Kim J. Brady: 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: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Stevenson H.S. D125Age: 47Family: Married with five childrenOccupation: Investment BankerEducation: MBA, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, 1999 Bachelor of Science in Finance, Marriott School of Management, Brigham Young University, 1990Civic involvement: Church involvement.Elected offices held: No.Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Fresh Leadership • Bring new perspective and transparency to the board.• Elevate educational experience for ALL students.• Partner with parents in the educational process. Key Issue 2 Excellence in Education • Build critical thinking skills in every area of study.• Recruit and retain the best teachers.• Achieve Blue Ribbon Status again.Key Issue 3 Fiscal Responsibility• Reduce spending in non-critical areas.• Keep taxes aligned with declining enrollment.• Halt the Board's practice of approving annual maximum tax levies. Questions 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.In my view, SHS's learning experience is enhanced and enriched by having an ethnically diverse campus. SHS encourages respect for different cultural backgrounds and offers opportunities to participate in various cultural organizations. Reaching students and families who don't speak English as their primary language is always challenging. I know what this is like, having gone through a Junior High and High school as a foreign student. However, rather than having more programs, I would suggest that the gap can be best minimized if each student and teacher respect and practice the golden rule of ""treating others as they would want to be treated.""Should the district pursue mergers or partnerships with other districts to save money? Provide examples.The district should be sensitive to the financial beating that families have endured in the last few years. The public funds used to operate Stevenson have been entrusted by families. The board has a fiduciary duty to ensure these funds are spent in the best way. There are other ways to save money without having to resort to mergers or partnerships. What the school needs is an ever-vigilant focus on cost control and appropriate capital allocations. Most families have to live this way and we should expect the same from public organizations.Some residents have questioned district finances and taxes homeowners pay to Stevenson. Do you agree with the way finances have been run? Please explain.Stevenson is in great financial shape and has been running surpluses for the last few years. In fact, the ending fund balance has increased from $16 million in FYE 2005 to $65.9 million in FYE 2010. I believe that maintaining an appropriate reserve is prudent and sound financial management, and is necessary to maintain an excellent credit rating to ensure low cost of capital. The question is what is an appropriate reserve? We are running excess surplus funds. In good times, this may make some sense but in difficult times like those we now face, the district should think about spending less and taxing less. The families in district 125 have taken a financial beating with declining home prices. Yet the district has been levying tax increases every year. It seems to me that the board should show greater sensitivity. While the SHS district 125 board of education has proposed a net zero tax increase for the 2010 levy year, this is not the same as no tax levy. What the board did was that they approved the tax levy, and then they're abating 100% for this year. This means that your tax basis continues to go up and next year, you will be taxed based on the higher basis from the prior year. I suspect that most families don't fully understand this. The board should have been more clear in their communication about the differences between proposing a net zero levy as opposed to not levying taxes.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.The board does have a fiduciary duty when it comes to curriculum and reading materials for students. It is the board's responsibility to set standards and expectations. They should advocate choosing reading materials that will elevate critical thinking, foster excellence in education, and prepare students for higher education. Do parents have a say in the process? Certainly, the board should listen to the concerns of parents. Many parents in the district have suggested offering additional book options with higher academic reading levels. While parents should NOT be able to veto books assigned to students, their role is absolutely critical if we are to ensure the success of every student.The Statesman battled questions over perceived censorship. Should high-school journalists have the same First Amendment rights as professionals? Explain your opinion.The Statesman has been under ""prior review"" for two years, which was instituted by the board and the administration. The board and the administration have a right to set certain guidelines and policies with respect to high-school-sponsored publications. This is because high-school-sponsored publications are designed to impart particular knowledge or skills to student participants or audiences. In addition, such publications use the school's name and resources. This is consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, which essentially states that high-school-sponsored publications do not have the same First Amendment rights as professional publications and can be censored if issues arise that are ""reasonably related to legitimate pedagogical concerns."" Having been born and lived in Korea at a time when general censorship was prevalent, I take First Amendment rights very seriously. However, I would hardly characterize the ""prior review"" of the Statesman as censorship or a violation of the First Amendment.