Charles A. Cardella: Candidate Profile

Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioKey IssuesQA Bio City: Long GroveWebsite: http://www.vote125for125.orgOffice sought: Stevenson H.S. D125Age: 58Family: Happily married, 3 fabulous children. Two are graduates of Stevenson and one will be attending Stevenson in two years.Occupation: For the last 26 years, president of Mechanical Component Sales, Inc. A marketing company which promotes companies that manufacture precision components.Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, a concentration in Marketing, University of Illinois, 1975.Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: Vernon Township Republican #277 Precinct CommitteemanHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: No.Candidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Fiscal Responsibility1) Reduce spending in non-critical areas2) Halt the board's practice of approving annual maximum tax levies3) Keep taxes aligned with declining enrollmentKey Issue 2 Excellence in Education1) Build critical thinking skills in every area of study2) Recruit and retain the best teachers3) Achieve Blue Ribbon status againKey Issue 3 Fresh Leadership1) Bring new perspective and transparency to the Board2) Elevate educational experience for ALL students3) Partner with parents in the educational processQuestions Answers Stevenson High has an ethnically diverse campus. Does it do enough to connect with kids from other racial or cultural backgrounds or to reach students and families who don#146;t speak English as their primary language? If not, cite programs you#146;d recommend.I favor promoting the existing classes that are currently offered at Stevenson. Teaching English so that students and all family members are proficient, is a goal I would encourage; it is the one of the keys to successful integration into the American culture.Should the district pursue mergers or partnerships with other districts to save money? Provide examples.Providing ideas of how to save money in administrative duties is something the Stevenson board should regularly consider. I have not been privy to any past board discussions regarding mergers or partnerships with other districts, but I am open to any discussions that would streamline operations and reduce costs.Some residents have questioned district finances and taxes homeowners pay to Stevenson. Do you agree with the way finances have been run? Please explain.Over the years, the Stevenson board has a record of collecting more taxes than what has been required to meet their increasing yearly budgets. Having a surplus is a good thing, but the amount of the surplus is the question to be asked of voters. How much revenue is required to run an appropriate Stevenson budget and at the same time meet the state mandated 25% reserve requirement? In FY 2010, District 125 collected in excess of $13MM over budget. In FY 2009, District 125 collected in excess of $7MM over budget.How involved should the board and parents be in choosing reading materials for students? Should parents be able to veto books assigned to students? Please explain.I believe the role of administrators and teachers is to partner with parents in the ongoing education of the student. I believe it is wise for the board to listen to parents that object to reading material that is inappropriate (in the opinion of the parent), regarding material that does not line up with the traditions or values of families. Offering more reading choices for students ,especially for the assigned summer reading requirements, is a reasonable request. Stevenson should concentrate on requiring reading books that colleges look for when reviewing a student's transcripts and their entrance application.The Statesman battled questions over perceived censorship. Should high-school journalists have the same First Amendment rights as professionals? Explain your opinion.In high school students are continually learning to develop their writing skills. I believe there needs to be written parameters that a reporter, an editor in chief, a student adviser, a board member or a parent could refer to as it pertains to writing an article to be published in the Statesman. Certainly once a document of this nature has been approved by the board ""Writing Parameters for the Statesman"", then I think the student adviser could be empowered to approve a final copy before an article is published. It must be remembered by students, that if they choose writing as their vocation, that they will always be dealing with an editor - whom possess the final say before anything is published.