Charles Cush​ For Naperville CUSD 203 School Board: Patch Candidate Profile

Name: Charles Cush

Age: 46

Position Sought: Member Naperville CUSD 203 School Board

Family: I am married to Jean Love Cush, and have 3 children. Marcus (Age: 30), and my two daughters Sydney and Haley

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No

Education: I have a Bachelors Degree in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, 1991; and Masters of business Administration(MBA) from the University of Michigan, 1994

Occupation: I have over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. I am currently the Sr Director of Marketing for the Americas for the diabetes division at Medtronic.

Why are you running?

I am looking to retain my seat on the school board because I believe I can make a difference. I have a passion for helping others achieve their full potential. I believe that district 203 has a responsibility to provide a learning environment where every student has the opportunity to maximize their potential; and I want to continue to be a part of helping the district fulfill that responsibility. I have two young daughters that are students in the district, so I have a vested interest in making sure that 203 lives up to it's reputation. I also believe that my years of experience in the business world and track record of making sound decisions and developing creative solutions to challenges, would greatly benefit the school district.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: I currently serve as a member of the board of education for Naperville District 203

Campaign Website:

www.cushfor203.com

twitter: @cush203

Facebook: fb.com/cushfor203.com

What do you hope to accomplish in office?

I see 3 key issues that, if elected, I will be very focused on in the next four years:

1. Closing achievement gaps- As a district we do very well on average in terms of test scores and performance metrics for our students. However, there is still work to be done to make sure that we are closing achievement gaps within sub-segments of the population. I think this is a leading indicator of our effectiveness as a district, and that it warrants our attention, as the performance of our schools impacts every member of the community.
2. College & Career Readiness- . As a district, we do well on the college part, but we must equip our students with the skills they will need to succeed no matter what path they choose to pursue after their time in the district; whether that is attending college or immediately entering the workforce.
3. Financial Stewardship-Maintaining a responsible approach to district spending, ensuring that we are getting results for the investments that we making in our students and schools. This is important given the uncertainty of the level of funding available from the state and federal level. We must be as efficient as possible in our spending to ensure that we can still deliver a quality education to our students that is not heavily dependent on outside funding sources while keeping reasonable tax rates for our community.

How would you hold local government employees accountable?

To me it is important to maintain transparency. All elected officials are in place to serve the community. As such, we have a responsibility to make sure that all of our actions reflect the aspirations of the community. This is why all meetings are public, and why we publish the contact information for all board members. As a board member, we are responsible to provide oversight to make sure that the policies and practices are aligned with the mission of the district, and that those policies are implemented appropriately.

Explain your attitudes toward fiscal policy, government spending and how taxpayer dollars should be handled by your office (or board)?

I believe it is critical to make sure that we are getting positive results for every dollar we are investing in our schools to ensure that every taxpayer is getting a good return for their tax dollars. We must ensure that our schools are reflecting the aspirations of the community. We must take a critical look at our spending and set very specific goals for the programs we put in place. If a program is not performing, we need to be willing to make the tough decision to either modify or eliminate that program in lieu of something that will yield the desired results. We must also look at ways to drive efficiencies, either through better development and sharing of best practices or through the use of technology that , if used properly, can improve efficiencies in the learning process. If we do these things, we will continue to deliver a good value for the dollars we spend.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I have over 20 years of professional experience working in the private sector, specifically in the healthcare industry. I have worked for three fortune 500 companies and have consistently met or exceeded my objectives throughout my career. Wherever I have been, I have leveraged my tie and energy on developing people. I have done this through charitable work and volunteering at multiple organizations as listed above, but also through mentoring others at the workplace, and being involved in recruiting new talent to the organizations for which I have worked. I believe these experiences help me to contribute to the board in a positive way.

What else would you like voters to know about you and your positions?

I am passionate about helping others, and committed to serving my community. As a father, I have a vested interest in ensuring that we as a district live up to our responsibility

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