Dave Pfeifer
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Dave Pfeifer is an at-large member of the Waukegan Public School District 60 Board of Education in Illinois. He was first elected to the board in the nonpartisan general election on April 7, 2015.[1]
Biography
Pfeifer works as a senior software engineer at Motorola. He has worked for the company for 22 years. Pfeifer earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Bradley University. He and his wife have six children and five grandchildren.[2]
Elections
2015
Three of the seven at-large seats on the Waukegan Public School District 60 Board of Education were up for general election on April 7, 2015. The seats held by incumbents Donald H. Elliott, Cheri-lynne Pierson-White and Tommy Rhyan were on the ballot. They faced seven challengers, Domingo "Sonny" Garza, Reyna Montes, Dave Pfeifer, Pauline Redd, Rick Riddle, Jesus Ruiz and Gerald Witter. Rhyan ran as a write-in candidate.
Three newcomers won the election. Riddle, Pfeifer and Garza were elected to the board.
Results
| Waukegan Public School District 60, At-Large General Election, 4-year term, 2015 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Rick Riddle |
18.1% | 1,856 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dave Pfeifer |
15.8% | 1,622 | |
| Nonpartisan | Domingo "Sonny" Garza |
12.8% | 1,317 | |
| Nonpartisan | Reyna Montes | 11.8% | 1,209 | |
| Nonpartisan | Jesus Ruiz | 9.5% | 972 | |
| Nonpartisan | Cheri-lynne Pierson-White Incumbent | 8.8% | 901 | |
| Nonpartisan | Donald H. Elliott Incumbent | 7.6% | 780 | |
| Nonpartisan | Gerald Witter | 7.4% | 758 | |
| Nonpartisan | Pauline Redd | 6.3% | 645 | |
| Nonpartisan | Tommy Rhyan (write-in) Incumbent | 1.9% | 199 | |
| Total Votes | 10,259 | |||
| Source: Lake County Clerk, "Consolidated Election - April 7, 2015: Official Results," accessed April 28, 2015, Lake County Clerk, "Unofficial Write-In Results by Candidate ID," accessed April 28, 2015 | ||||
Funding
School board candidates in Illinois are only required to file campaign finance reports if they accept contributions or make expenditures in excess of $5,000 in a 12-month period.[3]
Pfeifer reported $4,000.00 in contributions but no expenditures to the Illinois State Board of Elections, which left his campaign with $4,000.00 on hand in the election.[4]
Endorsements
Pfeifer was endorsed by the Libertarian Party and by Walsh Freedom.[5][6]
Campaign themes
2015
Pfeifer highlighted the following issues on his campaign website:
| “ | Innovation key to Waukegan schools
Two out of every three Waukegan 3rd graders can’t read at grade level. They are four times more likely than proficient readers to leave school without a diploma. And four-in-five Waukegan high school graduates aren’t college ready, as determined by their recent ACT scores. No matter what heroic efforts have been made to improve Waukegan schools, the truth is an overwhelming majority of its children aren’t ready to face life’s challenges. That’s why we need to change the way we educate Waukegan’s children. It’s why we need to innovate. The common narrative justifying these results is that Waukegan is different from its neighboring districts. Its immigrant population can’t support their children’s learning needs. Many of the parents can’t speak English. There aren’t enough books in the home. Too many kids are too far behind. Which is precisely why our school district should adapt and innovate to meet Waukegan’s complex needs. Doing the same thing over and over just won’t solve the uniqueness of our community’s problems. For three decades I’ve worked at Motorola Intel and Nokia in search of solutions to complex problems. I’ve played a role in bringing what were once separate items – music players, phones, TVs, and computers – into one amazingly powerful device that fits in the palm of your hand. Innovation is changing the world and how we learn and consume. And it must change the way our children learn in Waukegan. As a school board member, I promise to bring a culture of innovation into Waukegan’s classrooms, whether its through Kahn Academy lessons, flipped classrooms or differentiated learning programs. Kids who are one, two and even three years behind grade level need new ways to catch up. Nothing should be off the table when we talk about improving our children’s lives and the future of Waukegan. This doesn’t mean we embrace each and every program that comes our way. We need to be vigilant that any new proposals don’t hurt the children that so many in our community are dedicated to helping. But we cannot fear change. Instead, we should fear doing more of the same, leaving another generation of children unprepared to face life’s challenges. So how do we begin the turnaround? It starts by setting bold standards. In five years we must double both our third-grade reading performance and our graduate’s college readiness. Every single action taken by the board and the administration must move the needle toward these higher standards. If it doesn’t, then it should be discarded. And at the heart of change must be innovation, whether it be in the way our children learn, our teachers teach, or our administrators lead. Throughout the country, schools and educators are breaking new ground with innovative solutions to learning. Waukegan shouldn’t wait around for those innovations. Instead, it should lead. But it’s only going to happen when we let go of the status quo and accept the bold challenges in front of us. I’m confident all Waukegan children can succeed – if only we give them the chance.[7] |
” |
| —Dave Pfeifer's campaign website (2015)[8] | ||
What was at stake?
