Teachers often whine how they are underpaid compared to other professionals, yet teachers' unions have plenty of money to throw at our legislators. According to the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, the Illinois Education Association (teachers' union) contributed $10.5 million to politicians between 1993 and 2004, more than any other statewide group. Second-place went to the Illinois Medical Society which contributed about 2.6 million less than the IEA. The third top contributor was the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the state's second-largest teachers union.
Now is the time to get tough with our legislators and let them know that we do not want the schools to receive any more money. It is time to force schools to be fiscally responsible and accountable for educating our children. Taxes will rise if the unions get their way with Constitutional Amendments.
Keep this in mind while reading the article below: Better Funding for Better Schools and A+ Illinois receive large sums of funding from the teachers unions and businesses that benefit from increased school funding.
Yes, it is time to rewrite the Constitution. We need to write true school choice into the Constitution. We must also put an end to Illinois' numerous state pension scams that threaten future generations with unsustainable debt.
The article below appeared in the Daily Southtown.
Is it time to rewrite the Constitution?
12/5/2005
By Kati Phillips
Daily Southtown
Association of School Boards calling for a constitutional convention in 2008, or sooner
Crack open the Illinois Constitution and add a line that forces the state to spend more money on education.
That's the dramatic measure a school board lobby group wants to take to obtain long-sought-after education funding reform.
At the request of more than 300 of its members, the Illinois Association of School Boards is pushing for a statewide constitutional convention in 2008 or earlier.
At a convention, delegates amend or rewrite the state's guiding document and put it up for public vote.
While this opens the door to any number of special-interest groups promoting amendments on subjects like same-sex marriage or intelligent design, it also creates the climate needed to pass education-funding reform, school board members say.
Convention delegates - unlike legislators - can attempt to raise taxes or make other hard decisions without worrying about caucus loyalty or re-election bids.
Those risks are to blame for Springfield's shrinking political will, most recently displayed when a tax swap bill that offered property tax relief failed to make it to a Senate vote, school board members say.
"Politics gets in the way of true education-funding reform," said Howard Crouse, superintendent of the Naperville district that introduced the convention resolution.
A swing and a miss
The current language on education funding was a result of the 1970 constitutional convention.
Delegates met in Springfield to find a way to get the state to pick up more of the schools' tab.
People were concerned that the state was providing just 31 percent of the money for schools, compared with 64.5 percent from local property taxes.
Districts with corporate headquarters and expensive homes were funding winners. Rural districts and industry-poor suburbs were losers.
Efforts to set a particular percentage for the state to contribute failed, but a line written by delegate Dawn Clark Netsch made it into the document.
The state has the "primary responsibility" for financing the system of public education, it reads.
"It was a club held over the heads of legislators," said Clark Netsch, a former senator and gubernatorial candidate. "The problem is, it hasn't hit hard enough."
Since 1970, lawmakers have only once raised the income tax, the main source for state education funding.
And the Illinois Supreme Court twice has rejected challenges to the state's education finance system, saying reform must be undertaken in the Legislature and not in the courts.
Though state funding reached almost 48 percent in the mid-1970s, it has dropped considerably.
About 30 percent of school funding comes from the state, and 57 percent is generated by local property taxes, according to the 2004-05 state school report card.
Rewrite every 20 years
The question of whether to hold a constitutional convention is put to voters every 20 years. Three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of those voting in the election are needed to convene one.
The last such referendum was in 1988, when voters turned down the opportunity. The next chance will be in 2008, unless lawmakers set an earlier date.
If voters jump at the chance this time around, they get to elect two delegates from each Legislative district to serve at the convention.
The delegates approve amendments or revisions to the constitution, and then those changes are put to a public vote. Majority rules.
Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn said he fought for a convention in 1988 for many of the same reasons the school board association now is promoting one.
He has not taken an official position on the possible 2008 convention, but he agrees it would remove politics from the funding reform discussion.
"The Constitutional Convention may be the only mechanism taxpayers have to force a true debate on reducing the state's excessive reliance on property taxes," Quinn said.
Illinois hasn't always had an education funding system reliant on property-taxes. In the early 1900s, the state paid the entire bill for public schools.
But complaints that the state was skimping led to local property taxes becoming the main funding source.
Today, wide disparities in property values have created a huge gap in what districts spend, ranging anywhere from $4,000 to $24,000 per student.
Though more money doesn't always mean better scores, advocates say cash is key to closing the achievement gap. Many just aren't positive a constitutional convention is the way to go.
Wary of special interests
First off, a convention cannot be held on a single issue, so delegates from all political persuasions would have the opportunity to tweak the constitution, Clark Netsch said.
Abortion, same-sex marriage, prayer in school - name a hot-button issue and there would be a dogfight, school board members concede.
Secondly, there is no guarantee a convention delegate could create wording that actually would force the state to pay up and get wide support.
Instead of promoting a convention, Bindu Batchu, campaign manager of A+ Illinois, is putting her efforts into encouraging candidates for public office to support education funding reform.
The same goes for members of the Better Funding for Better Schools Coalition. Even if there is a change in the constitution, it is up to the legislature to enact it, chairwoman Sharon Voliva said. Given the state's history, she is doubtful that would happen.
"The constitutional convention won't give legislators a backbone," she said.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Southtown (Newspaper) did its job in Sauk Village
Hey folks, we could not agree more with former Mayor Dean Koldenhoven. Unlike most papers, the Northwest Herald's circulation continues to grow. The NWH must choose whether to continue protecting and promoting the status quo, taking the occasional pot shot at reformers like Larry Snow, or doing some real investigative reporting into school finances. The taxpayers of McHenry County have spoken loud and clear time and time again; they are rejecting referenda. They do not want the schools to get more money and they want their money spent wisely. The Northwest Herald is promoting great changes, lets hope there are some great changes in their investigative reporting as well.
(From the Daily Southtown)
Southtown did its job in Sauk Village
"Voice of the Southland Since 1906" it states under the name, Daily Southtown. That "Voice" of the Southtown, which came about by our 1st Amendment in the Bill of Rights, namely the "freedom of the press," has shown its persistence in pursuing one of the biggest bullies in the Southland, Mr. Tom Ryan, the now former Sauk Village elementary school superintendent.
The arrest of Mr. Tom Ryan would not have happened if it were not for the Daily Southtown's role in this interesting story. Some parents of that school district told the Southtown of how Mr. Ryan was bullying and mistreating them and their children. The subsequent news stories by the Southtown came to the attention of investigators of State's Attorney Dick Devine's staff, and led to Mr. Ryan's conviction and the further investigation of other persons involved in illegal activities.
The parents and children by themselves did not have the power to bring Mr. Ryan to justice for his wrong-doings. It took the power of the 1st Amendment's freedom of the press through the Southtown's persistence to get the facts out about what was going on in District 168.
I extend my congratulations to everyone at the Southtown who was a part of exposing this unremorseful bully of the Southland. The school children in this district will be the ones who will benefit from this episode by having monies spent for their education, instead of lining the pockets of criminals. Mr. Ryan will spend eight years in prison.
May the freedom of the press continue in fine journalistic style that the Southtown has done in this news story.
Dean Koldenhoven
Palos Heights
Editor's Note: Dean Koldenhoven, former mayor of Palos Heights, writes a monthly column for the Daily Southtown.
(From the Daily Southtown)
Southtown did its job in Sauk Village
"Voice of the Southland Since 1906" it states under the name, Daily Southtown. That "Voice" of the Southtown, which came about by our 1st Amendment in the Bill of Rights, namely the "freedom of the press," has shown its persistence in pursuing one of the biggest bullies in the Southland, Mr. Tom Ryan, the now former Sauk Village elementary school superintendent.
The arrest of Mr. Tom Ryan would not have happened if it were not for the Daily Southtown's role in this interesting story. Some parents of that school district told the Southtown of how Mr. Ryan was bullying and mistreating them and their children. The subsequent news stories by the Southtown came to the attention of investigators of State's Attorney Dick Devine's staff, and led to Mr. Ryan's conviction and the further investigation of other persons involved in illegal activities.
The parents and children by themselves did not have the power to bring Mr. Ryan to justice for his wrong-doings. It took the power of the 1st Amendment's freedom of the press through the Southtown's persistence to get the facts out about what was going on in District 168.
I extend my congratulations to everyone at the Southtown who was a part of exposing this unremorseful bully of the Southland. The school children in this district will be the ones who will benefit from this episode by having monies spent for their education, instead of lining the pockets of criminals. Mr. Ryan will spend eight years in prison.
May the freedom of the press continue in fine journalistic style that the Southtown has done in this news story.
Dean Koldenhoven
Palos Heights
Editor's Note: Dean Koldenhoven, former mayor of Palos Heights, writes a monthly column for the Daily Southtown.
Saturday, December 03, 2005
Tax Group Fighting Back
The ranks of taxpayer activists continues to grow. A round of applause for our friends in Will and Dupage Counties.
Tax group fighting back
Will DuPage alliance says its levy figures came right from District 203
By Melissa Jenco
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Friday, December 02, 2005
The new Will DuPage Taxpayers Alliance went on the defensive Thursday, saying its calculations regarding Naperville Unit School District 203’s finances are credible, having come from the district itself.
The group was responding to a comment by Superintendent Alan Leis in Thursday’s Daily Herald that the community would be hearing a “flurry of numbers, untruths, half-truths and innuendoes” from people asking for a lower tax levy.
“These are the numbers, 203 numbers,” said Dan Denys, a member of the group. “So should I be cute here and say that 203 numbers are half-truths, innuendo? That’s what I’m using. I’m not making up numbers. I’m not manufacturing numbers.”
Leis said his remarks — made to about 60 community and business leaders Wednesday — were not referring specifically to the Will DuPage Taxpayers Alliance, but he felt he needed to defend the district.
“Because I felt the school system was being attacked, individuals were being attacked for not being truthful, and I didn’t think that was fair,” Leis said.
Criticism of the district resurfaced when the school board approved a tentative 2006 tax levy of $169.4 million.
While this is at least $5 million less than it could have asked for, some residents believe it’s still too high because the district already took in at least $24 million more than taxpayers expected after approving a 2002 tax increase.
The alliance plans to ask the district to reduce its levy by roughly $6 million, which is the amount the district expects to have in surplus at the end of the school year.
Leis said in considering the proposal, the district will have to look at what it means for its future because collecting less this year will mean collecting less in subsequent years as well.
“The district has rightly been focused on five-year projections and out, and we have to be very careful of the (impact) it will have in the out years and not just in next year’s budget,” Leis said.
Members of the alliance said the district can sustain a lower levy if it makes cuts in spending, which they don’t believe will affect the quality of education.
“It just really bothers me that they take the coward’s way out and make the community feel that, in order to save any money, we have to hurt the children,” said resident Maureen Taylor, who attended the tax group’s news conference Thursday. “Or if we don’t give them additional money, it’s going to hurt the children.”
The group suggested outsourcing maintenance and transportation staffs to reduce expenses.
Ultimately though, members said their goal is to promote a better understanding among taxpayers.
“If taxpayers want to pay more taxes, that’s certainly a right that they have,” said group member Ari Rosenthal. “We just want to make sure there is an open discussion and all the facts are out on the table.”
Tax group fighting back
Will DuPage alliance says its levy figures came right from District 203
By Melissa Jenco
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Friday, December 02, 2005
The new Will DuPage Taxpayers Alliance went on the defensive Thursday, saying its calculations regarding Naperville Unit School District 203’s finances are credible, having come from the district itself.
The group was responding to a comment by Superintendent Alan Leis in Thursday’s Daily Herald that the community would be hearing a “flurry of numbers, untruths, half-truths and innuendoes” from people asking for a lower tax levy.
“These are the numbers, 203 numbers,” said Dan Denys, a member of the group. “So should I be cute here and say that 203 numbers are half-truths, innuendo? That’s what I’m using. I’m not making up numbers. I’m not manufacturing numbers.”
Leis said his remarks — made to about 60 community and business leaders Wednesday — were not referring specifically to the Will DuPage Taxpayers Alliance, but he felt he needed to defend the district.
“Because I felt the school system was being attacked, individuals were being attacked for not being truthful, and I didn’t think that was fair,” Leis said.
Criticism of the district resurfaced when the school board approved a tentative 2006 tax levy of $169.4 million.
While this is at least $5 million less than it could have asked for, some residents believe it’s still too high because the district already took in at least $24 million more than taxpayers expected after approving a 2002 tax increase.
The alliance plans to ask the district to reduce its levy by roughly $6 million, which is the amount the district expects to have in surplus at the end of the school year.
Leis said in considering the proposal, the district will have to look at what it means for its future because collecting less this year will mean collecting less in subsequent years as well.
“The district has rightly been focused on five-year projections and out, and we have to be very careful of the (impact) it will have in the out years and not just in next year’s budget,” Leis said.
Members of the alliance said the district can sustain a lower levy if it makes cuts in spending, which they don’t believe will affect the quality of education.
“It just really bothers me that they take the coward’s way out and make the community feel that, in order to save any money, we have to hurt the children,” said resident Maureen Taylor, who attended the tax group’s news conference Thursday. “Or if we don’t give them additional money, it’s going to hurt the children.”
The group suggested outsourcing maintenance and transportation staffs to reduce expenses.
Ultimately though, members said their goal is to promote a better understanding among taxpayers.
“If taxpayers want to pay more taxes, that’s certainly a right that they have,” said group member Ari Rosenthal. “We just want to make sure there is an open discussion and all the facts are out on the table.”
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Ex-principal charged with stealing funds
Bravo to our Friends at Citizens for Responsible Government and Rich Conley. Well done. A special thanks to Richard Bryan retired school teacher. We need to see more current and retired teachers coming out to expose the inappropriate use of our school funds.
Ex-principal charged with stealing funds
By Bob Susnjara
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Thursday, December 01, 2005
An investigation into Warren Township High School finances that spanned almost a year ended Wednesday with the indictment of a former principal accused of misspending activity fund money on theater tickets.
Philip Roffman, the ex-principal who most recently led Gurnee-based Warren District 121’s Almond Road upperclass campus, was charged with one felony theft count. A conviction can result in a sentence ranging from probation to five years behind bars.
Roffman, 57, remains free on a $25,000 bench warrant and is to plead guilty as part of a negotiated deal Dec. 15 before Circuit Judge Victoria Rossetti. He was a Warren principal for about 14 years until retiring in October 2004, shortly after the Daily Herald began investigating activity fund spending.
At issue was convenience accounts that draw money from District 121’s activity fund. Convenience account spending by adult school employees is required to have a student connection, such as pizzas for a sports team.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney George Strickland said Roffman illegally spent public money on Steppenwolf Theatre Co. tickets for friends and family in 2003. Roffman received a $400 reimbursement after submitting an activity fund form that falsely stated “theater tickets for teacher/staff.”
Roffman was not charged on other spending the state’s attorney’s office confirmed would have violated the law, said Strickland, who declined to elaborate. Those expenditures were detailed in a report filed in December 2004 by special investigator Daniel Field, an attorney who was hired by Warren after the activity fund questions surfaced.
Field wrote Roffman’s use of school money to purchase 17 handcrafted silk ties for $1,186.50 from Lee Allison Co. should be considered “illegal and improper.”
Roffman bought the ties Oct. 25, 2001, documents show. The purchase went unnoticed until it was discovered in documents obtained by the Daily Herald through Freedom of Information Act requests and confirmed by Lee Allison.
