Election 2013: Jeffrey Spero for D-207 Board

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Name: Jeffrey S. Spero

Position sought: Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education, four-year term.

Campaign contact information. Please include any or all of the following: website, email address, phone number, Facebook page, Twitter account, mailing address, etc.

Email: jeffloop@aol.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/VoteForJeffSpero

Mailing address: 741 S. Warrington Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016

Age: 45

Family Include as much info as you like (names, ages, number of children, etc.): Married, Gail (19 years). Three children (Junior and Freshman at Maine West High School, sixth grader at Immanuel Lutheran).

Education Include degree(s) and school(s):

Undergraduate – Jacksonville University (FL); BS Accounting

Graduate – University of Notre Dame; MBA with Tax Concentration

Occupation: Tax Operations Manager (Grant Thornton LLP)

Political Party: Generally Republican

Official name of your campaign committee (if you have one):

N/A

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices:

None

Is there any additional experience you believe qualifies you for the position?

I have served as the treasurer of my church, Immanuel Lutheran, for the past seven years, and have been a member of the District 207 Community Advisory Council since it was formed three years ago.

What would your priorities be if elected to this office?

My number one priority would be to help lead the district and all its stakeholders (students, faculty, staff, parents, and administrators) into a long-term dialogue about how we make the school environment safe for every student. That starts with a vigilant, zero-tolerance attitude toward bullying and hazing.  At this age, students have their last chance to learn and be taught right from wrong before those consequences become permanent. Our students are under siege on a 24/7 basis from influences that can do them harm; it’s our obligation as parents and administrators to help them make the right choices.

What are the most important issues facing Maine Township High School District 207 and what would you do as a member of the board of education to address them?

Outside of the hazing/bullying initiatives, I think we have to be prepared to deal with significant reduced education funding at the state and federal level.

Why did you choose to run for D-207’s board of education?

When my daughter entered Maine West High School as a freshman, I was searching for a way to be involved and to learn more about the school system. The more involved I got and the more time that passed, I realized that I had things to offer the district and am looking forward to taking things to the next level. My youngest is scheduled to graduate from Maine West High School in 2019, so you could say that I’m in this for the long run and will definitely have a vested interest in making sure the district operates at a high level.

D-207 and Maine West High School are involved in litigation and investigations into bullying and hazing, and the district has begun implementing new policies and systems to address this issue. What would you do, if elected, as a member of D-207’s board of education to address bullying and hazing at the high schools?

It’s unfortunate, but the world we live in now makes bullying and hazing easier and more malicious. We have a responsibility to the students and parents to design programs and communications to deal with this “new normal.”

D-207 recently voted to approve a $1-million tax abatement for taxpayers in the district. If elected to D-207’s board, what would your position be on similar tax abatements, the tax levy and expenditures on staffing?

Hopefully, we’ll be able to offer additional relief to the taxpayers without any compromises to the staffing and educational needs of our students. Whatever the current budget situation, good or bad, we must be able to clearly communicate how the budget meets those criteria. Ultimately, our goal should be to avoid crisis mode and take preemptive steps to protect the tax dollars of the community.

Why would you do a better job representing D-207 than your opponents?

We are very fortunate to have so many qualified candidates in this district. I think we all are more than qualified to lead the district to great things in the next few years. With that being said, I have great confidence in my abilities to collaborate and lead. I believe the board could use an infusion of new blood and new ideas. As a father of two current and one future Maine West student, I believe that I represent the make-up of the community at large and help give a more direct voice to the students and parents in the district.