sought: Mundelein Elementary School Board - District 75

Occupation: former art teacher - museum education, freelance illustrator

Education: graduate of Deerfield High School, Deerfield; BFA, undergraduate Studio Art, Painting and Drawing (University of Wisconsin); MAAH, graduate Art History (The School of the Art Institute of Chicago)

Civic involvement: N/A

Previous elected offices held: N/A

Incumbent: No. If yes, when were first elected?

Website: N/A

Facebook: N/A

Twitter: N/A

Issue questions

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

As Districts 75 and 120 move toward a system of shared services, cooperative efforts and communication between each school, administration, staff and the school boards will be essential. Streamlining costs while retaining quality education should be everyone's goal. The role of each of the two school boards will be financial oversight.

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?

The dual language immersion program is of great benefit to the participating students in District 75. Students who are exposed to another culture, through language, gain a broader understanding of the diverse nature of our society. If resources are available, it would benefit the students of District 75 to expand the program to the intermediate grades.

Preparing students in the elementary grades for Advanced Placement classes taken later - in high school - should be one of the educational goals of District 75. Students who have the opportunity to start learning a subject earlier will have far greater success on an AP exam than a student who tries to absorb the subject only after they enter high school. Financial literacy concepts can be integrated into an existing mathematics or Common Core curriculum, and an early start benefits all students. If a child can add and subtract, they can begin to learn the concept of creating a simple budget. When a child learns how to calculate percentages, they can be exposed to the concept of interest rates. Although Illinois law mandates nine weeks of consumer education in high school, learning basic money management concepts in the elementary grades can help a student better prepare to manage money - earnings and debt - throughout their lifetimes.

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.

Mundelein Elementary School District 75 will receive additional state funds due to a recent law: Evidence-Based Funding for Student Success Act (Public Act 100-0465). The School Board will need to collectively decide how best to utilize the funds. Due to these additional funds, I don't anticipate any tax increases, nor do I anticipate any significant cuts to District 75's annual budget.

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 have a background in museum education. I taught studio art classes for years at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Museum education focuses on lifelong learning, and has a mission of serving the general public, from early childhood through adulthood. As a museum educator, I primarily taught classes of individual students, but I also interacted with school groups and teachers. While a number of my relatives have previously been employed as public school teachers, none taught in this school 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?

Providing excellence in education is the priority, and retaining a team of caring, motivated and talented teachers and staff creates a positive environment for learning. As District 75 works to economize costs through the shared services program, staff compensation and benefits should focus on retention.

* 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?

Any existing contractual agreement with an administrator or superintendent should be honored. A new contract with a newly negotiated salary should be commensurate with responsibilities and experience, not with an aim to boost a future pension.