To justify having a check sent to Lee Allison, Roffman wrote “healthy communication supplies for fund-raiser” on a District 121 form.
Neither Roffman nor his lawyer, Patrick Tuite, returned calls Wednesday.
Field also found Roffman improperly used Warren activity funds to pay for calls to a telephone-sex line and an Internet sex-partner swapping club membership.
In a statement issued Wednesday, District 121 Superintendent Phil Sobocinski said he was saddened, but not surprised, by Roffman’s indictment. Warren provided documents going back at least 10 years to the state’s attorney’s office.
“It is important the Warren community understand the school district does not condone the behavior alleged in the indictment,” Sobocinski said.
“From the moment the board initiated its own investigation, we were on the record that the district would pursue all legal avenues to obtain restitution from any individuals convicted of misusing any school district funds.”
Working from Field’s report, state’s attorney’s office investigator Lou Archbold spent about 10 months combing through more than just Roffman’s activity fund spending at District 121.
Archbold also explored previous activity fund expenditures by retired Associate Principal Ron Shelton, ex-Athletic Director Lenny Chimino and others who were cited in Field’s report. Criminal charges only were leveled against Roffman.
“We examined all issues that were brought up in the Field report,” Strickland said. “We brought criminal charges that can be supported and are within the statute of limitations.”
Retired Warren High teacher Richard Bryan and Citizens for Responsible Government members in Gurnee were among those who brought concerns about activity fund spending to the attention of Warren officials.
Citizens for Responsible Government member Richard Conley expressed satisfaction after learning about Roffman’s indictment.
“As a citizen and as a member of the (tax watchdogs), I am just happy that the state’s attorney took our concerns seriously and investigated them fully,” Conley said.
Strickland credited District 121 officials for their cooperation in the investigation and said the Roffman indictment means the case is closed.
Four boxes of District 121 property were returned by Roffman last year, officials said. The haul included stereo speakers, compact-disk player, digital camera and a Dixie Chicks video.
Roffman has repaid Warren for some items, but will be asked to make further restitution for unauthorized expenditures, Strickland said.
Ex-principal charged with stealing funds
By Bob Susnjara
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Thursday, December 01, 2005
An investigation into Warren Township High School finances that spanned almost a year ended Wednesday with the indictment of a former principal accused of misspending activity fund money on theater tickets.
Philip Roffman, the ex-principal who most recently led Gurnee-based Warren District 121’s Almond Road upperclass campus, was charged with one felony theft count. A conviction can result in a sentence ranging from probation to five years behind bars.
Roffman, 57, remains free on a $25,000 bench warrant and is to plead guilty as part of a negotiated deal Dec. 15 before Circuit Judge Victoria Rossetti. He was a Warren principal for about 14 years until retiring in October 2004, shortly after the Daily Herald began investigating activity fund spending.
At issue was convenience accounts that draw money from District 121’s activity fund. Convenience account spending by adult school employees is required to have a student connection, such as pizzas for a sports team.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney George Strickland said Roffman illegally spent public money on Steppenwolf Theatre Co. tickets for friends and family in 2003. Roffman received a $400 reimbursement after submitting an activity fund form that falsely stated “theater tickets for teacher/staff.”
Roffman was not charged on other spending the state’s attorney’s office confirmed would have violated the law, said Strickland, who declined to elaborate. Those expenditures were detailed in a report filed in December 2004 by special investigator Daniel Field, an attorney who was hired by Warren after the activity fund questions surfaced.
Field wrote Roffman’s use of school money to purchase 17 handcrafted silk ties for $1,186.50 from Lee Allison Co. should be considered “illegal and improper.”
Roffman bought the ties Oct. 25, 2001, documents show. The purchase went unnoticed until it was discovered in documents obtained by the Daily Herald through Freedom of Information Act requests and confirmed by Lee Allison.
To justify having a check sent to Lee Allison, Roffman wrote “healthy communication supplies for fund-raiser” on a District 121 form.
Neither Roffman nor his lawyer, Patrick Tuite, returned calls Wednesday.
Field also found Roffman improperly used Warren activity funds to pay for calls to a telephone-sex line and an Internet sex-partner swapping club membership.
In a statement issued Wednesday, District 121 Superintendent Phil Sobocinski said he was saddened, but not surprised, by Roffman’s indictment. Warren provided documents going back at least 10 years to the state’s attorney’s office.
“It is important the Warren community understand the school district does not condone the behavior alleged in the indictment,” Sobocinski said.
“From the moment the board initiated its own investigation, we were on the record that the district would pursue all legal avenues to obtain restitution from any individuals convicted of misusing any school district funds.”
Working from Field’s report, state’s attorney’s office investigator Lou Archbold spent about 10 months combing through more than just Roffman’s activity fund spending at District 121.
Archbold also explored previous activity fund expenditures by retired Associate Principal Ron Shelton, ex-Athletic Director Lenny Chimino and others who were cited in Field’s report. Criminal charges only were leveled against Roffman.
“We examined all issues that were brought up in the Field report,” Strickland said. “We brought criminal charges that can be supported and are within the statute of limitations.”
Retired Warren High teacher Richard Bryan and Citizens for Responsible Government members in Gurnee were among those who brought concerns about activity fund spending to the attention of Warren officials.
Citizens for Responsible Government member Richard Conley expressed satisfaction after learning about Roffman’s indictment.
“As a citizen and as a member of the (tax watchdogs), I am just happy that the state’s attorney took our concerns seriously and investigated them fully,” Conley said.
Strickland credited District 121 officials for their cooperation in the investigation and said the Roffman indictment means the case is closed.
Four boxes of District 121 property were returned by Roffman last year, officials said. The haul included stereo speakers, compact-disk player, digital camera and a Dixie Chicks video.
Roffman has repaid Warren for some items, but will be asked to make further restitution for unauthorized expenditures, Strickland said.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
No Child Left Behind is better than nothing in education
This great article is written by a retired school teacher. It is great to see that she understands the problems of our public education system which include the teachers' unions and lack of accountability. Bravo Johanna Haver.
No Child Left Behind is better than nothing in education
Nov. 29, 2005 12:00 AM
Some highly reputable Valley teachers have complained to me that the federal government has wreaked havoc upon their schools with its No Child Left Behind mandate.
To them, the time taken from the classroom for teacher training is counterproductive and the imposition of uniform teaching techniques on them destroys creativity. They told me of a case where an entire school that had been labeled "underperforming" was forced to make questionable changes when a problem existed in only one specific area.
Recently Superintendent John Baracy of the Scottsdale Unified School District remarked to me that the No Child Left Behind law "levels the playing field." As someone with years of experience running inner-city schools, Baracy has dealt with the challenges of educating "at-risk" students. He is well aware of the enormous achievement gap that exists between the children who come from middle-class to affluent homes and those from underprivileged backgrounds.
Like the teachers, Tom Horne, Arizona superintendent of public instruction, is not satisfied with the law, which he says contains "144 ways for schools to fail." He considers the state program, Arizona Learns, to be "more comprehensive and fair." He has made several requests to the federal authorities to have aspects of No Child Left Behind's adequate yearly progress requirements adjusted so they fit better with Arizona schools.
The federal government began its quest to solve the achievement problem with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. This provided a slew of programs for failing students and cost billions of dollars, but contained little oversight. Forty years later there is no evidence that these programs were even minimally successful. No Child Left Behind differs from the 1965 law in that it holds schools accountable.
Unfortunately, No Child Left Behind does not address other obstacles to school improvement. These include court decisions dating to 1969 that limit schools' disciplinary and dress policies, the teachers unions' protection of incompetent teachers and the education colleges' tendency to promote less-than-rigorous classroom instruction.
In the meantime, according to School Reform News (April 2005), an analysis of the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that parochial schools are doing a better job than public ones in educating underprivileged students. Moreover, these schools spend considerably less money than public ones.
Parochial schools have some advantages: (1) broad authority over how students look and behave in school; (2) the freedom to hire and fire teachers according to merit rather than seniority; and (3) independence from the colleges of education.
It is a pipe dream to believe that the court decisions that have undermined discipline in our public schools will ever be reversed. The recent election in California indicates that even someone as powerful as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is no match against the teachers unions and, thus, they will continue to reign. Colleges of education will also survive due to the large revenues they bring into the universities from teachers who must take their courses to maintain their teaching certificates.
Whether teachers like it or not, due to default, No Child Left Behind is all we have left to improve unacceptable achievement rates in our public schools.
Johanna Haver is a retired Arizona teacher and author of the book "Structured English Immersion: A Step-by-Step Guide for K-6 Teachers and Administrators" (Corwin Press, 2003). She can be reached at j.haver@cox.net.
No Child Left Behind is better than nothing in education
Nov. 29, 2005 12:00 AM
Some highly reputable Valley teachers have complained to me that the federal government has wreaked havoc upon their schools with its No Child Left Behind mandate.
To them, the time taken from the classroom for teacher training is counterproductive and the imposition of uniform teaching techniques on them destroys creativity. They told me of a case where an entire school that had been labeled "underperforming" was forced to make questionable changes when a problem existed in only one specific area.
Recently Superintendent John Baracy of the Scottsdale Unified School District remarked to me that the No Child Left Behind law "levels the playing field." As someone with years of experience running inner-city schools, Baracy has dealt with the challenges of educating "at-risk" students. He is well aware of the enormous achievement gap that exists between the children who come from middle-class to affluent homes and those from underprivileged backgrounds.
Like the teachers, Tom Horne, Arizona superintendent of public instruction, is not satisfied with the law, which he says contains "144 ways for schools to fail." He considers the state program, Arizona Learns, to be "more comprehensive and fair." He has made several requests to the federal authorities to have aspects of No Child Left Behind's adequate yearly progress requirements adjusted so they fit better with Arizona schools.
The federal government began its quest to solve the achievement problem with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. This provided a slew of programs for failing students and cost billions of dollars, but contained little oversight. Forty years later there is no evidence that these programs were even minimally successful. No Child Left Behind differs from the 1965 law in that it holds schools accountable.
Unfortunately, No Child Left Behind does not address other obstacles to school improvement. These include court decisions dating to 1969 that limit schools' disciplinary and dress policies, the teachers unions' protection of incompetent teachers and the education colleges' tendency to promote less-than-rigorous classroom instruction.
In the meantime, according to School Reform News (April 2005), an analysis of the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows that parochial schools are doing a better job than public ones in educating underprivileged students. Moreover, these schools spend considerably less money than public ones.
Parochial schools have some advantages: (1) broad authority over how students look and behave in school; (2) the freedom to hire and fire teachers according to merit rather than seniority; and (3) independence from the colleges of education.
It is a pipe dream to believe that the court decisions that have undermined discipline in our public schools will ever be reversed. The recent election in California indicates that even someone as powerful as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is no match against the teachers unions and, thus, they will continue to reign. Colleges of education will also survive due to the large revenues they bring into the universities from teachers who must take their courses to maintain their teaching certificates.
Whether teachers like it or not, due to default, No Child Left Behind is all we have left to improve unacceptable achievement rates in our public schools.
Johanna Haver is a retired Arizona teacher and author of the book "Structured English Immersion: A Step-by-Step Guide for K-6 Teachers and Administrators" (Corwin Press, 2003). She can be reached at j.haver@cox.net.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Don't bully me
Bravo Marla Pfleger! Thank you for having the courage to speak out. Until more parents join people like Marla at speaking out and saying no more money, no more bullying and no more rejecting accountability, we will continue to see just that from the public education system. Bravo Marla! Thank you for setting such a great example for your children.
Don't bully me
[published on Mon, Nov 28, 2005]
To the Editor:
I am a parent with a student in District 15. The other day, he brought home a proposed elimination list if the March referendum fails.
I am appalled that the District 15 school board would actually think I would cave into its blatant ransom demands.
This is what will happen if the referendum fails:
– All children will get out an hour earlier, which means higher child-care costs.
– Eliminating key elements for the elementary and middle school children.
– No sports, after school activities or field trips, and no more recess.
I am disgusted with this school board and feel it is abusing our children.
To see the entire list of cuts our children look forward to, visit the district's Web site at www.d15.org.
I, for one, will not be bullied into voting for the referendum. I would rather move.
Marla Pfleger
McHenry
Don't bully me
[published on Mon, Nov 28, 2005]
To the Editor:
I am a parent with a student in District 15. The other day, he brought home a proposed elimination list if the March referendum fails.
I am appalled that the District 15 school board would actually think I would cave into its blatant ransom demands.
This is what will happen if the referendum fails:
– All children will get out an hour earlier, which means higher child-care costs.
– Eliminating key elements for the elementary and middle school children.
– No sports, after school activities or field trips, and no more recess.
I am disgusted with this school board and feel it is abusing our children.
To see the entire list of cuts our children look forward to, visit the district's Web site at www.d15.org.
I, for one, will not be bullied into voting for the referendum. I would rather move.
Marla Pfleger
McHenry
Monday, November 28, 2005
Another school official charged with corruption.
Note that she will only have to pay back half of her $3650 a month pension. Hmmm. How many of you take that home in your pension or social security?
Roslyn embezzlers now painted into costly corner
--------------------
BY EDEN LAIKIN AND KARLA SCHUSTER
STAFF WRITERS
November 11, 2005
In one painting, a full moon lights up the sky while a tall ship pushes through choppy, turquoise waves. In another, a bronze ring creates a portal view of two bright blue dolphins swimming past each other.
The artwork once belonged to former Roslyn school business official Pamela Gluckin, who admits she spent district money to buy them. Now, it's in the possession of the civil forfeiture unit of the Nassau district attorney's office, which auctions the assets of people guilty of crimes and returns the revenue to the victims - in this case, the Roslyn schools.
When Gluckin and her niece, former school business clerk Debra Rigano, were first charged in the $11.2 million theft from Roslyn, they got Nassau Assistant District Attorney Robert Nigro's standard speech.
"I am not your friend," Nigro, chief of the office's forfeiture section, said he told them, "but think of me like a credit counselor."
Of course, the six people charged so far in the Roslyn case did not always use their ill-gotten gains to buy goods that can now be returned or sold. "A lot of the money has been spent," Nigro said. "It's gone to pay bills, credit cards."
Still, the accused Roslyn embezzlers bought a lot of expensive items that can be seized. Rigano, who pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing $780,000, has so far forfeited a pair of 1-karat diamond earrings and an 18-karat gold Rolex watch band that she admits buying with district funds. Those will also be auctioned off to repay the district.
A 1985 state law gives Nigro, a lawyer and former judge, the authority to seize people's assets by filing civil suits against them. In cases with no victims, a percentage goes back to the district attorney's office to maintain the unit and a percentage goes to drug and alcohol rehabilitation and police agencies. Last year alone, the office disbursed $857,787 to crime victims, various state and local agencies and the DA's office.
In this case, all proceeds - an expected $7 million - will go to the Roslyn school district.
Since Gluckin, Rigano and former superintendent Frank Tassone were arrested last year in the Roslyn case, members of Nigro's unit have been working with Farrell Fritz, a Uniondale law firm hired by the district, to freeze and sell off assets belonging to the former officials. They will also team up to liquidate the guilty parties' bank accounts and insurance policies.
Together, they oversaw the $1.1 million sale of Gluckin's waterfront Bellmore home, where prosecutors say mortgage payments were made with district money. The sale last month netted $319,000 for the district. They also handled the sale of a Gluckin house in West Islip, selling it for $1.3 million and netting $322,000 for the district after brokers' fees and unpaid taxes. Two personal watercraft belonging to Gluckin brought in $5,100, and her 18-foot boat is being sold.
