District 228 Parents For Progress

The Parents for Progress Candidates, Larry Canning, Ed Maggio, and Tina Kessens, would like to share their objectives that they will campaign on for the upcoming election on April 4th. These goals were developed based upon communications with parents and residents in our District 228 community. We are not limited to addressing these issues alone and would welcome input from all District residents. Besides these objectives, our Mission Statement is what we plan to follow if you, the voters, support us on April 4th.

1) Institute salary caps for top administration and insist they contribute their fair share to their health care and retirement plans.

The District 228 top administration salaries and benefits are more than generous. With the district being millions of dollars in debt and running an annual budget deficit year after year, it’s time for reform in this area. The argument has been that if the district doesn’t keep up with administration salaries of neighboring school districts, we run the risk of not attracting good talent. The “Keeping up with the Jones’” attitude is not one the district can continue to afford. We believe by capping administration salaries at a fair rate and having them contribute to their own health insurance plans (currently they have free Board paid health insurance for themselves and their families), the district could realize hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings. Currently, the 228 teachers and support staff all contribute their fair share for their benefits!

2) Ensure that the district curriculum relates to and meets the needs of all students regardless if they are college bound or career focused after graduation.

Rebuilding a robust industrial tech program and continuing to support and advance our fine arts programs must be a priority. For our students that are not college bound, we need to offer a skill path that can help them be successful the day after graduation. Many of our industrial tech classrooms in the district are not being utilized. It’s time to get our students excited not only about going to college but also about having the opportunity to develop skills in a tech program that can lead to immediate job employment after graduation.

3) Establish a deficit reduction plan to balance the district budget.

Simply put, the district spends more than it brings in each year. Spending more than you bring in can be a dangerous practice. Developing a plan is the right thing to do for the future financial health of the district. Borrowing funds from the district reserves year after year to make up the budget deficit will eventually catch up to all of us. We advocate for a plan that is reasonable and responsible and is not solely placed on the backs of our students and teachers. Kicking the can down the road and letting the next generation of taxpayers worry about funding the district is not being fiscally responsible.

4) We will insist that our teachers and support staff are treated with respect and are given the tools they need for success in the classroom. We also want to see all our staff have the opportunity to have their ideas and insights taken seriously.

Our teachers and support staff are on the front line of our education system every day. They have ideas that can enhance our students’ learning experiences. If their creative ideas are not welcomed or taken seriously, then we are harming the growth and education of our students. We want all staff to be engaged in not only the student’s growth but the growth of our district. We want the pride of being a district 228 employee restored to everyone. We will insist on this!