Election 2013: Denis Ryan

Campaign Info

• Position Sought: Community Consolidated School District 146 Board of Education
• Website: 4for146, 4 for 146 on Facebook, Twitter @4for146,
• Email:  Fourfor146@yahoo.com
• Phone:
• Hometown: Orland Park

Personal Info

• Family: Colleen Ryan, spouse, She is a part time clerk in the early learning department at 146. She has worked at the district for 5 years. She worked for 13 years at Price Waterhouse Coopers and was an Executive Secretary for 8 years. Prior to her work at the district she was a stay at home mom.
• Education: Marist & Moraine where I studied business.
• Occupation: I work with the Ryan Reum Insurance Agency where I am a Certified Insurance Counselor licensed in Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.

• Political Party Affiliation: I am not aligned with any party.

Candidate Questions

Why are you seeking office?

Serving on the board is something I truly enjoy. I see all aspects and the challenges in education today. District 146 has been the leader in Illinois; we prevented plans for school consolidation, have hosted meetings on responsible pension reform and we’ve been excellent steward’s of the districts assets. Our mission, vision and goals for District 146 are well balanced, in the best interests of the children, their parents and the community.

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

District 146 has the best grasp on the key issues affecting education today. We as a board have worked with our Superintendent to jointly develop plans to meet the challenges we face on a daily basis. Our Assistant Superintendent, Curriculum Director, Business Manager, Operation Manager, the Principals, Teachers, and professional consultants are working to bring District 146 to the forefront of educational excellence. I’m a proud member of that board and hope to serve District 146 for 4 more years.

What sets you apart from other candidates? 

I have over 25 years of business management and ownership experience and am an esteemed member of our community involved with several other civic organizations.

What is your opinion on the current testing schedule our students are placed under? Do you believe these high-stakes test are educationally viable?

With an ever-increasing score, the standards of No Child Left Behind are unattainable. Every school will eventually fail. We demand the best education for our children but NCLB has flaws. The financial sanctions imposed hurt the district and the students. They do give a benchmark to measure your peers but every child is different. Some are great test takers, other children may be more practical. One size doesn’t fit all. District 146 has “learning for all.”

Where does music education and fine arts education fit in your educational priorities? What does an ideal fine arts curricula look like to you?

I support our music department, the staff, children and parents put a lot of effort into the program. I believe that band members do better in school. I also believe we need more art and art awareness. My wife volunteered to provide Art Awareness prior to any art programs in the district.

What are your thoughts on the district's wellness policy? Would you change anything?

The program is working out well. Our healthcare costs have not risen as sharply since we started the program.

Revenue from the state continues to dry up, while residents are also dealing with rising costs. Please rank the following in the order you feel the district should be focused on for meeting the district’s costs in light of these issues. 1) Staff Cuts 2) Contract Renegotiations 3) Operating Expense Cuts 4) Tax Increases 5) Other Funding Sources. Please also explain your reasoning.

District 146 has been an excellent steward of the districts finances. We havereceived financial recognition from the Illinois State Board of Education for 14-plus years. With me on the board we will continue that trend. I am the board member who looks at all the expenses every month and will question what is spent, why and for what purpose.

#1 Operating Expenses; I look at the budget every month. We have one of the finest business managers in the area, together as a member of the finance committee and aboard member we share common values. Two of our schools were obsolete, a decisionwas made to rebuild one school and combine to schools. We built a new Fulton, on time, under budget and the building is much more efficient. We were able to reduce the administrative costs of running 2 schools to one, saving the district over $500,000 peryear. It will pay for the schools construction costs over time, that’s smart and that’s whatour taxpayers deserve.

#2 Other funding sources: The State of Illinois has an obligation to fund public education. They have failed to do so and each year we receive less money from the state. I want Illinois to provide more funds to our district. They say we are a “Rich District” that means local property taxes will support the school. Illinois provides about 5% of the budget where I believe they should be giving us 30 to 40%. While one board member, Amy Connelly, suggested we forgo funding from Illinois I think that would be financial suicide. It would increase local property taxes more.

#3 Tax Increases: I am anti-tax, our residents provide more than 85% of our budget from local property taxes. Illinois has an obligation to fund public education. They don’t, we will lobby the state for more funding, look for more grants and partner with other organizations like Target and Wal-Mart who support local schools.

#4 Staff Cuts: we monitor our staff and work very efficiently. Because we are a smallerdistrict and do not have a large influx of changes in our residents we can make fairlyaccurate projections for staffing. No Staffing cuts are planned.

#5 Contract re-negotiations: WE WILL NOT DO IT!!!!! We have fair and equitable contracts with our employees. Our last teacher contract was ratified with a 95%+/-approval. We respect our teachers and our support staff. It is a combinations of teachers, support staff, administration and the right board that are making District 146 into the finest district in the Southland.

How can the school district best prepare students for the Common Core State Standards? How can the district also involve parents in the process?

Common Core will bring a more universal education platform to the US. The standards should help develop skills and knowledge so student will be aligned with college and work expectations in a clear and understanding way and help students succeed in a global workplace.

Have you ever been charged with a crime? Were you convicted? If yes, please say what the charge was, and what was the case's outcome as it stands.

No.

Are there any candidates in other races you would like to endorse here?

The 4 For the Future 146 school board slate of Julie Jackson, John “Jack” Carey, Vince Aiello and I am in my opinion the best option for the district. We have aligned ourselves with district 230 and 228 school boards. We want to ensure our children are prepared for high school and beyond. We have plans for more Advanced Placement Classes; we are committed to more Math, Science and Technology. We believe our teachers are doing an excellent job and we are committed to the district and its long term success.

Read about other D146 candidates running in the April election.