2015
Issues in the district
Contract deal ends weeks-long teachers strike
Students in the Waukegan Public School District 60 missed 21 days of school in October 2014 due to a teachers strike. The Waukegan Teachers' Council and the Waukegan Board of Education could not come to an agreement on a three-year contract until the chairman of the State Board of Education and a state education official sent by former Gov. Pat Quinn (D) joined the negotiations.[9]
The contract gave the district additional instruction time during the school day and the teachers a "reasonable" salary package. It was approved by 86 percent of union members who voted.[9]
"After years of instability, we are hopeful that this agreement will be the first step in giving our students the schools they deserve," said Union President Kathy Schwarz.[9]
Once an agreement was reached, Superintendent Donaldo R. Batiste urged members of the district and the community to move past the disagreement.[10]
"Despite our disagreements, we have always shared a common, fundamental goal: to provide our children with the education they deserve to prepare them for what lies ahead," said Batiste.[10]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Dave Pfeifer Waukegan Public School District 60. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Waukegan Public School District 60, Illinois
- Waukegan Public School District 60 elections (2015)
- Hot tub Gatorade, turnout in Peoria and the Wisconsin state budget... (April 8, 2015)
External links
- Waukegan Public School District 60
- Office website
- Campaign website
- Campaign Facebook page
- Twitter page
- YouTube video
Footnotes
- ↑ Lake County Clerk, "Consolidated Election - April 7, 2015: Unofficial Results," accessed April 7, 2015
- ↑ Dave Pfeifer Waukegan Public School District 60, "About Dave," accessed April 1, 2015
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "A Guide to Campaign Disclosure," accessed March 31, 2015
- ↑ Illinois State Board of Elections, "Friends for Dave Pfeifer," accessed April 6, 2015
- ↑ Libertarian Party of Illinois, "Meet Our 2015 Municipal Candidates," accessed April 1, 2015
- ↑ Walsh Freedom, "Walsh Freedom Endorsed Candidates for Upcoming Elections," March 30, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Dave Pfeifer Waukegan Public School District 60, "On the Issues," accessed April 1, 2015
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Chicago Tribune, "Waukegan district, teachers come to terms after monthlong strike," October 30, 2015
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Waukegan Public School District 60, "An Open Letter to Parents, Guardians and Waukegan Community Unit School District #60 Community Members," October 31, 2015
| 2015 Waukegan Public School District 60 Elections | |
| Lake County, Illinois | |
| Election date: | April 7, 2015 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Donald H. Elliott • Incumbent, Cheri-lynne Pierson-White • Incumbent, Tommy Rhyan • Domingo "Sonny" Garza • Reyna Montes • Dave Pfeifer • Pauline Redd • Rick Riddle • Jesus Ruiz • Gerald Witter |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
