David Weisberg: 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://not available yetOffice sought: Stevenson H.S. D125Age: 62Family: Married to Cydney, one son...BrianOccupation: Retired, Founder of Actown Electrocoil Inc.... 32 years in my own business, company acquired by Actuant (ticker: atu) in 2006. Manufactured coils transformers. Primary location in Spring Grove, IL with manufacturing locations in Mexico and China.Education: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, University of Illinois, 1971Civic involvement: Candidate did not respond.Elected offices held: NoneHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: NoCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 Education Excellence:1) To ensure Stevenson continues its positive momentum toward educational excellence. -- Even though Stevenson's class of 2010 posted the highest ACT score in school history (26.2), striving for greater excellence means continuing to challange the status quo.2) To ensure Stevenson remains the ""gold standard"" (both locally and nationally) among its peer group that it is today. --Every month, other school districts from around the country come to Stevenson to see how we do it. They actually ""pay"" to spend a day with our staff, teachers and students hoping to gleen something from us. WE are the benchmark.3) To ensure our kids are prepared, and able to compete on a global basis in the future. --The Wall Street Journal reported (1/26/11) the results of a National Science Test showing the US students were now lagging behind their Asian counterparts. We need to reverse this trend. Key Issue 2 Financial:1) To continue the prudent management of Stevenson's financial affairs in order to build a solid foundation for tomorrow's students. -- Work toward maintaining Stevenson's AAA rating from SP.2) To protect one of this community's most important assets (arguably its most important asset), so it may continue to provide the strong economic foundation that everyone in the Stevenson district enjoys today. --Even without children at Stevenson, a high quality school district directly impacts the value of our homes.Key Issue 3 Culture:Maintaining the current culture is key. It's the vehicle which has enabled Stevenson to achieve the results and level of national prominence it has today. More specifically:1) The school's culture of tolerance, inclusion and respect provides an atmosphere of openness and freedom that allows all kids flourish and focus on what's important.2) The existing culture between the administration and the faculty is incredibly important. It's one of openness, trust and innovation. It's what brings out the best, in the best teachers around... and it's taken time to build. I wouldn't want to see anything disturb what's currently in place. One only has to look at the positive results to appreciate the impact the existing culture has produced. The ""culture"" is a big part of the ""magic"" at Stevenson, and needs to be nurtured continuously.3) The culture at the Board level is clearly what drives the student culture and the administration/faculty culture. The Board's culture inevitably sets the tone and direction for the school. The success and reputation Stevenson enjoys today is due in no small measure to its current Board. I hope to be able to build upon the incredibly good work done by those before me. We must constantly find better ways to do things. Challenging the staff is an ongoing process.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.I think it's very important to respect every student's ethnic background. In every way, all of us need to remember, honor and cherish the heritage of our past. But looking forward, I think it's important that we embrace the notion that we're all Americans. To that end, we must do everything possible to equip students with strong English language skills before they reach Stevenson, and assist those who need continued English instruction to be successful students. For the students who still need help with English, Stevenson has its English Language Learner Program in addition to dedicated counselors on staff. These resources are in place to help those students in need of help with English make a more fluid transition.I like the fact that Stevenson has a culture of inclusion. They held their World Fair this past weekend, celebrating all the different ethnicities from around the area.Should the district pursue mergers or partnerships with other districts to save money? Provide examples.Yes, but only if it's low hanging fruit. If there are opportunities with some vendors or contractors that lend themselves easily to shared resources, it's probably a good idea. Stevenson currently does partner with other districts to save money on busses, paper products and other supplies. The school has always been open to pooling resources when it makes sense.I think however, sharing resources is probably a better argument for a much smaller school district, which can gain leverage from the big guy next door. Stevenson already has significant economies of scale due to its large size.Some residents have questioned district finances and taxes homeowners pay to Stevenson. Do you agree with the way finances have been run? Please explain.I absolutely agree with the way the finances have been run. All you need to do is look at the results. I could spell out all of the metrics (all of them GREAT) that I trust will come out during this campaign. A few bullets are: 1) Stevenson's dollar cost per student is the LOWEST in the area. The range comparing Stevenson to all our local area schools is (from most to least): a) Most: Stevenson's cost/student is 36% lower than Lake Forest's cost, and b) Least: Stevenson's cost/student is 18% lower than Vernon Hills. 2) Stevenson has maintained its AAA bond rating. Who else can boast that? 3) Because of the way the finances have been managed, our district is able to avoid a referendum for what appears to be at least another DECADE. 4) Because of Stevenson's cash reserves, Stevenson can afford to wait for the money it's due from the State ($2.3 million) without being crippled by our own State's disfunction. 5) Lastly, because the Board has done the good job it has, it's able to abate ALL of this years taxes. Taxpayers will see no increase on our tax bills due to Stevenson. I don't know of any other School District that has a 100% abatement.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 think decisions about the reading material should be left to the professionals who are required to work within State curriculum requirements, and neither the parents nor the Board should be picking the reading list. I certainly don't think parents should be micro-managing the curriculum at Stevenson. It's the administration's job to speak to those issues and I continue to trust they will do so with the highest professional standards.I have been asked repeatedly about the book 'The Flamingo Rising'. After hearing about the controversy, I read the book cover to cover and found nothing out of line with the content. I have no problem with my son reading it when he gets to Stevenson and it validates my trust in the current process. The same process provides a student with options to any book they (or their parent) object to. I think however, allowing parents to veto books the school has assigned is absolutely unacceptable. Where would something like that stop??The Statesman battled questions over perceived censorship. Should high-school journalists have the same First Amendment rights as professionals? Explain your opinion.Not exactly. High School journalists are embarking on a career that has a long legacy in this country, and is important for all the obvious reasons. However, they are still High School students, and as such...are learning. I'd want to be sure the kids have their facts straight and the story is appropriate. The pen can be a very powerful weapon, and if misused, can deliver very harmful results. It isn't fair to place a student in a position with no boundries, where an innocent mistake can be so harmful to others. They lack the experience. I think a review process is appropriate.