:quality(70):focal(113x93:123x103)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/B6YLSNN76K4TAFKQ2SJVEP4P3Q.jpg)
Full Name: Howard Solomon
What office are you seeking? Member of School District 428 Board of Education
What is your political party? I am not running for this office at the request of any political party.
What is your current age? 74
Occupation and Employer: I am currently retired.
What offices, if any, have you previously held? member of District 428 Board of Education from 2015 to 2019
City: DeKalb
Campaign Website: I do not have a campaign website.
Education: Florida State University, Ph.D in Education,
- Northern Illinois University Master of Arts in Education,
- Northern Illinois University Master of Arts in Philosophy,
- Bradley University Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy,
- Illinois Teacher Certification
Community involvement: I have previously held positions with the Egyptian Theater and with DeKalb County Habitat for Humanity.
Marital status/Immediate family: I have been married since 7/25/1977. My wife’s Name is Barbara Solomon.
Why are you running for office?
I am running for this office because I have served in it previously and bring experience and a needed non-standard outlook to the position.
What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?
- Previous successful experience
- strong educational background
- highly flexible schedule
- previous experience as a certified teacher in a public school
Have you sought and/or received any training to run for your local school board? If so, from whom?
I received training from the Illinois State Board of Education with my initial board membership in 2015.
Would you propose any changes to the curriculum? If so, what?
I would not propose any changes to the curriculum while I am a candidate. I agree with the district’s policy of seeking input from the community and current relevant faculty members. I would be favorably disposed toward the addition of recent students from similar courses to the curriculum committees
Are LGBTQ students treated fairly in your district?
I have not seen records documenting fair or unfair treatment of this demographic group.
What is your assessment of how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is handled in your school district?
I have not seen records documenting fair or unfair treatment of specific demographic groups. I acknowledge that documentation of current academic accomplishment differences exists and that the problems of inequity and exclusion will need to be addressed by the board of education as well as the rest of the community in general.
Do you believe the district needs to make any changes to improve DEI in your district?
I believe that the board members must be open to changing and continuously improving DEI policies and conditions as problems in this area arise.
Are teachers in your district paid adequately now and in retirement?
Teachers with more than 5 years of teaching experience are adequately paid and will have an adequate retirement income. Teachers with 0-5 years of service time leave the teaching profession too often and need enticement to stay in the position until their length of service justifies the step raises that are built into contracts between the board of education and the teachers’ union.
Would you support changes to teacher pay scales? If so, how?
As I mentioned in the previous question, teachers at the beginning of their teaching careers leave the district too frequently. I believe that as salaries are calculated, that a portion of the budget for increasing salaries be set aside to be distributed as an equal portion payment to all teachers who successfully complete each year’s experience rather than having an inequitable share, based on percentage, go to those who are in later years of experience and already earning high salaries. Over time, I would like to see a reduction in the pre-retirement salary bump which only serves the purpose of encouraging the most experienced teachers to retire early.
What is your assessment of the district superintendent’s compensation?
I did not follow negotiations held between the board and the current superintendent. The question of compensation was discussed when I was on the 2015-2019 board, and I believed at that time that the superintendent’s was within the range of compensation packages offered by other districts of similar size. I have been informed, but have not yet verified, that there was a waiver of a residency requirement granted to the current superintendent. I believe that the performance of the duties of a superintendent are enhanced by residency within the district, and would look to this waiver, presuming it exists, to be a factor in setting future salary in the event that rehire is under consideration by both the board and the superintendent.
Would you make any changes to how the district superintendent is compensated?
I see no reason not to believe that the superintendent’s compensation is appropriate. I would continue to set the salary in roughly the middle of salaries paid by similarly sized districts.
Do you support the current superintendent? Please explain.
I withhold judgement until I have worked with the current superintendent.
Should schools in your district adopt and teach sex education according to the National Sex Education Standards? Please explain.
Yes! I am well aware that many districts have attempted to undermine national standards in terms of what content is contained within the sex education curriculum. I understand that sexual experimentation is natural among those approaching adulthood. I believe it to be in the best interest of student who undertake sexual experimentation that they do so WHILE WELL INFORMED!
What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?
It’s a tribute to the board that was serving in 2015 that they followed through with their plans for implementing the 1:1 computer distribution. Nobody knew or thought that we would be closing all district buildings a mere 4 years later. Still, the disease caught the district off guard but ready to offer a technological solution to the need to keep students home. While that foresight is to be applauded, the 1:1 distribution fell short when parents found themselves unable to help students stay on track. Between 2015 and 2019, there was not enough thought given to training parents. As a board member between 2015 and 2019, I accept that I am part of the team of board members that should be held responsible for this oversite. Nonetheless, the response after the pandemic began was quite good. From the time the CDC concluded that the spread of Covid-19 was fundamentally airborne, the district worked extensively on improving airflow characteristics of all buildings. Re-entry into the buildings took place with a mask mandate. Some people are uncomfortable with masks. But discomfort of some is a small price to pay when balanced against potential loss of life.
What did you learn from the pandemic?
That it’s tremendously difficult to get people to act in a way that promoted the greatest extent of mass safety.
Are voters that support your district taxed at an appropriate level?
Unfortunately, yes. The cost of education at all levels has dramatically risen beyond what it used to be. And while some people view this phenomenon as a reason for cheating on taxes, they would be screaming if their own paychecks bounced. We have to be responsible. We have been when we could be. We lowered tax rates by buying back outstanding bonds.
Would you support any plans to raise taxes in the district? If so, what should the additional revenue be spent on?
I would support moderate tax increases if they contributed to improvement of the conditions of learning. Students who are hungry do not do as well as those who are well fed. Bringing more or better food to students is an improvement of conditions of learning. Running tests on equipment used to help keep students safe lets the students concentrate more than when they approach their learning tasks worried about invaders. Having a sufficient number of well-trained psychologists on staff goes a long way toward students being able to socialize successfully. Awareness of all the help agencies available in DeKalb and DeKalb county. is important for students who have yet to work though problems satisfactorily.
Would you support lowering taxes in the district? If so, what programs or services in the district would you cut?
I do not support lowering taxes. I believe that the district has had an eye toward improving the conditions of learning wherever possible.
Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?
100% My desire to have a favorable electoral result does not override my faith that I have been treated fairly.
What is your position on open, transparent government?
Every member of every school board in the state must undergo a training session on the open meetings act. There are a few, but very few, instances where the flow of information to the public is cut off. That’s how it ought to be.
Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records?
Except for the exceptions outlined in the Illinois Open Meetings act, government records should be made available.. The bulk of exceptions are in place to protect the privacy of individuals and of minors in particular.