Jeanette Zaura Weller: Candidate profile
Bio
Name: Jeanette Zaura Weller
City: Des Plaines
Office sought: District 62 School Board
Age: 37
Family: Husband, Zachary, son, Benjamin (4), and daughter, Hannah (2)
Occupation: Middle School Math Teacher
Education: Business/Marketing Degree from Western Illinois University, Teaching Certificate Dominican University, ESL Endorsement from National Lewis University, Algebra Endorsement from DePaul University
Civic involvement: None
Previous elected offices held: None
Incumbent? If yes, when were you first elected? No
Website: None
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeanette.zaura
Twitter: twitter.com/JeanetteWeller
Issue questions
What are the most important issues facing your district and how do you intend to address them?
Most important issues facing our district is making sure each school has the proper resources to help achieve student growth. Teaching the whole child in the 21st century has many challenges. How do we create educational environment for each individual child making sure they have the best learning environment as well as the best working environment for our staff. Family connections is important and having a mainstreamed communication hub for all parents to stay connected is key.
How satisfied are you that your school district is adequately preparing students for the next stage in their lives, elementary school into high school? What changes, if any, do you think need to be made?
My own children are not to the age of late middle to high school but I have worked with this age group for 10 years. Schools are doing the best they can with the resources they have. Teachers and staff are committed to preparing them to be successful members of society. Better engagement between the school and parents is needed to fully prepare our students for the next chapter in their lives.
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.
Before I would make a statement on this I need to get briefed on our district's financial situation. Based on attending a couple of board meetings we have money in reserves and we are ready for what comes ahead. I do not feel comfortable making a comment on budget, reductions, or cuts without full knowledge of what I am speaking about first.
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 employed by Bensenville District 2 where I am a 6th grade math teacher.
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?
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 believe this is a state side issue that needs to be addressed. I do not agree on inflating anyone's salary for the purpose of pension. There should be a balance of pension funding and personal retirement planning.