Gluckin paid more than $44,000 for the 13 paintings - including the one depicting the dolphins - at Gallery Lassen in Maui in 1998 and 2000, receipts show, shipping at least two of them to herself at the school district. She surrendered them last week, carting them herself to Mineola in a pick-up truck.
The original painting and 12 numbered prints that Gluckin bought in Hawaii each cost between $1,025 and $10,000, according to receipts from the gallery.
In addition, more than $1 million from various bank accounts and properties in Gluckin and her husband's names have been frozen since May 2004. And when Gluckin goes to jail, half of her $3,650-a-month-pension will go back to the restitution fund.
Recouping the criminal proceeds in the case hasn't been easy for the district attorney's office and Farrell Fritz, the law firm. For one thing, assets are sometimes held jointly in the names of other, non-criminally charged spouses. In the case of one of the Gluckin homes seized and sold, a small percentage of the proceeds went to her husband, who had put money into it over the years.
Farrell Fritz has more leeway than the district attorney's office, however. For example, they have sued those who cost the district money by doing a poor job, such as auditors, former board members and district lawyers.
They plan to file more lawsuits and arrange the sale of more property and merchandise. They've already settled with the district's former auditing firm, Miller Lilly & Pearce, for $925,000.
"We use different tactics," said Nigro. "But we're both working toward the same goal."
PAYING BACK ROSLYN
The following items, surrendered by former Roslyn school officials Pamela Gluckin and Debra Rigano, have either been sold or will be auctioned off, to reimburse the district.
Artwork
Dawn of New Era - $3,375
Moonlit Serenity - $3,375
Lords of Millennium - $3,150
Circle of Life - $2,000
New Hope II - $2,000
Moonlit Cove - $2,762
Circle Indigo Night - $5,500
Beyond the Reef - $3,375
Mother's Love popart- $10,000 (original)
Lahaina Symphony - $4,650
Lahaina Starlite II - $1,025
Island Romance - $1,695
Free Spirit - No receipt
Watercraft
2 Yamaha personal watercraft (Jet Skis) and floating dock sold for $5,100
2004 Monteray Pleasure Fiberglass 18-foot boat (sale pending)
Jewelry
1-Karat diamond earrings
18-Karat gold Rolex watch band
Homes
2850 Lee Place, Bellmore (sold for $1.1million)
1 Pansmith Lane, West Islip (sold for $1.3 million)
Copyright (c) 2005, Newsday, Inc.
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-listuf114507553nov11,0,1799461.story?coll=ny-linews-headlines
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
Roslyn embezzlers now painted into costly corner
--------------------
BY EDEN LAIKIN AND KARLA SCHUSTER
STAFF WRITERS
November 11, 2005
In one painting, a full moon lights up the sky while a tall ship pushes through choppy, turquoise waves. In another, a bronze ring creates a portal view of two bright blue dolphins swimming past each other.
The artwork once belonged to former Roslyn school business official Pamela Gluckin, who admits she spent district money to buy them. Now, it's in the possession of the civil forfeiture unit of the Nassau district attorney's office, which auctions the assets of people guilty of crimes and returns the revenue to the victims - in this case, the Roslyn schools.
When Gluckin and her niece, former school business clerk Debra Rigano, were first charged in the $11.2 million theft from Roslyn, they got Nassau Assistant District Attorney Robert Nigro's standard speech.
"I am not your friend," Nigro, chief of the office's forfeiture section, said he told them, "but think of me like a credit counselor."
Of course, the six people charged so far in the Roslyn case did not always use their ill-gotten gains to buy goods that can now be returned or sold. "A lot of the money has been spent," Nigro said. "It's gone to pay bills, credit cards."
Still, the accused Roslyn embezzlers bought a lot of expensive items that can be seized. Rigano, who pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing $780,000, has so far forfeited a pair of 1-karat diamond earrings and an 18-karat gold Rolex watch band that she admits buying with district funds. Those will also be auctioned off to repay the district.
A 1985 state law gives Nigro, a lawyer and former judge, the authority to seize people's assets by filing civil suits against them. In cases with no victims, a percentage goes back to the district attorney's office to maintain the unit and a percentage goes to drug and alcohol rehabilitation and police agencies. Last year alone, the office disbursed $857,787 to crime victims, various state and local agencies and the DA's office.
In this case, all proceeds - an expected $7 million - will go to the Roslyn school district.
Since Gluckin, Rigano and former superintendent Frank Tassone were arrested last year in the Roslyn case, members of Nigro's unit have been working with Farrell Fritz, a Uniondale law firm hired by the district, to freeze and sell off assets belonging to the former officials. They will also team up to liquidate the guilty parties' bank accounts and insurance policies.
Together, they oversaw the $1.1 million sale of Gluckin's waterfront Bellmore home, where prosecutors say mortgage payments were made with district money. The sale last month netted $319,000 for the district. They also handled the sale of a Gluckin house in West Islip, selling it for $1.3 million and netting $322,000 for the district after brokers' fees and unpaid taxes. Two personal watercraft belonging to Gluckin brought in $5,100, and her 18-foot boat is being sold.
Gluckin paid more than $44,000 for the 13 paintings - including the one depicting the dolphins - at Gallery Lassen in Maui in 1998 and 2000, receipts show, shipping at least two of them to herself at the school district. She surrendered them last week, carting them herself to Mineola in a pick-up truck.
The original painting and 12 numbered prints that Gluckin bought in Hawaii each cost between $1,025 and $10,000, according to receipts from the gallery.
In addition, more than $1 million from various bank accounts and properties in Gluckin and her husband's names have been frozen since May 2004. And when Gluckin goes to jail, half of her $3,650-a-month-pension will go back to the restitution fund.
Recouping the criminal proceeds in the case hasn't been easy for the district attorney's office and Farrell Fritz, the law firm. For one thing, assets are sometimes held jointly in the names of other, non-criminally charged spouses. In the case of one of the Gluckin homes seized and sold, a small percentage of the proceeds went to her husband, who had put money into it over the years.
Farrell Fritz has more leeway than the district attorney's office, however. For example, they have sued those who cost the district money by doing a poor job, such as auditors, former board members and district lawyers.
They plan to file more lawsuits and arrange the sale of more property and merchandise. They've already settled with the district's former auditing firm, Miller Lilly & Pearce, for $925,000.
"We use different tactics," said Nigro. "But we're both working toward the same goal."
PAYING BACK ROSLYN
The following items, surrendered by former Roslyn school officials Pamela Gluckin and Debra Rigano, have either been sold or will be auctioned off, to reimburse the district.
Artwork
Dawn of New Era - $3,375
Moonlit Serenity - $3,375
Lords of Millennium - $3,150
Circle of Life - $2,000
New Hope II - $2,000
Moonlit Cove - $2,762
Circle Indigo Night - $5,500
Beyond the Reef - $3,375
Mother's Love popart- $10,000 (original)
Lahaina Symphony - $4,650
Lahaina Starlite II - $1,025
Island Romance - $1,695
Free Spirit - No receipt
Watercraft
2 Yamaha personal watercraft (Jet Skis) and floating dock sold for $5,100
2004 Monteray Pleasure Fiberglass 18-foot boat (sale pending)
Jewelry
1-Karat diamond earrings
18-Karat gold Rolex watch band
Homes
2850 Lee Place, Bellmore (sold for $1.1million)
1 Pansmith Lane, West Islip (sold for $1.3 million)
Copyright (c) 2005, Newsday, Inc.
--------------------
This article originally appeared at:
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-listuf114507553nov11,0,1799461.story?coll=ny-linews-headlines
Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com
Sunday, November 27, 2005
The Investigation that Nabbed a School Superintendent.
The article below appeared in the Daily Southtown. A big round of applause to all the district employees who finally spoke up. Bravo to the reporters Linda Lutton, Jonathan Lipman and Kati Phillips for all their great work. Let us hope other school employees, reporters and regular citizens will start to take a closer look at school finances in their districts. Illinois spends well over 20 billion dollars to educate over 2 million kids. We are sure that more than one school district out of the 850 plus school districts that exist are misusing their funds.
How the iron fist of Tom Ryan was smashed: behind the scenes of the investigation
Sunday, November 27, 2005
By Jonathan Lipman and Kati Phillips
Staff writers
When Hank Ribich showed up at Tom Ryan's door at 8:30 in the morning, Ryan was not at his best.
The superintendent of Sauk Village schools' hair was disheveled, his chin unshaved beneath his trademark bristly mustache.
Although Ryan's 6-foot-2-inch frame towered over the squat form of the state's attorney's investigator, it was Ryan who looked uneasy. His eyes were wide and his mouth open with surprise.
It was a school day, and Ribich had gone looking for Ryan at the district's headquarters first, before finding Ryan asleep at his Orland Park home. The former Chicago cop, who bears an equally imposing mustache, had come to deliver a grand jury subpoena. And with it, a message.
"We told him he should get an attorney," Ribich said. "He said he had an attorney, but it was a tax attorney. We told him ... you should get a criminal attorney."
It was the first subpoena in a criminal investigation into School District 168 that would ultimately end with the school board president indicted, hundreds of thousands of dollars of misdirected funds seized and Ryan imprisoned.
In an interview with the Daily Southtown, Ribich and Assistant State's Attorney Sandra Navarro explained how they investigated and eventually caught Ryan.
Ryan pleaded guilty last week to felony theft, admitting to stealing up to $100,000 from the district.
He was originally accused of stealing more than $100,000, intimidating and harassing witnesses, obstructing justice, bribery and official misconduct.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution to the district.
A scion of Chicago's powerful 19th Ward, Ryan had been the unquestioned leader of the district for 15 years and once treasurer of the Illinois Association of School Administrators.
Ribich was conducting his first full investigation since joining the special prosecution bureau of the Cook County state's attorney's office. Navarro had five years with the office.
Both had years of previous experience investigating financial crimes. But the pair had an additional advantage in this case. They already knew where to look.
In March, April and May, the Daily Southtown's Linda Lutton had written a series of stories detailing Ryan's illegal use of district funds to pay for his daughters' college education and gifts for family and friends.
Lutton "provided a blueprint, I think, for the investigation," Navarro said. "Before we even got involved."
The state's attorney's office began investigating after a phone call from the state schools superintendent, Randy Dunn. He had been prompted to action by the Daily Southtown stories.
First encounters
Navarro's boss, special prosecutions bureau chief Scott Cassidy, decided to go after Ryan first.
"We wanted to know who his lawyer was going to be. We didn't really need any statements from him. The evidence was really rapidly unfolding," Cassidy said. "We also knew people were being intimidated out there, so we figured let's move on this fairly quickly. We wanted him out of there."
Ryan was unintimidated before the grand jury.
"He has that attitude about himself, that Ditka attitude," Ribich said, referring to former Bears coach Mike Ditka.
"It's arrogance," Navarro said. "Sometimes (before a grand jury) you can see a nervousness, or emotions, people cry. ... Someone did cry at the grand jury in this case; it was very upsetting the things people talked about in this case."
But Ryan, she said, was "emotionless" as he took the Fifth Amendment and refused to talk.
After that, the pair went after records. They amassed more than a dozen full-sized file boxes.
The paper trail was critical, but just as important were the district employees who began stepping forward. Cassidy said the Southtown's stories had people believing it was possible to catch Ryan.
"We had to put a trust in them," Ribich said. "It was like, 'We're not going to stop all of a sudden and go another way. We're going to take this all the way through.' "
An informal network of Ryan-hating parents and district employees already existed. Quickly, that network started spreading the word that the state's attorney's office needed help, Ribich said.
"Various clerical people who were terrified of (Ryan) gave us information," Navarro said. "Those are the true heroes, those who had the courage to come forward and to provide us with that information while they're still living under the iron fist of Ryan."
First snags
The investigators knew Ryan was intimidating witnesses. He had the entire district scared.
"Some of the employees described meetings where they felt like they were with the Godfather," Navarro said. Or like Al Capone in the movie "The Untouchables," she said.
"I don't know if you remember that scene where (Capone) walked around with the baseball bat, around the table," Navarro said. The scene in the movie ends with Capone brutally beating a man to death.
"You never knew what was going to happen next," Navarro said. "One witness ... she needed the job, but his actions made her physically sick before she came to work in the morning."
Ryan wore metal "heel savers" on the bottom of his shoes, Ribich said. They announced his presence as he strode down the halls.
"You always knew when he was in the building because you heard his cleats," Ribich said. "He'd make it a point to walk hard."
When Ryan was heading to visit a school, secretaries would call ahead to warn their colleagues.
"They would put out the announcement, 'Ryan's coming, hide the petty cash!' " Navarro said.
Petty cash was used for student activities, but Ryan would routinely pocket it, usually while lecturing staff about inadequate security and financial control.
District 168 is the second-poorest district in the county, and its three schools have lacked basic activities like music class or sports.
Ryan was dubbed a "reverse Robin Hood" by prosecutors for stealing from poor children to enrich his friends and family.
Many people in the district knew exactly what was going on, the investigators believe. Ryan hand-delivered bonus checks, directly demanding kickbacks.
"He expected you to pay, and he would tell you the amount, too," Ribich said. "He'd hand you the check, saying, 'Here, I expect $50 back tomorrow.' And you had to get it over there ASAP. Cash."
Others, such as the three school principals, were still loyal to Ryan, who gave them their jobs and took care of their needs with gifts and perks, Navarro said.
"He always had two or three envelopes on his desk that had money in it," Ribich said. "He made it known. You could see that each envelope had cash in it."
Ryan himself was closely monitoring the investigation. He told people what to say if they were appearing before the grand jury. Employees said he would watch Ribich closely on security monitors every time the investigator came to the district administration building.
"He hated it when I went out to the school district," Ribich said. "He'd get furious."
Although investigators were getting boxes and boxes of documents, not everything was matching up with the audit findings.
"It was like a 500-piece puzzle," Ribich said. "You throw all the stuff on the desk, and you look at it."
The witnesses coming forward were telling Navarro not to trust the records they were getting via subpoena. Ryan was altering them.
"When we sent subpoenas to the school district, (Ryan) would review everything, and then he would send it to (attorney Anthony) Scariano before we would even get it," Navarro said. "So they were free to change or amend and to pick and choose what we were going to see."
Some of the clerical workers in the district had saved original copies of the records they were ordered to change, and they supplied those originals to Navarro.
One worker hid original files in the basement, among the boxes holding the district's Christmas decorations. They were only rediscovered in the past few weeks, and Ribich dutifully drove out to photograph them.
Tide turns
In all, the investigators talked to 52 people. They put 24 of them before the grand jury to give sworn testimony. Only Ryan remained silent.
Every time another story appeared in the Southtown about a step in the investigation, Navarro would get "a flurry of calls" from employees and parents with tips.
People began to believe that Ryan, who had scared away so many others, was caught. Some began changing their stories.
"Some had a moment of epiphany where they felt used," Navarro said.
On July 26, school board president Louise Morales turned herself in to authorities and was charged with theft and official misconduct.
Because her name was the final authorization on improper spending, her case was easiest to prove, investigators said. And it sent a message to the community that the investigation was serious.
On Aug. 16, investigators searched Ryan's home and the district administrative office. The documents found at the district wound up being key, the investigators said.
