Election 2013: Jeff DiOrio, Geneva School Board

• Editor's note: Comments to this election-related article will be published only if the commenter supplies his or her full name—either as a username or at the end of the comment.

JEFF DiORIO — GENEVA SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE
(8 candidates, four seats)

Name: Jeff DiOrio

Position Sought: Geneva School Board

Campaign Contact Information:      

• http://www.facebook.com/JeffDiOrioForSchoolBoard  

Family Members:

I have been happily married to my wife, Karina, for 2 and a half years and we are expecting a son in July.

Education:

• Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2008. 
• Masters of Arts in Educational Administration, Concordia University Chicago, 2011. 
• Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration, Concordia University Chicago, 2014.

Current Occupation and Employer:

• High School Math Teacher, Naperville North High School
• Small business owner of "Elite Chess"

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

My single greatest priority is ensuring that the quality of the curriculum offered in Geneva schools continues on the path to excellence that it has been on in the past 10 years. This includes advocating for more AP programs, increasing the use of technology in the classrooms, and bolstering the remediations and interventions offered to our struggling students.

Why Are You Seeking Office?

I am seeking office because I have a passion for public education and believe that my unique skills and experiences would add a key piece to an already qualified board. 

What sets you apart from the other candidates?        

My education, work experiences, and the demographic I represent sets me apart from the other candidates. My bachelors degree in mathematics enables me to understand the financial numbers while my current masters and pending doctorate in educational administration lends to an in-depth understanding of the education process as a whole. My experience as a teacher in a high performing school district is unique to this candidate pool and would be of great assistance to the board. Lastly, I am over 20 years younger than the next youngest candidate. I represent a demographic of the city of Geneva that should be represented on the board. I plan to spend the next 40 years in Geneva and value its future greatly. 

What is your top accomplishment of the past four years?

My top accomplishment in the past four years has been my ability to provide a quality life for my family, it is something very dear to me. I have worked hard enough and have been fiscally responsible enough to be able to buy a house in a wonderful community like Geneva. Opening up a small business is going to allow my wife to stay home to raise our kids, which is something she has always wanted to do. Working two jobs is taxing, but hard work has brought me many blessings along the way.

Describe your leadership style and how it will apply to your term in office:        

My leadership style is to inspire, empower, and amplify the abilities of those who I lead and work with. I aspire to be a leadership multiplier who works hard to make those around me better than they currently are. This style means that I must identify the strengths of others and do my best to allow them to showcase their abilities as we push our team towards a common objective.

What do you think are the top three challenges facing School District 304 today?        

The top three challenges our school district faces today are the debt of our district, the upcoming state mandates like the common core, and the increasing amount of soial-emotional issues that the kids of today are facing.

If elected, how would you address those top three challenges?  

If elected I would tackle these challenges through integrating my knowledge of education, with that of the board to find the most successful solutions. This means bringing in financial experts like the board has done, drawing from my work on the common core curriculum team in Naperville, and providing kids who are struggling with more positive avenues to get help.

Issue 1: What will you do to address School District 304 debt?        

I plan to continue the current board's policy of using some of the abatement to pay down the debt in a way that will allow us to soften the curve of the increased debt services in the future. Furthermore, I would like to address teacher compensation in a way that would attract top talent to our district and decrease our long-term pension liability. This could be accomplished through increasing the starting salary of new teachers while decreasing their maximum salary. This should be done for FUTURE teachers, and should not affect current teachers.

Issue 2: What will you do to hold the line on property tax increases?

 I believe the policy of abating tax dollars back to the community will allow the school district to operate effectively while still allowing the board to capture new growth tax dollars.  As long as we keep a reasonable board like we have, this policy works quite well.

Issue 3: How would you approach collective bargaining in the next teachers union negotiations?

I would approach the collective bargaining at the next teachers negotiations as someone who values the relationship the community has with its educators.  I am strongly for interested based bargaining where both sides can work together to get what the desire and still provide a quality education for our kids.

Issue 4: Outline what you think should be done with the Coultrap property during the next four years. Please be specific.

I agree with the decision to raze Coultrap due to the structural issues it has and the cost of upkeep. I would love to see the Coultrap land be used as a park that could be enjoyed by the whole community with a monument constructed to pay homage to the positive impact that building had on this community. 

Issue 5: What do you think should be done with the Fourth Street property during the next four years? Please be specific.        

