Sean William Doyle
March 29, 2011 1:02PM
Sean William Doyle, candidate Summit Hill SD 161. | Supplied photo
Office sought:
Member of the Summit Hill School District #161 Board of Education
Name:
Sean William Doyle
Address:
7564 W. Hawthorne Lane, Frankfort, Illinois 60423
Date of Birth:
11/09/67
Contact Information:
Email: doylefamily93@earthlink.net, sean@threefor161.com
Website: threefor161.com”
Telephone numbers:
Home: (815) 464-7220
Cell: (815) 263-5221 (keep private)
Work: (708) 974-5561
Education:
University of Chicago
M.A., Humanities, 1992
Hobart College
B.A., English Literature and Composition (minor: Mathematics), 1989.
University of Illinois, Illinois Online Network
Master Online Teacher Certificate, 2001
Occupation, employer:
Professor of Humanities and Philosophy at Moraine Valley Community College
Adjunct Professor, Saint Xavier University
Adjunct Professor, City Colleges of Chicago
Adjunct Professor, University of Phoenix
Please list all sources of income:
Teaching in Higher Education
Spouse, spouse’s employer:
Lynda Doyle
Children, age of Children, children’s employer (if applicable):
Michaela (15), Liam (12), and Owen (11)
Please list any relatives, including in-laws, who are employed by a government agency at the federal, state, or local levels. What are their job titles and with whatagency are they employed?
None
What other elected offices have you sought? What year?
I was initially elected to the Summit Hill School District #161 Board of Education in 2003 and was re-elected in 2007.
Have you ever been arrested or charged with a crime? If so, for what? What was the disposition?
No.
Do you have any criminal convictions on your record? If so, for what? What was your sentence?
None.
Political (elected or significant appointment) experience: I have served as a member of the Board of Education for Summit Hill School District #161 since 2003 and have served as Board President since 2007. Presently, I am a member of the Board’s policy committee, alternate representative to the Lincoln-Way Area Special Education District #843 Governing Board and Governing Board Representative and Director-at-Large for the Illinois Association of School Boards’ Three Rivers Division. Through a rigorous program of professional development administered by the Illinois Association of School Boards, I have achieved the status of Master Board Member, LeaderShop Academy Member, and LeaderShop Academy Fellow.
In your view, what are the two most important issues facing your constituents? How would you address those issues?
The two important issues facing my constituents are the current economic situation and maintaining the quality of our schools in the face of such economic uncertainties. We cannot claim to have our economy fully back on track until we see people employed, at the very least, in the numbers that we witnessed back in 2007 prior to the start of the current economic crisis. Like all school districts, Summit Hill is feeling the effects of the economic downturn. Housing growth has considerably slowed and the State of Illinois’ financial status remains precarious. It is vitally important that we maintain not only the fiscal health of our school district, but also its curricular and extracurricular vitality. As we all know, exceptional school districts produce intellectually, emotionally, and socially prepared students for high school, higher education, and the global marketplace. Additionally, they are a major contributor to property values and are among the chief reasons why people to choose to reside in a particular area.
Please explain something significant you would like to accomplish within the next two years if you are elected to the office to which you aspire.
Summit Hill School District #161 is an exceptional school district with inquisitive and creative students, dedicated and highly qualified staff, and a supportive and compassionate community. Our ISAT scores have steadily risen, our students have excelled in their athletic, club and fine arts activities and our district’s financial management has consistently been recognized by ASBO International for Excellence in Financial Reporting, the Bright Star Award and “Financial Recognition” designation from the Illinois State Board of Education. I want to continue to prudently leverage our resources to make informed governance decisions that create a rich learning environment where all of our students can truly blossom.
Please explain how you believe the office you’re seeking can help in creating local jobs.
With nearly 350 staff members, Summit Hill School District #161 is a significant employer and contributor to the local economy. Additionally, Summit Hill is a highly desirable school district which contributes to property values. From a long-term perspective, the school district continues to produce highly educated and motivated students who ultimately may choose to live and work in the local area.
Do you believe the current way Illinois pays for education is working? If so, why? If not, why not? What would you change?
Unfortunately, there is a great disparity in the level of funding for school districts throughout Illinois and that has produced inequities in the quality of facilities, curriculum and instruction, staffing, and extracurricular activities. The current system of funding places a large portion of the burden of funding schools on local property owners. In Summit Hill, approximately 85% of our revenue comes from local property taxes, 10% from the State of Illinois and 5% from the federal government (for comparison, in 2005-2006, State funding accounted for 25% of our operating revenue). Additionally, the combination of the property tax cap and the reduction in general state aid due to EAV growth has significantly impacted the revenue streams for Summit Hill. Local taxpayers have gone “above and beyond” in terms of their support for our schools. It is time for the State of Illinois, which formally declares that “the State has the primary responsibility for financing the system of public education” in Article X of its Constitution to step up to its responsibilities and devise an improved funding mechanism that provides better continuity and equity in the funding of our public schools.
Would you make any changes to the budget of the governing unit to which you are seeking elected office? If so, what?
Summit Hill SD #161 has a solid record of providing high quality instruction leading to strong academic achievement at a modest financial cost. This record has been recognized by Chicago Magazine in its October 2010 edition where all of Summit Hill’s schools were ranked among the best schools in Will County, Summit Hill’s winning SchoolSearch’s Bright Star Award for high student performance at a low cost for the past 15 years, and Summit Hill’s achievement of “financial recognition” designation from the Illinois State Board of Education every year since 2003. I want to continue that path of conservative fiscal oversight to insure that our district has appropriate resources to fulfill its educational mission now and in the future. I will remain vigilant in proactively monitoring the district’s fiscal health and making prudent and data-driven financial decisions on behalf of our students and taxpayers.
Are there any other issues you want to bring to the public’s attention? If so, what?
In these challenging economic times, I believe that Summit Hill School District #161 needs experienced leadership at the helm with a proven track record of sound governance. During my tenure as a Board member, our district has demonstrated steady growth in both the academic achievements and extracurricular successes of our students, while also effectively navigating a difficult financial climate through wise fiscal oversight. I want to continue to contribute my experience and expertise toward making our great school district even better and I respectfully ask for your vote on April 5th.