"Then we could see things we didn't have available through the subpoenas," Navarro said. "They were originals."
"That is the eureka moment," Ribich said. "All of a sudden, bingo, you got him."
They already knew from bank records that Ryan typically took out lots of cash whenever he made a deposit, which is called a "split deposit." Searching Ryan's home, they found where that cash went. He was hoarding it.
"It was all over," Ribich said. "It was in dresser drawers, the closet. The majority of it was in the basement."
Investigators removed the cash from the house in a laundry basket.
Ryan's paychecks also were often converted into cash, so it's not clear how much of the cash found at his home came from illegal sources, the investigators said.
But since he used district money to pay for things he should have paid for himself — like meals — it didn't really matter. At least some of that money rightfully belonged to the district, and investigators seized all of it. The final haul was $730,000.End of an era
The search warrant finally convinced Ryan he was going to go down. His attorney opened negotiations with prosecutors to turn himself in.
Cassidy said Ryan wanted to avoid a trial that would almost certainly include embarrassing facts that would damage his personal and professional reputation.
They made a "gentleman's agreement" that Ryan would turn himself in, not ask for bail and eventually plead guilty. Prosecutors, in turn, would not press for a public trial and would agree to keep certain facts out of the court record.
"That said a lot to us at the time," Cassidy said. "When he agreed to do that we figured ... there's a sense of remorse here."
The investigation didn't end there. Ed Bernacki, Ryan's friend and the district's building and grounds supervisor, was charged Nov. 20 with misconduct, bribery and theft. He allegedly stole more than $100,000 from the district through rigged contracts for his company and other tricks.
His case and Morales' are still pending.
Other officials didn't deserve criminal prosecution, investigators said. Associate Supt. George Kunkel lacked day-to-day control over finances and helped investigators with their probe. Other employees were scared into doing things that may have been illegal.
Besides Morales, the school board didn't know what was going on, Navarro said.
"They were like an ostrich with their head in the sand," Navarro said. "Maybe they didn't want to know."
Investigators were surprised by the lack of fiscal control at the school district. The district's audits — which first identified problems with their accounts — were reviewed only by the school board.
Although those audits are sent to the state through the regional office of education, no one else ever reviews them.
"We want people to learn from Tom Ryan's mistakes, what not to do," Navarro said. "I don't know what they were thinking out there."
Jonathan Lipman may be reached at jlipman@dailysouthtown.com or (708) 633-5979.
How the iron fist of Tom Ryan was smashed: behind the scenes of the investigation
Sunday, November 27, 2005
By Jonathan Lipman and Kati Phillips
Staff writers
When Hank Ribich showed up at Tom Ryan's door at 8:30 in the morning, Ryan was not at his best.
The superintendent of Sauk Village schools' hair was disheveled, his chin unshaved beneath his trademark bristly mustache.
Although Ryan's 6-foot-2-inch frame towered over the squat form of the state's attorney's investigator, it was Ryan who looked uneasy. His eyes were wide and his mouth open with surprise.
It was a school day, and Ribich had gone looking for Ryan at the district's headquarters first, before finding Ryan asleep at his Orland Park home. The former Chicago cop, who bears an equally imposing mustache, had come to deliver a grand jury subpoena. And with it, a message.
"We told him he should get an attorney," Ribich said. "He said he had an attorney, but it was a tax attorney. We told him ... you should get a criminal attorney."
It was the first subpoena in a criminal investigation into School District 168 that would ultimately end with the school board president indicted, hundreds of thousands of dollars of misdirected funds seized and Ryan imprisoned.
In an interview with the Daily Southtown, Ribich and Assistant State's Attorney Sandra Navarro explained how they investigated and eventually caught Ryan.
Ryan pleaded guilty last week to felony theft, admitting to stealing up to $100,000 from the district.
He was originally accused of stealing more than $100,000, intimidating and harassing witnesses, obstructing justice, bribery and official misconduct.
He was sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $400,000 in restitution to the district.
A scion of Chicago's powerful 19th Ward, Ryan had been the unquestioned leader of the district for 15 years and once treasurer of the Illinois Association of School Administrators.
Ribich was conducting his first full investigation since joining the special prosecution bureau of the Cook County state's attorney's office. Navarro had five years with the office.
Both had years of previous experience investigating financial crimes. But the pair had an additional advantage in this case. They already knew where to look.
In March, April and May, the Daily Southtown's Linda Lutton had written a series of stories detailing Ryan's illegal use of district funds to pay for his daughters' college education and gifts for family and friends.
Lutton "provided a blueprint, I think, for the investigation," Navarro said. "Before we even got involved."
The state's attorney's office began investigating after a phone call from the state schools superintendent, Randy Dunn. He had been prompted to action by the Daily Southtown stories.
First encounters
Navarro's boss, special prosecutions bureau chief Scott Cassidy, decided to go after Ryan first.
"We wanted to know who his lawyer was going to be. We didn't really need any statements from him. The evidence was really rapidly unfolding," Cassidy said. "We also knew people were being intimidated out there, so we figured let's move on this fairly quickly. We wanted him out of there."
Ryan was unintimidated before the grand jury.
"He has that attitude about himself, that Ditka attitude," Ribich said, referring to former Bears coach Mike Ditka.
"It's arrogance," Navarro said. "Sometimes (before a grand jury) you can see a nervousness, or emotions, people cry. ... Someone did cry at the grand jury in this case; it was very upsetting the things people talked about in this case."
But Ryan, she said, was "emotionless" as he took the Fifth Amendment and refused to talk.
After that, the pair went after records. They amassed more than a dozen full-sized file boxes.
The paper trail was critical, but just as important were the district employees who began stepping forward. Cassidy said the Southtown's stories had people believing it was possible to catch Ryan.
"We had to put a trust in them," Ribich said. "It was like, 'We're not going to stop all of a sudden and go another way. We're going to take this all the way through.' "
An informal network of Ryan-hating parents and district employees already existed. Quickly, that network started spreading the word that the state's attorney's office needed help, Ribich said.
"Various clerical people who were terrified of (Ryan) gave us information," Navarro said. "Those are the true heroes, those who had the courage to come forward and to provide us with that information while they're still living under the iron fist of Ryan."
First snags
The investigators knew Ryan was intimidating witnesses. He had the entire district scared.
"Some of the employees described meetings where they felt like they were with the Godfather," Navarro said. Or like Al Capone in the movie "The Untouchables," she said.
"I don't know if you remember that scene where (Capone) walked around with the baseball bat, around the table," Navarro said. The scene in the movie ends with Capone brutally beating a man to death.
"You never knew what was going to happen next," Navarro said. "One witness ... she needed the job, but his actions made her physically sick before she came to work in the morning."
Ryan wore metal "heel savers" on the bottom of his shoes, Ribich said. They announced his presence as he strode down the halls.
"You always knew when he was in the building because you heard his cleats," Ribich said. "He'd make it a point to walk hard."
When Ryan was heading to visit a school, secretaries would call ahead to warn their colleagues.
"They would put out the announcement, 'Ryan's coming, hide the petty cash!' " Navarro said.
Petty cash was used for student activities, but Ryan would routinely pocket it, usually while lecturing staff about inadequate security and financial control.
District 168 is the second-poorest district in the county, and its three schools have lacked basic activities like music class or sports.
Ryan was dubbed a "reverse Robin Hood" by prosecutors for stealing from poor children to enrich his friends and family.
Many people in the district knew exactly what was going on, the investigators believe. Ryan hand-delivered bonus checks, directly demanding kickbacks.
"He expected you to pay, and he would tell you the amount, too," Ribich said. "He'd hand you the check, saying, 'Here, I expect $50 back tomorrow.' And you had to get it over there ASAP. Cash."
Others, such as the three school principals, were still loyal to Ryan, who gave them their jobs and took care of their needs with gifts and perks, Navarro said.
"He always had two or three envelopes on his desk that had money in it," Ribich said. "He made it known. You could see that each envelope had cash in it."
Ryan himself was closely monitoring the investigation. He told people what to say if they were appearing before the grand jury. Employees said he would watch Ribich closely on security monitors every time the investigator came to the district administration building.
"He hated it when I went out to the school district," Ribich said. "He'd get furious."
Although investigators were getting boxes and boxes of documents, not everything was matching up with the audit findings.
"It was like a 500-piece puzzle," Ribich said. "You throw all the stuff on the desk, and you look at it."
The witnesses coming forward were telling Navarro not to trust the records they were getting via subpoena. Ryan was altering them.
"When we sent subpoenas to the school district, (Ryan) would review everything, and then he would send it to (attorney Anthony) Scariano before we would even get it," Navarro said. "So they were free to change or amend and to pick and choose what we were going to see."
Some of the clerical workers in the district had saved original copies of the records they were ordered to change, and they supplied those originals to Navarro.
One worker hid original files in the basement, among the boxes holding the district's Christmas decorations. They were only rediscovered in the past few weeks, and Ribich dutifully drove out to photograph them.
Tide turns
In all, the investigators talked to 52 people. They put 24 of them before the grand jury to give sworn testimony. Only Ryan remained silent.
Every time another story appeared in the Southtown about a step in the investigation, Navarro would get "a flurry of calls" from employees and parents with tips.
People began to believe that Ryan, who had scared away so many others, was caught. Some began changing their stories.
"Some had a moment of epiphany where they felt used," Navarro said.
On July 26, school board president Louise Morales turned herself in to authorities and was charged with theft and official misconduct.
Because her name was the final authorization on improper spending, her case was easiest to prove, investigators said. And it sent a message to the community that the investigation was serious.
On Aug. 16, investigators searched Ryan's home and the district administrative office. The documents found at the district wound up being key, the investigators said.
"Then we could see things we didn't have available through the subpoenas," Navarro said. "They were originals."
"That is the eureka moment," Ribich said. "All of a sudden, bingo, you got him."
They already knew from bank records that Ryan typically took out lots of cash whenever he made a deposit, which is called a "split deposit." Searching Ryan's home, they found where that cash went. He was hoarding it.
"It was all over," Ribich said. "It was in dresser drawers, the closet. The majority of it was in the basement."
Investigators removed the cash from the house in a laundry basket.
Ryan's paychecks also were often converted into cash, so it's not clear how much of the cash found at his home came from illegal sources, the investigators said.
But since he used district money to pay for things he should have paid for himself — like meals — it didn't really matter. At least some of that money rightfully belonged to the district, and investigators seized all of it. The final haul was $730,000.End of an era
The search warrant finally convinced Ryan he was going to go down. His attorney opened negotiations with prosecutors to turn himself in.
Cassidy said Ryan wanted to avoid a trial that would almost certainly include embarrassing facts that would damage his personal and professional reputation.
They made a "gentleman's agreement" that Ryan would turn himself in, not ask for bail and eventually plead guilty. Prosecutors, in turn, would not press for a public trial and would agree to keep certain facts out of the court record.
"That said a lot to us at the time," Cassidy said. "When he agreed to do that we figured ... there's a sense of remorse here."
The investigation didn't end there. Ed Bernacki, Ryan's friend and the district's building and grounds supervisor, was charged Nov. 20 with misconduct, bribery and theft. He allegedly stole more than $100,000 from the district through rigged contracts for his company and other tricks.
His case and Morales' are still pending.
Other officials didn't deserve criminal prosecution, investigators said. Associate Supt. George Kunkel lacked day-to-day control over finances and helped investigators with their probe. Other employees were scared into doing things that may have been illegal.
Besides Morales, the school board didn't know what was going on, Navarro said.
"They were like an ostrich with their head in the sand," Navarro said. "Maybe they didn't want to know."
Investigators were surprised by the lack of fiscal control at the school district. The district's audits — which first identified problems with their accounts — were reviewed only by the school board.
Although those audits are sent to the state through the regional office of education, no one else ever reviews them.
"We want people to learn from Tom Ryan's mistakes, what not to do," Navarro said. "I don't know what they were thinking out there."
Jonathan Lipman may be reached at jlipman@dailysouthtown.com or (708) 633-5979.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Why son refused to stand
The article below appeared in the Courier News. This is yet another example of how schools are more apt to teach their political/social agenda's instead of giving students a really sound education foundation. It is great to teach students about other cultures but in America we have the right to refuse to stand if we so choose. Bravo to this father for standing up to his son's rights.
Why son refused to stand
I am the father of the young man who did not stand for the singing of the Mexican national anthem during a cultural awareness program at Larkin High School.
I have been constantly asked to explain the details of the event, and it is in response to these individuals that I offer the following facts.
Some of the students, my son included, were compelled to attend this assembly. The Mexican national anthem was printed on fliers and handed out to the attending students. The Mexican flag was marched in and placed on a podium by itself. The attendees were then asked to stand and sing the Mexican national anthem.
My son was not alone in his refusal to stand. Statements given to me by other youths and parents put the number of refusals at close to 20.
Larkin staff members immediately confronted the seated youth. Some of the students were threatened with in-school suspension; most of the seated students were intimidated into standing.
My son explained to the angry teacher who confronted him that he did not see a U.S. flag on the podium and he did not believe they were going to sing our national anthem. This teacher stated, "They have to stand for our national anthem, so you have to stand for theirs."
My son stated in response, "Yeah, but they're in our country."
The teacher called my son a punk and sent him to the office. The administrator in the office supported the teacher's demand and told my son that he could have made a more intelligent decision. My son was not formally disciplined. The teacher who confronted my son defended her actions to her students during class the following week.
I called Larkin principal Richard Webb to express my disappointment and concern. I described the manner in which my son had been treated. I was told that my son should have stood and that the school stood by its right to have this assembly in its chosen form.
I then exercised my right as a citizen and addressed the school board.
The press was present at the board meeting and media awareness snowballed from that point forward. Some of my statements to the board included, "I am disappointed that those responsible for creating an assembly intended to educate and sensitize Americans also felt free to act insensitively with regard to our culture. It is permissible to present another country's anthem alongside ours and receive standing respect. It is not reasonable to expect or demand that Americans stand and display respect for another flag and country in absence of the American anthem or flag."
I also asked the board to consider two positive actions. "First, encourage Larkin High School administrators to not underscore one culture to the exclusion of others. This ill-conceived mandatory assembly did nothing but widen the current schism. Second, I would ask the board to lay down some principles for future assemblies. While it is good educational practice to teach about other cultures, it is not an acceptable practice to require mandatory response to the patriotic elements of those cultures."
I was appalled by Webb's printed statement. Apologizing only for the "unfortunate spotlight" placed on the school does not acknowledge the process that brought the spotlight. Lack of proper oversight created an assembly that offended a large number of people. Teachers behaving badly guaranteed parental follow-through. Administrative silence and denial has perpetuated their arrogant image.
Trivializing the incident and belittling those it concerned has only confirmed Webb's lack of grounding with the community.
Since Dec. 8, 2004, educational institutions receiving federal funding are required to hold an educational program pertaining to the United States Constitution on Sept. 17 of each year. This year, Sept. 17 fell on a Saturday.
Our high school apparently chose on Sept. 16 not to hold an assembly on the Constitution of the United States, but to educate our youth on the patriotic elements of another country.
- Bedard is an Elgin resident.
Why son refused to stand
I am the father of the young man who did not stand for the singing of the Mexican national anthem during a cultural awareness program at Larkin High School.
I have been constantly asked to explain the details of the event, and it is in response to these individuals that I offer the following facts.
