Robin Cleek: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Robin Cleek

City: Vernon Hills

Office sought: School Board Member for Hawthorn CCSD 73

Age: 41

Family: My husband, Gabe, and I have been married for 16 years. We have a 14-year-old son in 8th grade, an 11-year-old son in 6th grade, and an 8-year-old daughter in 3rd grade. They're all students in the Hawthorn 73 school district. I was born in Vernon Hills and lived here until I was in 6th grade, attending Hawthorn schools myself until we moved. My husband and I returned to raise our family here in 2004.

Occupation: Currently, stay at home mother. Previously I was a practicing attorney and still maintain an active license in Illinois.

Education: Juris Doctor, 2002, Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Bachelor of Science in Child and Family Studies, 1999, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Civic involvement: Current school board member for Hawthorn District 73. I'm also a volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocate with CASA Lake County, protecting the best interests of abused and neglected children within the juvenile court system.

Previous elected offices held: School board member, Hawthorn District 73

Incumbent? Yes. If yes, when were you first elected? Elected in April, 2015

Website: N/A

Facebook: Robin Cleek for Hawthorn 73

Twitter: N/A

Issue questions

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

The EFMP set forth in the referendum presentations must be executed in phases over several years. It's crucial that those of us who helped shape those plans carry them out with fidelity to the original goals and budget, while maintaining the flexibility to stop before proceeding to the next phase if that becomes appropriate. I'd also like to focus on improving teacher retention. Teachers are the biggest predictor of in-school achievement (paraphrasing from The Center for Public Education). There is a teacher shortage in Illinois, so we need to make Hawthorn a destination district for educators. I'd like the chance to collaborate with the new Superintendent to accomplish this, as he has an HR background and track record of hiring employees that are successful and stay around. Equity in education is the other area that 73 needs to address. I love our students' diverse backgrounds and abilities, and most students are hitting their academic goals. However, some achievement gaps exist between a few groups which tells me we need to focus more on providing an equitable education, meeting the needs of all students. Every child has the ability to progress.

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'm very satisfied that District 73 is preparing our students for the next stage of their lives. Fortunately, the community highly values education and creating well rounded children and young adults. Our students go on to be successful both academically and in their extra-curriculars at whichever high school they attend. There is regular articulation with the high schools, and we remain open to their feedback on how we can continuously improve our instruction to prepare students for the next chapter of their education. Still, there's always room for improvement. Technology is always changing, and opportunities for STEM abound. We must effectively weave this into our curriculum if we want to prepare our students for high school and beyond. As we look toward drafting a new strategic plan, I'd like the board to set a goal of closing our achievement gaps between various student groups, focus on making educational opportunities equitable across student groups, and continue working toward a more consistent educational experience from building to building. I'm optimistic that working with guidance of our new Superintendent, we can continue to improve outcomes for all students.

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.

District 73 faces uncertainty as to the extent the Teacher Retirement System will shift pension liability back on suburban districts, potential property tax freezes, and often untimely state funding. We must balance the budget after operating at a slight deficit and not passing a referendum question for a permanent tax rate increase. I'd prefer trying to generate revenue. Some ideas include writing grants, partnering with local corporations, renting out space when not in use (already done with the park district), and working cooperatively with more local districts to share expenses (some of this is done with our Early Childhood program and shared bussing). If cuts are still needed, we should look at things that don't negatively impact students, such as going out for lower bids when we can, and auditing some departments to see if inefficiencies are costing us money without improving outcomes. It's premature to make very specific suggestions prior to seeing the recommendation of our finance director and the new Superintendent. The taxpayers sent us a pretty clear message that they want the district to tighten its belt before raising taxes so I believe that's what must be done.

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'm not nor is any member of my family.

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?

The Board and district employee groups should approach negotiations collaboratively. We're all working toward to the same goal of providing the best education possible with the resources available. Although I'm a current Board member, I'm not on the contract negotiations team so I'm somewhat unaware of the details of the most recent negotiation. I do know that our employees are receiving salary increases and our benefits are competitive. If I'm re-elected, I'd hope for the opportunity to participate the next time the contract is negotiated. As I mentioned above, teachers are the biggest in-school predictor of student achievement. They're the ones "in the trenches" daily and I highly value the hard work they do for our students. The Board should try to find a way to meet district goals without asking the employees to make concessions. Salary and benefit increases should be and are considered, and of course several factors should be kept in mind such as the inflation rate, fluctuations in insurance premiums, economy, years of experience, and what similarly situated districts are offering.

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?

No, and Illinois has put measures in place to prevent districts from doing this. I don't believe manipulating the pension system is a good reason for salary increases anyway, even if the state didn't prevent it. Salary increases should be based upon performance, inflation, competitive salaries in surrounding districts, and experience.