About Corinne M. Pierog

Name: Corinne M. Pierog

Position sought: St. Charles D-303 Board of Education

Campaign contact information: email: cpierog@sbcglobal.net

phone: (630) 587-6185

address: P.O. Box 3501

St. Charles, IL 60174

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

To create and maintain a healthy, respectful and engaged atmosphere between administrators, educators, parents, students, the business & civic community ensuring that our students regardless of their ability can achieve their educational goals to their utmost capability.

Home address: St. Charles, IL 60174

Family members: Husband: Robert Krawczyk

Daughters: Catherine Battista, age 31

Alexis Krawczyk, age 28

Son: James Pierog-Sheehan, age 22

Education: University of California, Irvine: 1973, A.B.

San Francisco State University, Calif.: 1977, M.A.

City University of New York, Graduate Center, NY: 1986, Ph.D.. all but dissertation.

Roosevelt University, IL: 2005, M.B.A.

Current occupation and employer: Principal of Sustainable Leadership Solutions: A management consulting firm specializing in non-profit corporations.

Political party affiliation: Independent

Why Are You Seeking Office?

I have served on the CUSD 303 School Board for the past four years chairing the Policy Committee and serving on the St. Charles Housing Commission and Norris Recreation and Cultural Arts Centers. I am also the mother of a St. Charles East High School graduate and the grandmother of two future D303 students. I am a college educator and am the principal owner of a consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and leadership development. A resident of St. Charles for the past 15 years I have been an advocate of strong schools and a spokesperson for sustained and exemplary educational opportunities for our children and our families.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

Four years ago as a newly elected member of the St. Charles School Board, I handed my son his high school diploma when he graduated from St. Charles East High School. Since then I have swept away many tears of pride as I have celebrated the myriad of accomplishments of our students. Over the past four years I have been honored to serve the students and families of District 303.It is with this in mind that I hope to serve four more years as a member of the St. Charles School District.

Issue 1: What steps will you take to maintain/improve the quality of education in District 303 schools?

1) To ensure that the award winning St. Charles Schools provide preeminent educational opportunities for all our students regardless of ability.

2) Ensure that the taxpayers’ resources are respected with fiscal integrity and prudent spending.

3) To engage and retain the best and most qualified teachers, administrators and staff.

Issue 2: What will you do to keep the district within its budget?

Prior to the economic downtown short term approaches to school district funding was a common approach. Tax levies would be increased annually as home prices rose in value. Today a long term approach to school district funding is vital in maintaining a district’s fiscal integrity while also being cognitive to the financial challenges faced by our families and business. Recently I voted to support a five-year fiscal plan that will actually reduce the allowable tax levy by 1.5% for 2012. This five-year plan will be reviewed annually to insure that adequate resources are available to cover the district’s variable costs and integrating expenses by monitoring operational expenses; restructuring and refinancing long-term debt, and preservation of the capital development funds. Like our family’s budget the wants are many but the resources to provide for the wants is finite. By developing a five-year plan the needs of our district can be planned for with the utmost fiscal prudence.

Issue 3: The state of Illinois is grappling with a pension crisis that some blame on the practice of pension spiking. What is your stance on pension spiking and How do you propose to address the issue during contract negotiations?

Recently in a vote approving Superintendent Don Schulman’s contract I was the only board member to vote against the 6 percent pension sweetener attached to his last four years of salary. While I am completely in support of the defined pensions currently guaranteed to our teachers and school administrators I am opposed to the end of contract pension spiking that has generously been awarded to retirees by previous school boards. The times have changed and our school district’s budget must reflect the new economic limitations of our tax-payers. Historically, pension spiking or pension sweeteners helped to ensure once underpaid teachers and school administrators with a stable and respectable standard of living upon their retirement. Today both our teachers and administrators salaries are comparable to that of the private sector with a benefit package enviable to many members of our community. In order to control escalating pension costs while at the same time ensuring that our educators have the guaranteed pensions that they have earned pensions spiking must be gradually eliminated from all future contracts.

Please add any other information pertinent to your campaign.

Going forward I will make every effort to reach out to community and parents groups to listen to their needs and concerns and bring their voices to the board table. Likewise I would like to challenge the community to share your thoughts and concerns with the elected board members. Serving on the school board is a partnership and as all partnerships it must be recognized and cultivated in order for it to succeed.