Some of the students, my son included, were compelled to attend this assembly. The Mexican national anthem was printed on fliers and handed out to the attending students. The Mexican flag was marched in and placed on a podium by itself. The attendees were then asked to stand and sing the Mexican national anthem.
My son was not alone in his refusal to stand. Statements given to me by other youths and parents put the number of refusals at close to 20.
Larkin staff members immediately confronted the seated youth. Some of the students were threatened with in-school suspension; most of the seated students were intimidated into standing.
My son explained to the angry teacher who confronted him that he did not see a U.S. flag on the podium and he did not believe they were going to sing our national anthem. This teacher stated, "They have to stand for our national anthem, so you have to stand for theirs."
My son stated in response, "Yeah, but they're in our country."
The teacher called my son a punk and sent him to the office. The administrator in the office supported the teacher's demand and told my son that he could have made a more intelligent decision. My son was not formally disciplined. The teacher who confronted my son defended her actions to her students during class the following week.
I called Larkin principal Richard Webb to express my disappointment and concern. I described the manner in which my son had been treated. I was told that my son should have stood and that the school stood by its right to have this assembly in its chosen form.
I then exercised my right as a citizen and addressed the school board.
The press was present at the board meeting and media awareness snowballed from that point forward. Some of my statements to the board included, "I am disappointed that those responsible for creating an assembly intended to educate and sensitize Americans also felt free to act insensitively with regard to our culture. It is permissible to present another country's anthem alongside ours and receive standing respect. It is not reasonable to expect or demand that Americans stand and display respect for another flag and country in absence of the American anthem or flag."
I also asked the board to consider two positive actions. "First, encourage Larkin High School administrators to not underscore one culture to the exclusion of others. This ill-conceived mandatory assembly did nothing but widen the current schism. Second, I would ask the board to lay down some principles for future assemblies. While it is good educational practice to teach about other cultures, it is not an acceptable practice to require mandatory response to the patriotic elements of those cultures."
I was appalled by Webb's printed statement. Apologizing only for the "unfortunate spotlight" placed on the school does not acknowledge the process that brought the spotlight. Lack of proper oversight created an assembly that offended a large number of people. Teachers behaving badly guaranteed parental follow-through. Administrative silence and denial has perpetuated their arrogant image.
Trivializing the incident and belittling those it concerned has only confirmed Webb's lack of grounding with the community.
Since Dec. 8, 2004, educational institutions receiving federal funding are required to hold an educational program pertaining to the United States Constitution on Sept. 17 of each year. This year, Sept. 17 fell on a Saturday.
Our high school apparently chose on Sept. 16 not to hold an assembly on the Constitution of the United States, but to educate our youth on the patriotic elements of another country.
- Bedard is an Elgin resident.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Give ’em a million, save a billion.
This is from our friend Bill in Mundelein. This one speaks for itself.
Yes, Illinois needs pension reform
Give ’em a million, save a billion.
That is my answer to Darwin Heide’s letter urging all of us to call Springfield and let them know how upset we are that they are not raising our taxes by $320 billion (or $8 billion a year for the next 40 years) to make millionaires out of public employees when they retire at age 55. It would be funny if it weren’t so outrageous. Only the teacher unions and their minions would think that taxing non-schoolteachers into bankruptcy (or more likely into a low-tax state) is fair and reasonable.
My new slogan “Give ’em a million and save a billion” comes from a simple mathematical fact. The average teacher in Illinois who retires after 34 years retires with a pension worth well in excess of a million dollars cash. So if we taxpayers just give them a check for $1 million when they retire (whatever happened to a gold watch?) we will save tens or hundreds of billions over the next 40 years.
This is easy to figure out just go to any mutual fund site such as www.vanguard.com and have them calculate an annuity for you indexed for inflation starting at age 55. When you do that you see that a beginning pension of $40,000/year requires an up-front payment of $1 million. Thus the $103,000 pension for the highest paid teacher in 2004, a driver’s ed teacher from Leyden High School is worth about $2.5 million cash up front. So giving him $1 million would save us $1.5 million and still make him a millionaire. He is not alone — the 100th highest paid teacher would have a pension cash-value of about $2 million. Suffice it to say that there are no teachers in the six-county metro area retiring at age 55 after 34 years that are retiring on pensions less than $1.25 million. Most of them are close to the $2 million mark. If they are administrators the $3 million mark is not unusual.
And the teachers’ 8-percent contribution over 34 years compounded at 6 percent adds up to about 15 percent of their pension. The other 85 percent comes right out of the taxpayers’ pocket. Which also means we taxpayers as employers are contributing about 40 percent of the teacher’s salary to their pension plan. How’s that compare to your company’s 401(k) contribution?
And the driver’s ed teacher is not the worst example. Bill Clinton’s presidential pension is about $162,000 per year. Here in Illinois we have 29 former public employees with pensions greater than the president’s.
So, yes, Mr. Heide we do need pension reform in Illinois. We need to have an upper limit on public pensions that relate in some way to the average pension non-public employee’s receive. Otherwise in 40 years there will he no one left in Illinois except retired public employees. Who is going to pick up the tab then?
William N. Zettler
Mundelein
Yes, Illinois needs pension reform
Give ’em a million, save a billion.
That is my answer to Darwin Heide’s letter urging all of us to call Springfield and let them know how upset we are that they are not raising our taxes by $320 billion (or $8 billion a year for the next 40 years) to make millionaires out of public employees when they retire at age 55. It would be funny if it weren’t so outrageous. Only the teacher unions and their minions would think that taxing non-schoolteachers into bankruptcy (or more likely into a low-tax state) is fair and reasonable.
My new slogan “Give ’em a million and save a billion” comes from a simple mathematical fact. The average teacher in Illinois who retires after 34 years retires with a pension worth well in excess of a million dollars cash. So if we taxpayers just give them a check for $1 million when they retire (whatever happened to a gold watch?) we will save tens or hundreds of billions over the next 40 years.
This is easy to figure out just go to any mutual fund site such as www.vanguard.com and have them calculate an annuity for you indexed for inflation starting at age 55. When you do that you see that a beginning pension of $40,000/year requires an up-front payment of $1 million. Thus the $103,000 pension for the highest paid teacher in 2004, a driver’s ed teacher from Leyden High School is worth about $2.5 million cash up front. So giving him $1 million would save us $1.5 million and still make him a millionaire. He is not alone — the 100th highest paid teacher would have a pension cash-value of about $2 million. Suffice it to say that there are no teachers in the six-county metro area retiring at age 55 after 34 years that are retiring on pensions less than $1.25 million. Most of them are close to the $2 million mark. If they are administrators the $3 million mark is not unusual.
And the teachers’ 8-percent contribution over 34 years compounded at 6 percent adds up to about 15 percent of their pension. The other 85 percent comes right out of the taxpayers’ pocket. Which also means we taxpayers as employers are contributing about 40 percent of the teacher’s salary to their pension plan. How’s that compare to your company’s 401(k) contribution?
And the driver’s ed teacher is not the worst example. Bill Clinton’s presidential pension is about $162,000 per year. Here in Illinois we have 29 former public employees with pensions greater than the president’s.
So, yes, Mr. Heide we do need pension reform in Illinois. We need to have an upper limit on public pensions that relate in some way to the average pension non-public employee’s receive. Otherwise in 40 years there will he no one left in Illinois except retired public employees. Who is going to pick up the tab then?
William N. Zettler
Mundelein
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
No tax-rate increase on this year's D-50 referendum
Well done District 50 school board. Thank you for choosing not to divide our community anymore. This is a welcome sign to the citizens of Harvard. Let us hope the assured lower taxes will encourage buyers for the numerous homes up for sale in Harvard. Let us also hope the city council will work on improving the appearence of Ayer Street to encourage economic resurgence in Harvard.
From The Northwest Herald
No tax-rate increase on this year's D-50 referendum
HARVARD – For the first time in several years, District 50 voters will not be asked to approve a tax-rate increase this spring.
School board members on Monday night voted not to put the district's eighth referendum on the April ballot. The board also opted against moving forward with cuts planned for the 2006-07 school year, which would have included the junior high student council; junior high yearbook; the fall musical; and high school soccer, track, and golf.
The board's decision was met with applause by members of the small audience.
"I think it's great," said parent Laura Lucy, who has two children attending Harvard High School. "They've been defeated how many times? I think everyone's a little tired of it."
District leaders cited a balanced budget as part of the reason behind their choice. The district announced in September it had a $19.75 million budget showing that education-fund revenues will exceed spending by about $200,000.
"We're moving ahead in the black," board member Jae Fielding said. "I firmly believe in the next couple of years the same thing is going to happen."
In addition to taking a break from the polls, at least for now, district officials may look into bringing back some programs that previously were cut. Included in the district's most recent cuts were junior high jazz band, freshman sports at Harvard High School and the high school Scholastic Bowl.
"We cut a lot of things to balance the budget," Superintendent Randy Gross said. "We've stopped the bleeding."
Still, board members acknowledged the balanced budget came at a high price.
"There has been a cost to get to where we are," District 50 School Board President Ken Book said.
Although Fielding deemed the board's decision a "win-win for everybody," he issued a warning when it came to bringing back programs.
"I think we need to be very careful as we investigate things," he said.
But for parents such as Lucy, the fact that there will be no referendum this spring is a good sign.
"I'm very glad," she said. "I think it says they're listening to the people."
What it means
Touting a balanced budget, District 50 leaders have decided not to hold a referendum in April. In addition, cuts previously planned for the 2006-07 school year will not take place.
By GENEVA WHITE
gwhite@nwherald.com
From The Northwest Herald
No tax-rate increase on this year's D-50 referendum
HARVARD – For the first time in several years, District 50 voters will not be asked to approve a tax-rate increase this spring.
School board members on Monday night voted not to put the district's eighth referendum on the April ballot. The board also opted against moving forward with cuts planned for the 2006-07 school year, which would have included the junior high student council; junior high yearbook; the fall musical; and high school soccer, track, and golf.
The board's decision was met with applause by members of the small audience.
"I think it's great," said parent Laura Lucy, who has two children attending Harvard High School. "They've been defeated how many times? I think everyone's a little tired of it."
District leaders cited a balanced budget as part of the reason behind their choice. The district announced in September it had a $19.75 million budget showing that education-fund revenues will exceed spending by about $200,000.
"We're moving ahead in the black," board member Jae Fielding said. "I firmly believe in the next couple of years the same thing is going to happen."
In addition to taking a break from the polls, at least for now, district officials may look into bringing back some programs that previously were cut. Included in the district's most recent cuts were junior high jazz band, freshman sports at Harvard High School and the high school Scholastic Bowl.
"We cut a lot of things to balance the budget," Superintendent Randy Gross said. "We've stopped the bleeding."
Still, board members acknowledged the balanced budget came at a high price.
"There has been a cost to get to where we are," District 50 School Board President Ken Book said.
Although Fielding deemed the board's decision a "win-win for everybody," he issued a warning when it came to bringing back programs.
"I think we need to be very careful as we investigate things," he said.
But for parents such as Lucy, the fact that there will be no referendum this spring is a good sign.
"I'm very glad," she said. "I think it says they're listening to the people."
What it means
Touting a balanced budget, District 50 leaders have decided not to hold a referendum in April. In addition, cuts previously planned for the 2006-07 school year will not take place.
By GENEVA WHITE
gwhite@nwherald.com
Monday, November 21, 2005
Another School Corruption Probe
Yet another reason to continue to vote no on school referenda. Corruption must be ruled out before more tax dollars are unwisely spent. Below you will find two articles on school corruption
SCHOOL CORRUPTION PROBE.
Grand jury demands records from all Suffolk school districts
BY KARLA SCHUSTER
STAFF WRITER
November 18, 2005
A Suffolk grand jury investigating school corruption has ordered every district in the county to turn over thousands of documents, including audits and budgets, administrator salaries and perks, and more than 100 annual state reports on spending and programs.
The county's 70 school districts earlier this week began receiving the grand jury subpoenas, which seek four years' worth of records detailing virtually every aspect of the districts' operations. The districts have until the end of the month to comply.
Robert Clifford, a spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota, declined to comment yesterday.
After a year of school financial scandals across Long Island that so far have resulted in the arrests of 16 people, Spota in September empaneled a special grand jury to investigate fiscal mismanagement in school districts. The panel is also probing Medicaid fraud.
The volume of records being sought stunned some local school officials yesterday, particularly coming only a few months after the federal Department of Education and the Justice Department asked every Long Island school district for computerized spending records dating back five years.
"I think people are, at this point, sort of feeling 'what's next?'" said Gary Bixhorn, the chief operating officer of Eastern Suffolk BOCES, the regional cooperative serving local school districts.
The grand jury's subpoena is staggering in scope: Besides budget and audit reports from 2001-02 to 2004-05, the panel seeks enrollment figures and every report that districts must file under Section 2117 of the state Education Law for the same period.
That state law covers more than 100 different annual reports that detail everything from construction spending and transportation costs to drop-out prevention programs and bilingual services.
"We'll be more than happy to supply what they've asked for ... and after that, it's in their hands," James Sullivan, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in South Huntington, said in a phone message he left for a reporter yesterday.
Christopher Gallagher, chairman of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association, said he and his colleagues understand they are under increased scrutiny.
"They are interested in the information and we have nothing to hide," said Gallagher, also superintendent in Southold.
State, local and federal officials have been intensely focusing on Long Island school spending since an $11.2-million embezzlement scandal exploded in the Roslyn district in February 2004. The state comptroller's office is auditing more than 20 local districts, and a new state law requires all school board members to undergo financial training.
"Everything is like, 'let's turn it up a notch,' " said Vinnie Cullen, partner in the auditing firm of Coughlin, Foundatos, Cullen & Danowski of Port Jefferson Station, which works for more than 70 Long Island districts. "You get a letter from the external auditor, that's no good. Then, you get a letter from the state comptroller, that's worse. Then you get a letter from a grand jury - and that's an even bigger deal.
"It seems like every time you turn the corner, here it is again," Cullen said. "But ultimately, all these people watching, it's a good thing."
Third Sauk Village school official arrested.
11/21/2005
By Kati Phillips
Daily Southtown
A third Sauk Village school official was arrested Sunday, just two days before jailed Supt. Thomas Ryan is expected to plead guilty to fleecing the second-poorest school district in Cook County, sources close to the investigation say.
Buildings and grounds supervisor Edward Bernacki, 46, of Mokena, turned himself in to authorities at 11 a.m. at Circuit Court in Maywood.
He will appear in court today to face charges of official misconduct, bribery and class X felony theft, the latter punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
Bernacki is accused of stealing more than $100,000 from Community Consolidated School District 168 via a no-bid lighting contract, ghost work and double billing.
There was "work he was paid for that he didn't do, and some work that was never done or done by other employees," said Assistant State's Attorney Sandra Navarro.
Bernacki's arrest appears to be the final one in a months-long investigation into misconduct, bid-rigging and theft at District 168 that was prompted, in part, by revelations in a Daily Southtown investigation published last spring.
Other officials charged
First charged was then-school board president and grandmother Louise Morales, who was indicted in August on 17 counts of theft, misapplication of funds and official misconduct. She pleaded not guilty.
Next came Ryan, acknowledged by prosecutors as a ringleader who demanded kickbacks from employees who knew of his financial schemes.
Held without bail since August because prosecutors believe he posed a threat to witnesses, Ryan is expected to plead guilty Tuesday, sources said.
Ryan is charged with theft of more than $100,000, intimidation, communication with a witness, harassment of a witness, obstruction of justice, bribery and official misconduct.
