Election 2013: Joseph Schulte

Name: Joseph Schulte            

Position sought: Gower School District No. 62 Board Member

Address: Burr Ridge

Family: Anke, wife, 44; Christian, son, 12; Kaili, daughter, 3

Education: Indiana University BA Business/Accounting

Occupation: Partner, Ernst & Young LLP

Previous elected offices: Current Gower School Board Member

What is the primary reason you are running for this office?

As an active member of the Gower school board over past two years, I participated in important decisions that will have a significant impact on the future success of the district.  Namely, the passing of the $9 million referendum to fund improvements to the district's schools, the hiring of the next superintendent, and the renegotiation of the new teachers contract.  In addition, the board worked with the district administration on developing a strategy and implementation plan for the Common Core standards (known in Illinois as the “New Illinois State Learning Standards Incorporating the Common Core”).   As some of these decisions are ongoing, I want to remain with the board to keep working on them with the rest of the board members.

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

Running as a slate with board members, Young Ra-Hurka and Ryan Asmus, both running for reelection this spring, and Ramona Stephens-Zemaitis running for the first time for election as a Gower school board member, my single most important priority will be to work side by side with these board members to continue to improve the academic excellence of both schools in the district.  Academic performance is impacted by the district’s teachers, parents, administration and community that support and inspire our children to do their best every day.  As a board, we have improved and initiated future improvements in these areas to enable continued excellence at Gower Middle (National Blue Ribbon School) and Gower West.  I want to remain with the board to see these changes implemented and finish the work we started.  

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I have been working for a global, professional services firm for 22 years and during that time I’ve gained a lot of experience in working with the boards of some of the world’s most important companies.  I’ve had the opportunity to learn how effective boards can positively impact the direction and strategy of an organization.  I bring the ability to provide the right level of oversight of our district by asking the right questions that can challenge or even change the perspective of the district’s administration.  

I’ve also had the opportunity to live and work in Europe for six years, so I’ve seen firsthand as a parent how educational systems differ from the US and the challenges we face in the US to keep our children globally competitive.  At Gower, due to our strong financial position, excellent teachers, innovative administration and strong community, we have the ability to meet these challenges for our children.  I want to continue to use my skills, through the help of the administration, to get the district’s students ready to compete in the global environment. 

How long have you lived in District 62?

Approximately, six years.  My son has been a student as both Gower West and Gower Middle during that time, and my daughter Kaili, will be attending Gower West in the future.  

What do you believe is District 62’s biggest strength? 

As mentioned above, the district has strong school leadership teams that results in better teaching and learning for our children.  In addition, the board, with the hard work of the administration, has helped keep the district financially strong, which enables us to keep investing in the things that facilitate a better learning environment for our children.  We couldn’t do this if we didn’t live in a community that has the financial strength and parental interest in supporting the district’s goals and needs.  Therefore, I believe Gower’s biggest strength is the people in the community that support the schools everyday and trust the district board and administration to act on their behalf to keep excellence in the district.

What do you believe is District 62’s biggest weakness? 

While the Gower schools are top performers (Chicago Magazine Best Schools DuPage County: Gower Middle #10 and Gower West #12), there are still opportunities to make them even better.   In the past, we realized the facilities needed improvement.  We are spending $9 million received through the bond referendum to improve the facilities at both Gower Middle and West, which I believe will provide a significantly improved learning environment for our children.  In addition, we need to continue to invest in innovative curriculum that not only meets the new Common Core standards, but goes beyond that to prepare our students better for competing in a global environment.  Lastly, we need to improve our use of technology in the schools both in what the students use for learning and how we connect with the parents and the community.  

In terms of a school district, how would you describe a board that is fiscally responsible? Does District 62 currently have a fiscally responsible board?

A fiscally responsible school board is one that acts to understand the school finances, works hard to adopt a fiscally responsible annual budget that meets the district’s strategic goals, monitors the budget and the overall financial health of the district throughout the year, and works with the district administration to ensure the school leaders operate a fiscally responsible system.

The Gower board’s approach to its fiscal duties is completely aligned to this approach.  The board takes this responsibility very seriously and this can best be demonstrated by the results of the district’s financial position over many years.