Scott Kluge: D109 School Board Candidate

Name: Scott Kluge

Campaign Website:

I do not have a campaign specific website, but you can see some of my perspectives on the DPS109 caucus website at http://www.dps109caucus.org/candidate-bios-2012-2013/kluge

How long have you lived in Deerfield? 7 years

Are you an incumbent? No

What political accomplishments are you most proud of?

I am most proud of my participation in the process that enabled the parent community and District 109 to investigate and fund the improvements in air quality for schools.

I met several times with the leadership of the parent organization to brainstorm about how PRO-AC could constructively work with the school board to accomplish their goal. While PRO-AC had the passion to elevate the issue of air quality, I was proud of my role in helping them to understand how the district made decisions so the organization could effectively work within that process for the desired outcome. 

What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?

I work as an advisor and consultant to large organizations to help them understand what their customers need and then work with those organizations to align their product and service offerings with what their customers’ desire. 

The fact that I am able to help large organizations to be more efficient and effective by helping them to better serve their customers is a mind set and set of skills that I am proud to deliver on a regular basis and I look forward to bringing this perspective to the District 109 school board. 

What are the three most important issues facing the District 109 Board of Education?

1. The most important issues facing District 109 is the need to improve teacher-administration relations so that the best thinking of all teachers, principals, and administrators is being fully utilized to improve the educational opportunities for students.
2. Another important issue facing the district is the need to improve the customer-service mindset of the district. Several parents are frustrated by the perceived lack of consideration and action for their individual student’s needs and feel that interactions with the district are not helpful in addressing their underlying concerns.
3. A third issue facing the district is the need to put better processes in place to regularly collect data and ideas on areas of improvement for the district so that the board and administration can make more effective curriculum and capital investment decisions. Rather than forming ad-hoc committees on a sporadic basis to study individual issues, the district should have a finite number of standing committees to continuously evaluate improvements to the curriculum and provide input into the long-range technology and capital investment plan that align with those curriculum improvement plans. 

How do you distinguish yourself from your opponents?

I strongly believe in measuring the effectiveness of our schools in serving students and families and that we need to continuously improve the return we get for the amount of taxes we invest in our schools each year.

Our students and families expect us to improve the educational experience every year, from better deployment of special services to improved opportunities for gifted and advanced students; along with better differentiation and educational opportunities for every individual student.

Our taxpayers expect us to live within our current tax basis and to focus our investments on specific areas that enhance the educational experience for our students while simultaneously looking for ways to streamline administrative expenses. As a parent and taxpayer, I expect our kids to receive a top-notch education, and I expect the district to be an expert in how to deliver that high-quality education in a cost-effective manner.

What is your professional background?

I have worked in business for over 20 years. I have been a strategy consultant for over 15 years and worked in advertising for several years prior to that. 

What is your educational background?

I have an undergraduate Business degree in Marketing from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA in Finance, Management and Strategy from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. 

What other information would you like to share?

I am a strong proponent and advocate for public education and feel strongly that District 109 has the financial resources and community support it needs to be one of the best K-8 school districts in the state.

Right now, District 109 is not living up to its potential and we need to raise expectations and challenge ourselves so that school board works with the teachers, administrators, and the parent community to make the right decisions over the next 3-5 years that enables us to become a truly great district.

I am excited about the potential for the district and I look forward to having an opportunity to serve District 109 as a member of the school board.