Though terms of the plea deal have not been released, sources say it includes his resignation from District 168 and the nullification of his contract, worth a potential $1.6 million over five years.
Ryan recruited Bernacki in 1991 to be head custodian at District 168. Both had worked at Posen-Robbins School District 143-1/2.
Vendor dropped after audit
A business partner and friend to the superintendent, Bernacki made the third-highest salary at District 168 and pulled in thousands of dollars a year apparently performing side jobs after hours.
Since 2000, Bernacki's base salary increased from $60,320 to $74,844, according to district documents. His company, E&M Associates, billed the district anywhere from $1,005 to $81,297 a school year for extra maintenance work since 1995, invoices show.
E&M Associates was dropped from the vendor list last school year after a routine audit for 2003-04 showed a $72,000 lighting contract was steered toward Bernacki and his company without going to bid as required by law.
SCHOOL CORRUPTION PROBE.
Grand jury demands records from all Suffolk school districts
BY KARLA SCHUSTER
STAFF WRITER
November 18, 2005
A Suffolk grand jury investigating school corruption has ordered every district in the county to turn over thousands of documents, including audits and budgets, administrator salaries and perks, and more than 100 annual state reports on spending and programs.
The county's 70 school districts earlier this week began receiving the grand jury subpoenas, which seek four years' worth of records detailing virtually every aspect of the districts' operations. The districts have until the end of the month to comply.
Robert Clifford, a spokesman for Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota, declined to comment yesterday.
After a year of school financial scandals across Long Island that so far have resulted in the arrests of 16 people, Spota in September empaneled a special grand jury to investigate fiscal mismanagement in school districts. The panel is also probing Medicaid fraud.
The volume of records being sought stunned some local school officials yesterday, particularly coming only a few months after the federal Department of Education and the Justice Department asked every Long Island school district for computerized spending records dating back five years.
"I think people are, at this point, sort of feeling 'what's next?'" said Gary Bixhorn, the chief operating officer of Eastern Suffolk BOCES, the regional cooperative serving local school districts.
The grand jury's subpoena is staggering in scope: Besides budget and audit reports from 2001-02 to 2004-05, the panel seeks enrollment figures and every report that districts must file under Section 2117 of the state Education Law for the same period.
That state law covers more than 100 different annual reports that detail everything from construction spending and transportation costs to drop-out prevention programs and bilingual services.
"We'll be more than happy to supply what they've asked for ... and after that, it's in their hands," James Sullivan, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in South Huntington, said in a phone message he left for a reporter yesterday.
Christopher Gallagher, chairman of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association, said he and his colleagues understand they are under increased scrutiny.
"They are interested in the information and we have nothing to hide," said Gallagher, also superintendent in Southold.
State, local and federal officials have been intensely focusing on Long Island school spending since an $11.2-million embezzlement scandal exploded in the Roslyn district in February 2004. The state comptroller's office is auditing more than 20 local districts, and a new state law requires all school board members to undergo financial training.
"Everything is like, 'let's turn it up a notch,' " said Vinnie Cullen, partner in the auditing firm of Coughlin, Foundatos, Cullen & Danowski of Port Jefferson Station, which works for more than 70 Long Island districts. "You get a letter from the external auditor, that's no good. Then, you get a letter from the state comptroller, that's worse. Then you get a letter from a grand jury - and that's an even bigger deal.
"It seems like every time you turn the corner, here it is again," Cullen said. "But ultimately, all these people watching, it's a good thing."
Third Sauk Village school official arrested.
11/21/2005
By Kati Phillips
Daily Southtown
A third Sauk Village school official was arrested Sunday, just two days before jailed Supt. Thomas Ryan is expected to plead guilty to fleecing the second-poorest school district in Cook County, sources close to the investigation say.
Buildings and grounds supervisor Edward Bernacki, 46, of Mokena, turned himself in to authorities at 11 a.m. at Circuit Court in Maywood.
He will appear in court today to face charges of official misconduct, bribery and class X felony theft, the latter punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
Bernacki is accused of stealing more than $100,000 from Community Consolidated School District 168 via a no-bid lighting contract, ghost work and double billing.
There was "work he was paid for that he didn't do, and some work that was never done or done by other employees," said Assistant State's Attorney Sandra Navarro.
Bernacki's arrest appears to be the final one in a months-long investigation into misconduct, bid-rigging and theft at District 168 that was prompted, in part, by revelations in a Daily Southtown investigation published last spring.
Other officials charged
First charged was then-school board president and grandmother Louise Morales, who was indicted in August on 17 counts of theft, misapplication of funds and official misconduct. She pleaded not guilty.
Next came Ryan, acknowledged by prosecutors as a ringleader who demanded kickbacks from employees who knew of his financial schemes.
Held without bail since August because prosecutors believe he posed a threat to witnesses, Ryan is expected to plead guilty Tuesday, sources said.
Ryan is charged with theft of more than $100,000, intimidation, communication with a witness, harassment of a witness, obstruction of justice, bribery and official misconduct.
Though terms of the plea deal have not been released, sources say it includes his resignation from District 168 and the nullification of his contract, worth a potential $1.6 million over five years.
Ryan recruited Bernacki in 1991 to be head custodian at District 168. Both had worked at Posen-Robbins School District 143-1/2.
Vendor dropped after audit
A business partner and friend to the superintendent, Bernacki made the third-highest salary at District 168 and pulled in thousands of dollars a year apparently performing side jobs after hours.
Since 2000, Bernacki's base salary increased from $60,320 to $74,844, according to district documents. His company, E&M Associates, billed the district anywhere from $1,005 to $81,297 a school year for extra maintenance work since 1995, invoices show.
E&M Associates was dropped from the vendor list last school year after a routine audit for 2003-04 showed a $72,000 lighting contract was steered toward Bernacki and his company without going to bid as required by law.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Dist. 158 faculty members file lawsuit
Six District 158 employees are suing the embattled District 158. Take a look at their salaries at Family Taxpayers Network website. It is amazing to see that Jane Kantor was making 57,711 for 9 months of work in 2004 and had a 49% income increase over 3 years and it is still not enough. You can view her salary increases on the Family Taxpayers Network website.
Dist. 158 faculty members file lawsuit
By Charles Keeshan
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Saturday, November 19, 2005
A group of faculty members is suing Huntley School District 158, claiming the district reneged on a deal for them to work five additional days at the end of the last school year and start of this one.
The lawsuit, filed this month in McHenry County court, asks a judge to order the district to pay the seven staff members for the additional days, whether they worked or not, and fund their attorney fees and court costs.
The lawsuit does not indicate how much that might cost the district, but a teacher’s contract included with the filing listed pay for additional days at as much as $336 per day.
Listed as plaintiffs are Karen Renaldi, Cindy Fuhrer, Jane Johnson, Pamela Jorgensen, Jane Kantor, Annette Miller and Karen Miller.
At issue is the board’s decision in May to cancel plans for faculty members to work five extra days at the close of the 2004-05 school year and five more at the start of the 2005-06 year. The lawsuit alleges the district, under state law, was required to give the plaintiffs at least 60 days notice of those plans, but did not.
District officials, however, say they were within their legal rights when canceling the extra work days.
“We just happen to disagree on how they’re interpreting case law,” school board President Mike Skala said.
Robert Lyons, an attorney with the Illinois Educational Association representing the plaintiffs, did not return a call for comment Friday.
The case is scheduled to appear in court for the first time March 22 in front of Judge Michael Sullivan.
Dist. 158 faculty members file lawsuit
By Charles Keeshan
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Saturday, November 19, 2005
A group of faculty members is suing Huntley School District 158, claiming the district reneged on a deal for them to work five additional days at the end of the last school year and start of this one.
The lawsuit, filed this month in McHenry County court, asks a judge to order the district to pay the seven staff members for the additional days, whether they worked or not, and fund their attorney fees and court costs.
The lawsuit does not indicate how much that might cost the district, but a teacher’s contract included with the filing listed pay for additional days at as much as $336 per day.
Listed as plaintiffs are Karen Renaldi, Cindy Fuhrer, Jane Johnson, Pamela Jorgensen, Jane Kantor, Annette Miller and Karen Miller.
At issue is the board’s decision in May to cancel plans for faculty members to work five extra days at the close of the 2004-05 school year and five more at the start of the 2005-06 year. The lawsuit alleges the district, under state law, was required to give the plaintiffs at least 60 days notice of those plans, but did not.
District officials, however, say they were within their legal rights when canceling the extra work days.
“We just happen to disagree on how they’re interpreting case law,” school board President Mike Skala said.
Robert Lyons, an attorney with the Illinois Educational Association representing the plaintiffs, did not return a call for comment Friday.
The case is scheduled to appear in court for the first time March 22 in front of Judge Michael Sullivan.
Lawsuit: More tax errors in Kane County
Yet another reason why we should continue to vote "no" on referenda. Growth and appreciation allow for an increase in tax dollars and therefore referenda essentially are very rarely needed. The problems occur when boards out spend the rate of inflation and dole out lucrative contracts like candy. How many of your tax dollars are in the hands of irresponsible boards instead of in your child's college fund or your retirement account?
Lawsuit: More tax errors in Kane County
By Jeffrey Gaunt and Emily Krone
Daily Herald Staff Writers
Posted Saturday, November 19, 2005
When Kane County officials decide to weigh in on whether they misapplied state tax law when calculating area tax bills, they’ll have plenty to discuss.
Not only did county officials wrongly figure tax rates for St. Charles School District 303 and Batavia School District 101, a tax-rate objection filed in 2004 claims the county also erred when calculating rates for the city of Batavia, and the city’s park and library districts.
“No final resolution has been reached,” said James Rooney, a Chicago attorney who filed the tax-rate objections.
Kane County State’s Attorney John Barsanti said he will take a stand on the objections at a Tuesday news conference but won’t comment until then.
All of the objections have to do with miscalculations of the tax rate. But the cases have to do with different applications of the law.
In the case of the library district, as with the two school districts, Rooney argues the county tax extender incorrectly calculated a voter-approved tax increase — giving the library district too much money.
In the Batavia school district, the misapplication cost taxpayers $6 million. In St. Charles, it could have cost taxpayers $17.5 million, but district officials opted not to take the extra cash.
In the library district, however, the miscalculation only amounts to roughly $65,000, based on figures used in the tax objection.
Similarly, the objection filed against the park district’s tax rate only amounts to tens of thousands — not millions — of dollars.
In that case, however, the argument is slightly different.
Under state law, the county tax extender should leave out any debt when first calculating annual changes in the tax rate. Doing so inflates the tax rate and costs taxpayers money.
That’s exactly what happened with the park district, the objection states.
And that’s also what happened with the city of Batavia, where after noticing the problem, the city’s finance director says she was able to convince county officials to correct it.
In that case, taxpayers paid more than $300,000 more than they should have, city officials said. This year, officials said, the $300,000 was paid in credits to tax bills.
Lawsuit: More tax errors in Kane County
By Jeffrey Gaunt and Emily Krone
Daily Herald Staff Writers
Posted Saturday, November 19, 2005
When Kane County officials decide to weigh in on whether they misapplied state tax law when calculating area tax bills, they’ll have plenty to discuss.
Not only did county officials wrongly figure tax rates for St. Charles School District 303 and Batavia School District 101, a tax-rate objection filed in 2004 claims the county also erred when calculating rates for the city of Batavia, and the city’s park and library districts.
“No final resolution has been reached,” said James Rooney, a Chicago attorney who filed the tax-rate objections.
Kane County State’s Attorney John Barsanti said he will take a stand on the objections at a Tuesday news conference but won’t comment until then.
All of the objections have to do with miscalculations of the tax rate. But the cases have to do with different applications of the law.
In the case of the library district, as with the two school districts, Rooney argues the county tax extender incorrectly calculated a voter-approved tax increase — giving the library district too much money.
In the Batavia school district, the misapplication cost taxpayers $6 million. In St. Charles, it could have cost taxpayers $17.5 million, but district officials opted not to take the extra cash.
In the library district, however, the miscalculation only amounts to roughly $65,000, based on figures used in the tax objection.
Similarly, the objection filed against the park district’s tax rate only amounts to tens of thousands — not millions — of dollars.
In that case, however, the argument is slightly different.
Under state law, the county tax extender should leave out any debt when first calculating annual changes in the tax rate. Doing so inflates the tax rate and costs taxpayers money.
That’s exactly what happened with the park district, the objection states.
And that’s also what happened with the city of Batavia, where after noticing the problem, the city’s finance director says she was able to convince county officials to correct it.
In that case, taxpayers paid more than $300,000 more than they should have, city officials said. This year, officials said, the $300,000 was paid in credits to tax bills.
Friday, November 18, 2005
District 86 ponders $1.1 million in staff cuts
Another school board does the right thing. After a survey only 40% of voters said they were willing to pay an increase in taxes. This school board did the right thing and is not going to run a referendum in March 2006. This article appeared in the November 17th edition of The Doings What a great story.
District 15 McHenry, District 50 Harvard and District 300 Carpentersville/Algonquin in past elections have heard the voters and they said No. Will these boards continue to divide their communities or will they reject the idea of running referenda next spring?
District 86 ponders $1.1 million in staff cuts
BY JANE MICHAELS
STAFF WRITER
Nine teachers could be eliminated as part of the cuts to head off a $1.1 million deficit projected in 2006-07 for Hinsdale High School District 86.
District 86 finance committee Chairman Mark Emmons said Friday that the cuts include several support staff positions, four coaching jobs and the sponsorship of several clubs and activities. District administrators are suggesting the cuts, but no specific positions have been identified, he added.
"The potential cuts could be fairly significant," Emmons said. "It's never easy."
Superintendent Nicholas Wahl said Monday that he also plans to outline other ways to decrease spending. That report is scheduled to be presented at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, at Hinsdale Central High School, 55th and Grant streets.
To balance next year's budget, board members agreed in October to trim programs rather than pursue a March referendum to generate more tax revenue. A September survey reported only 40 percent of voters were willing to pay more in taxes to offset increased operating expenses.
The board had been prepared to reduce spending by $2 million -- one estimate of next year's budget deficit. But a revised forecast decreased the estimated shortfall to $1.1 million, Wahl said.
Budget deficits are projected to continue. Officials are expecting a $4.1 million deficit in 2007-08 and a $4.5 million deficit in 2008-09. By 2008-09, the district's fund balances won't be able to offset the deficit and the district will be $377,000 in the hole, according to projections.
Emmons said board members will consider how budget cuts will affect class sizes, especially classes with low enrollments, such as advanced placement mathematics and foreign language.
"If we eliminate or target classes with low enrollment, then only Spanish would be offered at Hinsdale South, for example," Emmons said. "No, that's not acceptable."
Currently, French, German, Spanish and Latin are offered at Hinsdale Central and South high schools.
Emmons said the board's budgeting process takes four months, and several factors complicate the process.
In December, the federal government will release the consumer price index, an essential piece for calculating district revenue next year. Tax cap laws limit the increase in the district's tax levy to 5 percent, or the previous year's CPI, whichever is lower, plus an amount for new growth. The 2004 CPI is 3.3 percent.
Another factor will be the new contract to be negotiated with district teachers, Emmons said. In March, negotiations are expected to begin to replace the current three-year contract, which expires at the end of the school year.
