Politics & Government

District 102 School Board Candidate: Alan Rubenstein

Rubenstein is one of four candidates running for three seats.

Name: Alan Rubenstein

Age: 46

Town: Buffalo Grove

Incumbent? No

Family: Married for 18 years to wife, Holly. Two daughters who attend school
in District 102, Gillian in 6th grade at Meridian and Abby in 4th grade at Tripp
Elementary.

Occupation: Attorney, Executive Vice President Chicago Legal Search, Ltd.

Community Involvement: District 102 Long Range Planning Committee
Temple Chai Brotherhood Coach and Member of the Board of Directors, Vernon Hills Stingers Fastpitch Organization, Cook County Bar Association (Diversity Bar)
Volunteer Mentor/Career Assistance University of Wisconsin-Madison, DePaul University College of Law

Link to campaign website or Facebook page: n/a

Why are you running for a School Board position?

First and foremost, to help provide all of the kids in District 102 the same benefits and blessings that I had as a student growing up in Skokie in District 72 (Fairview South) and District 219 (attended Niles East and West). I had a 7th grade math teacher who made a big difference in getting me excited about math and school in general and I credit her, to this day, for making a big impact in my academic future and career development. For those in the District or through coaching who know me, I am a very dedicated, determined and motivated individual and I strive every day to be a role model to my daughters. I have spent countless hours over the past seven months meeting with Dr. Dunkin and the Assistant Superintendents to prepare to hit the ground running at full speed if the voters in D102 elect me to serve them and their families. I am not running because I think that the current board is broken, but rather because I think I can bring fresh energy, enthusiasm and ideas that will make a strong district even stronger.

What are the key issues that the district will have to address in the next four years?

All of the candidates undoubtedly agree that managing finances carefully will be critical in light of looming budget cuts from the government. Fortunately, we are in good shape in D102 in this regard but we must continue to make sure we are getting the greatest bang for our buck. That means careful monitoring of our programs and a willingness to change things up if they are not working as well as they should be. Collective bargaining is up in two years and this will obviously be a critical time. It is vital that we continue to attract and retain top teachers while making sure we are doing right by the taxpayers. I believe I have unique skills that will be beneficial in negotiations as I negotiate complex deals representing top groups of attorneys on a regular basis and I am used to bringing parties together with sometimes divergent interests. I have been focusing on the issues of high school readiness (providing our kids every advantage towards college admission and college and career success) and being very proactive on dealing with the problem of cyber-bullying which studies show is far more prevalent and insidious than many parents and administrators realize. If our kids are mentally affected by cyber-bullying (or bullying in general), they will be unable to perform in school to their ability and the consequences can be grave as we have seen play out in the media. Our first duty and obligation is to protect the kids and keep them safe.

What are your top three priorities as a board member?

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As noted above, high school preparedness for success at Stevenson (or any other high school) and in the college admissions process and college itself, keeping kids safe by taking a tough and proactive stance on bullying and cyber-bullying and maintaining strict fiscal discipline.

What are some of the district’s strengths?

It starts with the parents and families first and foremost. We are blessed to live in a district that puts a premium on the value of an outstanding education and it has been wonderful for me during this campaign as I talk to residents, friends, PTO members and neighbors, to see just how engaged so many members of the community are with our education system. It's the reason Holly and I chose to move into our home 18 years ago. Moreover, we have strong leadership in our administration and a tremendously dedicated group of teachers and staff who deserve to be highly valued at a time when teachers seem to be under attack in some quarters. In D102, we will continue to honor and respect our teachers and the effort they put in.

What do you think could be done to improve the district?

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Ensuring that we don't rest on our laurels and work tirelessly everyday to be outstanding. Specifically, we should set up a "report card" for the district, as some districts do (we don't currently), so that we can set specific goals in different areas and tangibly measure our performance. We cannot and should not be afraid to admit we're not perfect, but we should strive to be. We need to ensure that we are fully taking advantage of the collaborative relationship with Stevenson D125 to
make sure that we have all the data we need on how D102 students are faring
and where we have room to improve in getting our kids ready to thrive there.
Currently we are only relying on 8th grade data and I recommend that we
expand this to include high school performance data in our assessment. I have
spoken with Stevenson board members about this issue and about working
collaboratively with them to make sure our students excel all across all subject
areas. I also propose boosting math enrichment at the middle school level and
adding science enrichment, as science tends to be an area where high school
students often struggle in transition.

What distinguishes you from the rest of the School Board candidates?

I have nothing negative to say about my fellow candidates, they are a fine group of
people who all care about the district and the students of D102. I personally
decided to run because I believe to my core that I can truly help make a strong
district stronger utilizing my common sense and judgment, ability to bring people
together and my tireless energy and enthusiasm. If I am serving, hopefully
residents will know that they have someone who will fight for their children
and their district in Springfield and in Washington. I have been told that I have
invested more time at meetings with the administration and board than any
candidate who has previously run in D102 and I hope that this reflects the
commitment that I would make as a board member.


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