Terry C. Moons: 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: Buffalo GroveWebsite: http://united4stevenson.orgOffice sought: Stevenson H.S. D125Age: 68Family: Married, three sons, one granddaughterOccupation: Legislative Aide to State Representative Sidney H. MathiasEducation: Bachelor of Arts, University of MinnesotaMaster of Arts, Loyola University, ChicagoCivic involvement: Stevenson Board of EducationSoutheast Lake County Advisory Council, College of Lake CountyTemple Chai, Sisterhood Board of Directors Elected offices held: Stevenson High School Board of Education, 25 yearsHave you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime? If yes, please explain: noCandidate's Key Issues Key Issue 1 I believe the number one issue is the need for continued fiscal restraint. The Board passed a tax abatement this year being one of the few Illinois school districts to do so. The promise, to our community in 2002, for no referendums to raise the taxes for at least 10 years has been kept. Stevenson High School, using state guidelines in reporting, is one of the lowest cost per student schools among the surrounding districts. The Board of Education provides a quality education for the students and an excellent value for the community.Key Issue 2 The second campaign issue is experienced leadership. I have served for the past 25 years on the Board and the last fifteen years as its Secretary. Over the past years, I have shown balanced judgment and I have no personal agenda. I believe in building consensus and thoroughly investigating an issue before voting on it. As chairperson of the Site and Facilities Committee of the Board, I recommended the library remodeling be considered only after a thorough due diligence using site vists, librarians input, architect renderings and student needs. It was a two years process of collaboration. The new Student Learning Center (formally called the Library) renovation begins this spring. I worked hard to insure that our pool be Olympic size so as to provide opportunities for state and regional competitions. I currently serve on the Stevenson Green Committee working to provide sustainable solutions for students and staff on our campus.Key Issue 3 The third campaign issue is continuing the Stevenson High School Record of Success. The current and past Boards have led the school to four Blue Ribbon Awards from the Department of Education. Under the Boards' leadership, Stevenson is a Lighthouse School. School districts come from around the country every month for a 'site visit day' to learn about our Professional Learning Community, Freshman Mentor Program, Peer Tutoring, Student Success Teams and Student Activities which include over 100 clubs of diverse activities and interests. Continuing to model our practices as a part of living our vision and value statements make me proud to be a part of the leadership team.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.Stevenson High School has a long history in reaching out to our diverse community. For over 15 years, we hold a World's Fair where student groups prepare booths, foods, crafts and music programs. This fair is open to the community and highlights the many ethnic groups in our school. With over 50 languages spoken in student homes, we reach out to parents with interpreters, translated written materials and videos. We have a private prayer room for our Muslim students. We hold a World of Diference Day for our freshmen students to teach tolerence and respect. The Board is always considering other programs that we could do to enhance our efforts.Should the district pursue mergers or partnerships with other districts to save money? Provide examples.Stevenson activly supports curriculum articulation with our seven sending elementary districts. Stevenson participates in several multi-district purchasing co-ops which save money. Stevenson participates in administrator level articulation with the sending districts. The Board has not pursued merger talks with any districts.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 support the fiscal policies of the current board. Stevenson has a AAA+ bond rating, is not on the state's financial watch list and has not had to ask the taxpayers for a rate increase thru the referemdum process. Stevenson High School makes our community a desired place to own a home and educate our children.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 School Board sets policy. The Board is not qualified as professional educators to determine educational curriculum in the classroom. The Board requested the Communication Arts Department to address parents' concerns regarding summer reading lists. The department addressed those concerns to the satisfaction of the Board. There is a choice for students and their parents and all books have a synopsis for parents to read.The Statesman battled questions over perceived censorship. Should high-school journalists have the same First Amendment rights as professionals? Explain your opinion.The Statesman newspaper is produced as a class assignment. The students receive a grade and credit for their work. As in other classes, work is handed in and evaluated by the teacher. The students are learning to be journalists and in learning, their work may be evaluated and suggestions made for changes. Even professional journalists have an editorial board.