District 15 McHenry, District 50 Harvard and District 300 Carpentersville/Algonquin in past elections have heard the voters and they said No. Will these boards continue to divide their communities or will they reject the idea of running referenda next spring?
District 86 ponders $1.1 million in staff cuts
BY JANE MICHAELS
STAFF WRITER
Nine teachers could be eliminated as part of the cuts to head off a $1.1 million deficit projected in 2006-07 for Hinsdale High School District 86.
District 86 finance committee Chairman Mark Emmons said Friday that the cuts include several support staff positions, four coaching jobs and the sponsorship of several clubs and activities. District administrators are suggesting the cuts, but no specific positions have been identified, he added.
"The potential cuts could be fairly significant," Emmons said. "It's never easy."
Superintendent Nicholas Wahl said Monday that he also plans to outline other ways to decrease spending. That report is scheduled to be presented at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21, at Hinsdale Central High School, 55th and Grant streets.
To balance next year's budget, board members agreed in October to trim programs rather than pursue a March referendum to generate more tax revenue. A September survey reported only 40 percent of voters were willing to pay more in taxes to offset increased operating expenses.
The board had been prepared to reduce spending by $2 million -- one estimate of next year's budget deficit. But a revised forecast decreased the estimated shortfall to $1.1 million, Wahl said.
Budget deficits are projected to continue. Officials are expecting a $4.1 million deficit in 2007-08 and a $4.5 million deficit in 2008-09. By 2008-09, the district's fund balances won't be able to offset the deficit and the district will be $377,000 in the hole, according to projections.
Emmons said board members will consider how budget cuts will affect class sizes, especially classes with low enrollments, such as advanced placement mathematics and foreign language.
"If we eliminate or target classes with low enrollment, then only Spanish would be offered at Hinsdale South, for example," Emmons said. "No, that's not acceptable."
Currently, French, German, Spanish and Latin are offered at Hinsdale Central and South high schools.
Emmons said the board's budgeting process takes four months, and several factors complicate the process.
In December, the federal government will release the consumer price index, an essential piece for calculating district revenue next year. Tax cap laws limit the increase in the district's tax levy to 5 percent, or the previous year's CPI, whichever is lower, plus an amount for new growth. The 2004 CPI is 3.3 percent.
Another factor will be the new contract to be negotiated with district teachers, Emmons said. In March, negotiations are expected to begin to replace the current three-year contract, which expires at the end of the school year.
Ethics drive board to cut taxes, risk losses
Another school district took in more than they told the voters during a past referendum. This school board did the right thing and cut taxes. The below article appeared in the November 17th edition of The Doings.
Ethics drive board to cut taxes, risk losses
BY LESLIE O'NEIL
STAFF WRITER
Fighting back tears, school board president Louise Hillegass urged the board to weigh all options before taking the final 4-3 vote that could result in cutting district programs.
Community Consolidated Elementary District 181 Monday discussed for nearly 3 1/2 hours the benefits and disadvantages of slashing the tax rate from the equivalent of 60 cents to 31 cents. Because of a temporarily lifted tax cap, a reallocation of funds and the use of a phase-in method to increase tax rates, the district has received more than twice what was requested in a 2002 referendum. A group of citizens caught the error.
"I do not believe we have acted unethically," Hillegass said, adding she believes the board never intended to overtax residents.
But with schools' programs on the line, she said the board faces another ethical problem -- whether to risk educational quality to appease overtaxed residents.
"I want to be quite sure we're doing the right thing for the district," she said. "There's a lot of gray out there. I want to be careful about not oversimplifying this issue."
Along with Hillegass, Superintendent Mary Curley recommended postponing cutting the rate until a committee of citizens could be formed and more residents' views could be heard. Business manager Pat Seigel warned that returning to the 31-cent rate and abating the $5 million would likely result in the district needing to pass another referendum by 2008.
"Think seriously about not giving back the $5 million tonight," Curley told the board. "It's not imperative that we make that decision tonight. Nobody's paying for the time, and you can still end up in the same place."
During public comment, residents voiced concerns that they were being stolen from, even having their "wallets lifted" by the board. One resident presented a visual, the "district mascot" -- an oinking piggy bank that grunts "more money, more money."
Still others, some calling themselves the quiet majority, said they would rather be overtaxed than see children lose programs and homes lose property value.
"I'm concerned that the opinions of a few are being interpreted as the feelings of the majority," one resident said. "They call themselves anti-tax, but I think they're anti-education."
Despite pleas from Hillegass, Curley and other board members, taking additional time to sort out the issue wouldn't have changed four board members' minds.
"The bottom line is at the end of this, it's my ethics. If I think it's wrong now, I'm still going to think it's wrong in March," board member Lisa Armonda said about the board keeping any additional money. "I can't come up with any other scenario than this. I'm sorry."
Armonda, along with Kitty Delaney, Mary Beth Tamm and Kevin Hanrahan, approved returning to the 31-cent increase and abating the additional $5 million. Hillegass, Bill Mouka and Daniel Rizzardini opposed the motion.
Before the 4-3 vote, Curley warned the decision could result in lost programs.
She presented a list of more than 20 items that could be reduced or slashed.
"To even mention a lot of these cuts is difficult," Curley said as she unveiled the option of consolidating special education classes and reducing special education staff.
Despite the possible cuts, Hanrahan said he would vote for what he thinks is right.
"I have to set an example for my children about what's right and what's wrong," he said. "I can't justify using money without a formal public mandate."
During closing public comment, residents expressed gratitude for the board members' efforts.
"I don't know how I would have voted," one resident said. "Every one of you made an ethical vote. I'm personally very proud to have every one of you as a board member."
Ethics drive board to cut taxes, risk losses
BY LESLIE O'NEIL
STAFF WRITER
Fighting back tears, school board president Louise Hillegass urged the board to weigh all options before taking the final 4-3 vote that could result in cutting district programs.
Community Consolidated Elementary District 181 Monday discussed for nearly 3 1/2 hours the benefits and disadvantages of slashing the tax rate from the equivalent of 60 cents to 31 cents. Because of a temporarily lifted tax cap, a reallocation of funds and the use of a phase-in method to increase tax rates, the district has received more than twice what was requested in a 2002 referendum. A group of citizens caught the error.
"I do not believe we have acted unethically," Hillegass said, adding she believes the board never intended to overtax residents.
But with schools' programs on the line, she said the board faces another ethical problem -- whether to risk educational quality to appease overtaxed residents.
"I want to be quite sure we're doing the right thing for the district," she said. "There's a lot of gray out there. I want to be careful about not oversimplifying this issue."
Along with Hillegass, Superintendent Mary Curley recommended postponing cutting the rate until a committee of citizens could be formed and more residents' views could be heard. Business manager Pat Seigel warned that returning to the 31-cent rate and abating the $5 million would likely result in the district needing to pass another referendum by 2008.
"Think seriously about not giving back the $5 million tonight," Curley told the board. "It's not imperative that we make that decision tonight. Nobody's paying for the time, and you can still end up in the same place."
During public comment, residents voiced concerns that they were being stolen from, even having their "wallets lifted" by the board. One resident presented a visual, the "district mascot" -- an oinking piggy bank that grunts "more money, more money."
Still others, some calling themselves the quiet majority, said they would rather be overtaxed than see children lose programs and homes lose property value.
"I'm concerned that the opinions of a few are being interpreted as the feelings of the majority," one resident said. "They call themselves anti-tax, but I think they're anti-education."
Despite pleas from Hillegass, Curley and other board members, taking additional time to sort out the issue wouldn't have changed four board members' minds.
"The bottom line is at the end of this, it's my ethics. If I think it's wrong now, I'm still going to think it's wrong in March," board member Lisa Armonda said about the board keeping any additional money. "I can't come up with any other scenario than this. I'm sorry."
Armonda, along with Kitty Delaney, Mary Beth Tamm and Kevin Hanrahan, approved returning to the 31-cent increase and abating the additional $5 million. Hillegass, Bill Mouka and Daniel Rizzardini opposed the motion.
Before the 4-3 vote, Curley warned the decision could result in lost programs.
She presented a list of more than 20 items that could be reduced or slashed.
"To even mention a lot of these cuts is difficult," Curley said as she unveiled the option of consolidating special education classes and reducing special education staff.
Despite the possible cuts, Hanrahan said he would vote for what he thinks is right.
"I have to set an example for my children about what's right and what's wrong," he said. "I can't justify using money without a formal public mandate."
During closing public comment, residents expressed gratitude for the board members' efforts.
"I don't know how I would have voted," one resident said. "Every one of you made an ethical vote. I'm personally very proud to have every one of you as a board member."
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
D-2 teachers set to strike
D-2 does not have the money to pay teachers more than the teachers have demanded. Their employers (the taxpayers) told D-2 teachers they do not want to give them more money. Now the teachers like spoiled two year olds stomp their feet and go on strike to demand more money. All this with no regard to their fellow teachers who will lose their jobs if the board caves to salaries they cannot afford. This is about money not about the children. They are already paid well and even with the proposed changes in benefits have better benefits than most taxpayers who support them.
It is time for the taxpayers and parents to fight back and fight back big. Encourage your board not to cave. Hold the teachers off until Christmas, give them a taste of what it is like not to afford Christmas presents. Go on strike. Families who have a stay at home Mom or Dad should support their neighbors with two income families and agree to watch their children. Homeschool parents should agree to take in their neighbors’ children. Call your school board and offer them support. Call you student's teacher and ask them to get back to work. In general terms do your best to teach your children about budgets, economics and why this is important not to cave to the union. Now is a good time to teach children you can not always have everything you want this is should be a good lesson in patience and working for what you believe is best for your children. Explain how the teachers can retire at 55 with pensions larger than many people’s salaries that have to work to age 67 and beyond.
For more information go to Citizens Against Unrestrained Spending in Education (CAUSE)- 4 Kids
The below article appeared in the November 16, 2005 issue of The Northwest Herald.
D-2 teachers set to strike
RICHMOND – Nippersink District 2 board members walked silently past a gantlet of 50 teachers and support staff outside the middle school Tuesday night while the crowd chanted, "Settle, settle, settle" under dripping umbrellas.
Three hours later, Richmond-Spring Grove Education Association representatives left negotiations and announced that its members would go on strike starting Thursday.
"Our members will be picketing during regular working hours," said Laura Biloz, co-president of the union. "The board of education of Nippersink District 2 has provoked this strike. The association is in agreement with the district on a contract for this year that would have kept our children in school. The association made significant concessions in salary, benefits, insurance and working conditions to make that agreement possible. However, the district demanded even further concessions for next year before the parties had a chance to look at a clear financial picture at that time."
Superintendent Paul Hain said the district had offered teachers a two-year contract with a 0.5 percent increase the first year and a 1.5 percent the second year. Each year also would include a 1.4 percent step increase for the additional year of teaching experience.
Hain said the teachers came back with a counterproposal for a 5.4 percent increase the second year, which would include the step increase.
"They're not negotiating here," Hain said. "It is an ultimatum."
The three-school district has 1,600 students. The union represents 103 teachers and eight support staff members.
Nippersink Middle School teacher Lorie Comstock said she still remembered the informational picketing that occurred three years ago, when the two sides fought over a contract.
The difference this time, Comstock said, is that the teachers are not fighting for larger increases but for fewer cuts in their benefits.
"I refuse to take home less pay, and that is what it is going to be," Comstock said. "We're not in this for the money, but I don't want to be taken advantage of either."
Teachers voted against a two-year contract Nov. 9. The proposed contract would have cut $450 per teacher that the district pays into a medical flexible spending account and would have split contributions to teachers pensions for any increase more than the current 11.38 percent. In addition, insurance deductibles for employees would have increased to $300 from $250, and the district would have covered 80 percent of medical costs instead of the current 90 percent.
Hain said the school board was willing to extend the benefits until the end of the school year, which would have cost the district between $34,000 and $37,000.
"The board is committed not to ask the taxpayers for more money," Hain said. "If we go beyond this point in year one, we will be increasing deficit spending."
Thursday's strike will be the first time teachers have walked off the job since Cary Community Consolidated School District 26 and Harvard Community Unit District 50 teachers went on strike in September and October 2002.
Biloz said the union wanted to give parents one day to prepare for the strike, but there was still time for the board to reach a settlement.
"They could agree to the one year, or they could come back with a new offer," Biloz said. "They need to realize we can't give up any more."
Hain said the school board did not call off negotiations and was prepared to go back to a federal mediator.
"We will run school right up until they are not here," Hain said. "At that point, we will shut down. We will await the results. We know we will have to go back and bargain at some point in time."
By JEFF GARD
jgard@nwherald.com
It is time for the taxpayers and parents to fight back and fight back big. Encourage your board not to cave. Hold the teachers off until Christmas, give them a taste of what it is like not to afford Christmas presents. Go on strike. Families who have a stay at home Mom or Dad should support their neighbors with two income families and agree to watch their children. Homeschool parents should agree to take in their neighbors’ children. Call your school board and offer them support. Call you student's teacher and ask them to get back to work. In general terms do your best to teach your children about budgets, economics and why this is important not to cave to the union. Now is a good time to teach children you can not always have everything you want this is should be a good lesson in patience and working for what you believe is best for your children. Explain how the teachers can retire at 55 with pensions larger than many people’s salaries that have to work to age 67 and beyond.
For more information go to Citizens Against Unrestrained Spending in Education (CAUSE)- 4 Kids
The below article appeared in the November 16, 2005 issue of The Northwest Herald.
D-2 teachers set to strike
RICHMOND – Nippersink District 2 board members walked silently past a gantlet of 50 teachers and support staff outside the middle school Tuesday night while the crowd chanted, "Settle, settle, settle" under dripping umbrellas.
Three hours later, Richmond-Spring Grove Education Association representatives left negotiations and announced that its members would go on strike starting Thursday.
"Our members will be picketing during regular working hours," said Laura Biloz, co-president of the union. "The board of education of Nippersink District 2 has provoked this strike. The association is in agreement with the district on a contract for this year that would have kept our children in school. The association made significant concessions in salary, benefits, insurance and working conditions to make that agreement possible. However, the district demanded even further concessions for next year before the parties had a chance to look at a clear financial picture at that time."
Superintendent Paul Hain said the district had offered teachers a two-year contract with a 0.5 percent increase the first year and a 1.5 percent the second year. Each year also would include a 1.4 percent step increase for the additional year of teaching experience.
Hain said the teachers came back with a counterproposal for a 5.4 percent increase the second year, which would include the step increase.
"They're not negotiating here," Hain said. "It is an ultimatum."
The three-school district has 1,600 students. The union represents 103 teachers and eight support staff members.
Nippersink Middle School teacher Lorie Comstock said she still remembered the informational picketing that occurred three years ago, when the two sides fought over a contract.
The difference this time, Comstock said, is that the teachers are not fighting for larger increases but for fewer cuts in their benefits.
"I refuse to take home less pay, and that is what it is going to be," Comstock said. "We're not in this for the money, but I don't want to be taken advantage of either."
Teachers voted against a two-year contract Nov. 9. The proposed contract would have cut $450 per teacher that the district pays into a medical flexible spending account and would have split contributions to teachers pensions for any increase more than the current 11.38 percent. In addition, insurance deductibles for employees would have increased to $300 from $250, and the district would have covered 80 percent of medical costs instead of the current 90 percent.
Hain said the school board was willing to extend the benefits until the end of the school year, which would have cost the district between $34,000 and $37,000.