I think Fourth Street seems to be an adequate place to continue to house the districts administrative offices and operations. Unless a truly more cost effective option is available, there is no need to make any changes.

Issue 6: What would you do to address the issue of enrollment bubbles in School District 304?

Enrollment bubbles are very real issues that have to be addressed so that all students in our district are provided with a fair and equitable education. This may lead to redrawing of school lines. Redrawing school lines has been going on for as long as public education has. The key is to ensure that families are given the option to send their kids to the same schools as their siblings, direct neighbors are not split apart, and that some students are "grandfathered" in to a school if they want to finish their career there.

Issue 7: Is School District 304 as transparent as it should be? Why or why not?

Yes it is as transparent as it should be. You can get your hands on any information you want if you ask for it. This district is being run by people who care about their community and care about its kids. I challenge anyone to sit down with them for a cup of coffee and discuss any issue. If you do, you will get all of the information you desire. 

Issue 8: What do you think of the so-called "Enrollmentgate" issue? Should it be further investigated?        

I do not believe that spending money on an investigation of a situation we cannot change is a wise use of taxpayer dollars. These types of checks on presented numbers need to be done prior to referendums, not after. I am confident that such diligence will be taken in the future. 

Issue 9: What do you think of the TaxFACTS citizens group? Has it been a help or hindrance to progress?        

I think that citizen groups like TaxFACTS can be great for the progress of a community. It is wonderful to have vested members of the community working to provide information to their neighbors. However, I worry about some of the conclusions that are often drawn. As a math person, I am keenly aware of the ability to data mine, take numbers and skew the context. However, the beauty in life is in the context, the details, and the people behind the numbers. The numbers rarely tell the whole story and we rarely create the right stories to fit the numbers.

Issue 10: How would you rate the performance of District 304 Superintendent Kent Mutchler?        

I am very impressed with Dr. Mutchler. It would not take but 5 minutes of interaction with him to see that he is a knowledgeable, caring leader whose life revolves around doing what is best for kids. Furthermore, his board seems to work well with him, which is a great sign of someone who is performing at a high level.

Issue 11: Would you be willing to spend more money on technology in schools? Why or why not?        

Yes, I would. Technology is the future of society. It is making massive gains in every industry in the world. We need our students to be technologically savvy if we want them to be successful. This does not just mean that we teach kids how to use the next shiny handheld. Instead it means teaching tech etiquette, responsibility in technology, and how to use technology to increase collaboration of ideas.

Issue 12: Do you think educators and administrators in School District 304 are appropriately compensated? Why or why not?        

The key thing people of this community need to understand is that we are not paying our teachers in a way that is out of touch with the rest of the state. There are 80 school districts in Illinois with higher starting salaries and higher masters level salaries than ours. (I have posted this information on my Facebook page.) And many of those districts do not get the results that we do. I would just like to see a shift in the salary schedule that I touched on earlier.

Issue 13: What does School District 304 need to do to improve academic performance?

More technology and more advanced placement programs. When you start infusing technology into the classroom, you make education more relevant to the kids. They live their lives plugged in, why not use that medium to increase engagement? Advanced placement programs allow kids to strive for more excellence than they currently are achieving. It gives kids the opportunity to challenge themselves in fields they are passionate about.

Issue 14: What are your thoughts on the Common Core curriculum and upcoming changes in ISAT evaluations?    

The common core is going to be a great thing for education. It is just going to be a bumpy road until we realize all of its positive impact. It is going to allow us to really compare our curriculum to other districts, create consistency for our kids, and will allow a seamless progression of curriculum for our kids. The result is going to be more accountability and more learning.     

Issue 15: Do you think sports or extracurricular activities should be on the table as possible budget cuts?

No, I do not. For many kids sports and extracurricular activities are the main driving force for them performing well in school. All of the research shows that students have higher grades, and score higher on standardized tests when they are in sports and extracurricular activities. If you cut those programs, you will cut achievement.

Please add any other information pertinent to your campaign:

I am very excited to give back to the community that I am going to raise my kids in. My wife and I plan to spend a very long time in Geneva, and I want to ensure that my children get the same quality education that my neighbor's kids were provided. A seven-member board should be a true cross section of a community, and I want to represent the future of Geneva. I hope that my passion for education, credentials and beliefs convince the community that I would represent them well.