Nasima Patel: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Nasima Patel

City: Gurnee

Office sought: Woodland School District 50 Board Member

Age:

Family: Married with three children

Occupation: Global Pediatric Marketing Manager

Education: Master's in Business Administration (MBA) and certificates in Project Management, Lean Management, and Higher Education Administration

Civic involvement: Volunteer positions including being a choir mom and teaching Sunday school; served on the Partnership for College & Career Success (PCCS) committee working closely with District 50; served as a Girls Scouts Troop Leader and a Board member for the Greater Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce; in collaboration with several Chambers in Lake County I started the Lake County Young Professionals, providing training and community service opportunities to young professionals in Lake County.

Previous elected offices held: N/A

Incumbent? No

Website: N/A

Facebook: @NasimaforD50

Twitter: N/A

Issue questions

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

Improve educational environment: Taking a careful look at our educational programs and curriculum to provide consistent, rigorous and equitable high-quality learning experiences across the schools in the district; In order to do this, we need to make sure students are prepared and are equipped to succeed in high school and post secondary education; Being a large school district has its advantages, however it can also lead to us providing programs that are impersonal. We need to take a more tailored approach, making sure we cater to the needs of all students.

Address our short and long-term financial challenges: Effective management of our finances so we can continue providing and enhancing learning to all our children in each classroom; Ensuring that our tax dollars and resources are effectively used. Providing a careful oversight of all present and future spending making sure our tax dollars provide the strongest impact towards educational outcomes for students.

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?

Of course, we have a great opportunity in our school district ensuring that our district curriculum is rigorous and inclusive and prepares students for success towards high school and post secondary education. We need to stay focused on essential experiences that will prepare our students towards a meaningful, productive and successful future. We need to utilize the great potential we have in our diverse community and enhance our students learning experiences by creating diversity in the education body to better prepare our students for the future.

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.

I will utilize my business background to maximize and leverage our school district resources and management of expenditures without compromising student learning. Like every public body it's important to live within the tax dollars that the community provides.

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?

N/A

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?

We need to be marketable and take a hard look at our present and future financial efficiencies as we enter negotiations. Provide fair market benefits based on our present and future district fiscal health. We need to provide wages, benefits and work environments that attract the best teachers to our district.

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, the administrators are paid fairly and their pensions are based on their pay.