"The board is committed not to ask the taxpayers for more money," Hain said. "If we go beyond this point in year one, we will be increasing deficit spending."
Thursday's strike will be the first time teachers have walked off the job since Cary Community Consolidated School District 26 and Harvard Community Unit District 50 teachers went on strike in September and October 2002.
Biloz said the union wanted to give parents one day to prepare for the strike, but there was still time for the board to reach a settlement.
"They could agree to the one year, or they could come back with a new offer," Biloz said. "They need to realize we can't give up any more."
Hain said the school board did not call off negotiations and was prepared to go back to a federal mediator.
"We will run school right up until they are not here," Hain said. "At that point, we will shut down. We will await the results. We know we will have to go back and bargain at some point in time."
By JEFF GARD
jgard@nwherald.com
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Teachers say 'Y' not us?
Teachers' unions continue to bully others into salaries they cannot afford. Read their threats for yourself. The average parent and taxpayer must speak up to school board and legislatures. The Teachers' unions are becoming an uncontrollable political monster that does not want to take responsibility for educating our children.
The below article appeared at www.dailynews.com on November 15th, 2005.
Teachers say 'Y' not us?
UTLA equates support for measure with pay demand
By Naush Boghossian, Staff Writer
The head of the Los Angeles teachers union has sent Los Angeles Unified officials a clear message: We supported your $4 billion Measure Y construction bond initiative, now it's your turn to meet our pay demands - or face the consequences.
The threat from United Teachers Los Angeles President A.J. Duffy comes amid district negotiations with the union for salary increases in the third and final year of its contract.
The district's last offer was a 1.5 percent pay hike, contingent on the bond measure passing - but Duffy wants twice that and wants a deal by January.
"If they play games with me on that 3 percent, then we will not be able to come to an agreement and we will continue to build our capacity to take action, and come this spring, they're going to be very surprised at the kinds of activities that we're going to start initiating," Duffy said Monday.
A separate round of negotiations for a brand new contract will begin in the spring, when Duffy plans to ask for even bigger salary increases. He said the district could come up with the money by cutting down on its bureaucracy.
Measure Y passed with an overwhelming 66 percent of the vote when it only needed 55 percent and Duffy argues it could not have succeeded without the union's grass-roots efforts.
But district officials say there's not enough money in the budget to meet union demands and reject any connection between union support of the bond measure and salary talks.
"The reality is that the teachers union that helped pass the bond gets direct benefits from it, and I'm not sure if and how we're supposed to take that somewhere beyond what we're already looking at in increasing compensation," board member Mike Lansing said.
"We're already trying to get to a fair and equitable position on (the salary hikes) as much as we can given our limitations."
Promising more militant action, Duffy was elected to lead the union in March in a huge upset. He ousted John Perez, who was seen by many teachers as not being tough enough with the district in fighting for teachers.
"This time around, let's face it, without our money and our folks on the phone and precinct-walking, (Measure) Y would have died," Duffy said.
"We put time and effort and money and convinced the California Teachers Association to put money into it, and I will certainly not lose any opportunity to let the district know that we are partners, and that at the very least I expect to be dealt with in a fair and equitable manner."
Duffy said his union supported the bond initiative because it was good for teachers and students since it would allow the district to complete its ambitious $20 billion construction and renovation program. The program includes 160 new schools, renovating hundreds of others and putting all students on a traditional, nine-month calendar.
UTLA donated $75,000 to the campaign, and urged the California Teachers Association to do the same. It also put 700 members on the streets and on phones to spread the message, Duffy said.
The passage of the bond measure prevented the district from having to find an additional $40 million for the general fund to pay for operating expenses such as teacher salaries, classroom materials and routine maintenance.
But the district's current offer is about as high as it can realistically go given its finances, board member Jon Lauritzen said.
"Obviously, the fact that Measure Y passed bodes well for making a reasonable settlement with the unions," he said.
"It is getting really expensive to live in Los Angeles and most of our employees are way below market value. But at this point, I think the unions are realistic that we just don't have a lot of money sitting around right now."
The idea that unions now have a strong bargaining chip is true, but it doesn't mean that the district will give in to demands during negotiations, said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, political analyst at University of Southern California.
"The teachers union has long been a power in LAUSD affairs and will continue to be a power in LAUSD affairs. The unions are smart enough to use it as a bargaining chip, but the district has to come back with an offer and the union has to accept or not accept what they come back with," Jeffe said. "The ultimate bargaining chip is the threat of a strike."
Duffy called the election cycle a "blessing in disguise," because it helped the union organize more than 200 school sites and start building its capacity to reach out to school sites and community groups.
"We're building our capacity to take action in the spring. In the meantime, if they don't deal with me fairly, then they're losing an opportunity to be a partner. They can decide which way they want it," he said.
Duffy, who has made a show of a united front with district officials since he took office this summer, said the district should also be mindful of his support and maintaining a partnership as they face a takeover challenge by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
"There's another issue here they need to pay attention to - the mayor is still talking about taking over the school district, so I think it would be to the benefit of the school board members, who are elected officials, to go with the district and make sure they deal with UTLA in a fair manner," Duffy said.
Naush Boghossian, (818) 713-3722
naush.boghossian@dailynews.com
The below article appeared at www.dailynews.com on November 15th, 2005.
Teachers say 'Y' not us?
UTLA equates support for measure with pay demand
By Naush Boghossian, Staff Writer
The head of the Los Angeles teachers union has sent Los Angeles Unified officials a clear message: We supported your $4 billion Measure Y construction bond initiative, now it's your turn to meet our pay demands - or face the consequences.
The threat from United Teachers Los Angeles President A.J. Duffy comes amid district negotiations with the union for salary increases in the third and final year of its contract.
The district's last offer was a 1.5 percent pay hike, contingent on the bond measure passing - but Duffy wants twice that and wants a deal by January.
"If they play games with me on that 3 percent, then we will not be able to come to an agreement and we will continue to build our capacity to take action, and come this spring, they're going to be very surprised at the kinds of activities that we're going to start initiating," Duffy said Monday.
A separate round of negotiations for a brand new contract will begin in the spring, when Duffy plans to ask for even bigger salary increases. He said the district could come up with the money by cutting down on its bureaucracy.
Measure Y passed with an overwhelming 66 percent of the vote when it only needed 55 percent and Duffy argues it could not have succeeded without the union's grass-roots efforts.
But district officials say there's not enough money in the budget to meet union demands and reject any connection between union support of the bond measure and salary talks.
"The reality is that the teachers union that helped pass the bond gets direct benefits from it, and I'm not sure if and how we're supposed to take that somewhere beyond what we're already looking at in increasing compensation," board member Mike Lansing said.
"We're already trying to get to a fair and equitable position on (the salary hikes) as much as we can given our limitations."
Promising more militant action, Duffy was elected to lead the union in March in a huge upset. He ousted John Perez, who was seen by many teachers as not being tough enough with the district in fighting for teachers.
"This time around, let's face it, without our money and our folks on the phone and precinct-walking, (Measure) Y would have died," Duffy said.
"We put time and effort and money and convinced the California Teachers Association to put money into it, and I will certainly not lose any opportunity to let the district know that we are partners, and that at the very least I expect to be dealt with in a fair and equitable manner."
Duffy said his union supported the bond initiative because it was good for teachers and students since it would allow the district to complete its ambitious $20 billion construction and renovation program. The program includes 160 new schools, renovating hundreds of others and putting all students on a traditional, nine-month calendar.
UTLA donated $75,000 to the campaign, and urged the California Teachers Association to do the same. It also put 700 members on the streets and on phones to spread the message, Duffy said.
The passage of the bond measure prevented the district from having to find an additional $40 million for the general fund to pay for operating expenses such as teacher salaries, classroom materials and routine maintenance.
But the district's current offer is about as high as it can realistically go given its finances, board member Jon Lauritzen said.
"Obviously, the fact that Measure Y passed bodes well for making a reasonable settlement with the unions," he said.
"It is getting really expensive to live in Los Angeles and most of our employees are way below market value. But at this point, I think the unions are realistic that we just don't have a lot of money sitting around right now."
The idea that unions now have a strong bargaining chip is true, but it doesn't mean that the district will give in to demands during negotiations, said Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, political analyst at University of Southern California.
"The teachers union has long been a power in LAUSD affairs and will continue to be a power in LAUSD affairs. The unions are smart enough to use it as a bargaining chip, but the district has to come back with an offer and the union has to accept or not accept what they come back with," Jeffe said. "The ultimate bargaining chip is the threat of a strike."
Duffy called the election cycle a "blessing in disguise," because it helped the union organize more than 200 school sites and start building its capacity to reach out to school sites and community groups.
"We're building our capacity to take action in the spring. In the meantime, if they don't deal with me fairly, then they're losing an opportunity to be a partner. They can decide which way they want it," he said.
Duffy, who has made a show of a united front with district officials since he took office this summer, said the district should also be mindful of his support and maintaining a partnership as they face a takeover challenge by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
"There's another issue here they need to pay attention to - the mayor is still talking about taking over the school district, so I think it would be to the benefit of the school board members, who are elected officials, to go with the district and make sure they deal with UTLA in a fair manner," Duffy said.
Naush Boghossian, (818) 713-3722
naush.boghossian@dailynews.com
Monday, November 14, 2005
Dist. 211 Sets Pact Deadline
Gee, what a surprise. D-211, the same district that just approved a huge tax increase is facing a strike threat. But then why not, they're only making an average of $82,447 for nine months work. How can they scrape by on such a pittance?
(Of course, teacher unions don't always wait for referendum passage. Sometimes they threaten strikes after defeats, just ask D-2).
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/cgi-bin....73.html
Dist. 211 sets pact deadline
BY PATRICK CORCORAN
STAFF WRITER
Although they didn't know it, High School District 211 teachers overwhelming voted down the administration's last, best offer Thursday.
During a special School Board meeting Monday, High School District 211 administrators stood firm and gave teachers something to think hard about -- a Dec. 2 deadline to approve the same three-year tentative agreement rejected last week.
In addressing the School Board, Superintendent Roger Thornton said the contract -- which significantly reins in personnel costs -- reflects a pledge made by the district to voters who supported its controversial tax increase referendum in April.
"I believe everyone, including teachers, made a commitment during the referendum as to how this money would be used. Voters told us, 'If we vote for this, you better keep your word,'" he said. "When you work with kids, you better be a person who keeps their word."
Taking the initiative away from the teachers' union in an unusual -- but orchestrated -- move, the School Board unanimously approved the tentative contract following Thornton's presentation.
Thornton said the district's governing body was simply exercising its right.
"Just as the union has the right to vote on the contract, so does the board. We are accountable to the public and they have been most patient with us," he said. "It's within the rights of the board to say, 'We believe strongly in this contract and we want it to go forward.' I wasn't sure of how this vote would turn out, but I was proud to see it decided unanimously."
Come Dec. 2, the offer on the table will be pulled, Thornton said.
The contract between the state's largest school district and its 1,000-plus member union, Northwest Suburban Teachers Union Local 1211, includes salary hikes of about 2 percent and shifts significant financial burdens once shouldered by the district -- including retirement contribution and health insurance payments -- to teachers.
Northwest Suburban Teachers Union Local 1211 President John Braglia puts the annual cost of the benefit concessions at $13,000 to $19,000.
However, in light of today's economic climate, teachers are willing to accept those costs, Braglia said. He said growing class sizes, not salaries, are at the heart of the stalemate (see related story).
"We were really willing to push this through if it meant there were going to be gains for the kids, which is something the School Board promised to do during the referendum process," he said. "But the School Board is not interested in limiting class sizes."
Thornton doubts that issue caused the "no" vote.
"When something is repeated enough, it can become the truth," he said.
The tentative agreement keeps in place subject-specific class size restrictions approved in the 1998 teachers' contract.
So what's the next step? Braglia said the union will survey its members tomorrow and return to negotiations with the goal of finishing the contract before Thanksgiving. At this point, he isn't concerned that talks could break down and result in the first strike in the history of the district.
"My job is to keep communication open and I know we're close," Braglia said.
Thornton said both sides will continue to work in good faith, but there isn't much room for negotiating.
"Our team is obligated to consider their requests," he said. "But there's nothing new that we have to offer."
With an average salary of $82,447, District 211 teachers are the fifth highest paid in the Chicago area, behind districts in Highland Park, Northfield, Lyons Township and Winnetka.
The proposed contract can be viewed at the district's Web site, www.d211.org.
(Of course, teacher unions don't always wait for referendum passage. Sometimes they threaten strikes after defeats, just ask D-2).
http://www.pioneerlocal.com/cgi-bin....73.html
Dist. 211 sets pact deadline
BY PATRICK CORCORAN
STAFF WRITER
Although they didn't know it, High School District 211 teachers overwhelming voted down the administration's last, best offer Thursday.
During a special School Board meeting Monday, High School District 211 administrators stood firm and gave teachers something to think hard about -- a Dec. 2 deadline to approve the same three-year tentative agreement rejected last week.
In addressing the School Board, Superintendent Roger Thornton said the contract -- which significantly reins in personnel costs -- reflects a pledge made by the district to voters who supported its controversial tax increase referendum in April.
"I believe everyone, including teachers, made a commitment during the referendum as to how this money would be used. Voters told us, 'If we vote for this, you better keep your word,'" he said. "When you work with kids, you better be a person who keeps their word."
Taking the initiative away from the teachers' union in an unusual -- but orchestrated -- move, the School Board unanimously approved the tentative contract following Thornton's presentation.
Thornton said the district's governing body was simply exercising its right.
"Just as the union has the right to vote on the contract, so does the board. We are accountable to the public and they have been most patient with us," he said. "It's within the rights of the board to say, 'We believe strongly in this contract and we want it to go forward.' I wasn't sure of how this vote would turn out, but I was proud to see it decided unanimously."
Come Dec. 2, the offer on the table will be pulled, Thornton said.
The contract between the state's largest school district and its 1,000-plus member union, Northwest Suburban Teachers Union Local 1211, includes salary hikes of about 2 percent and shifts significant financial burdens once shouldered by the district -- including retirement contribution and health insurance payments -- to teachers.
Northwest Suburban Teachers Union Local 1211 President John Braglia puts the annual cost of the benefit concessions at $13,000 to $19,000.
However, in light of today's economic climate, teachers are willing to accept those costs, Braglia said. He said growing class sizes, not salaries, are at the heart of the stalemate (see related story).
"We were really willing to push this through if it meant there were going to be gains for the kids, which is something the School Board promised to do during the referendum process," he said. "But the School Board is not interested in limiting class sizes."
Thornton doubts that issue caused the "no" vote.
"When something is repeated enough, it can become the truth," he said.
The tentative agreement keeps in place subject-specific class size restrictions approved in the 1998 teachers' contract.
So what's the next step? Braglia said the union will survey its members tomorrow and return to negotiations with the goal of finishing the contract before Thanksgiving. At this point, he isn't concerned that talks could break down and result in the first strike in the history of the district.
"My job is to keep communication open and I know we're close," Braglia said.
Thornton said both sides will continue to work in good faith, but there isn't much room for negotiating.
"Our team is obligated to consider their requests," he said. "But there's nothing new that we have to offer."
With an average salary of $82,447, District 211 teachers are the fifth highest paid in the Chicago area, behind districts in Highland Park, Northfield, Lyons Township and Winnetka.
The proposed contract can be viewed at the district's Web site, www.d211.org.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Teachers refusing accountability for the education of our children.
The below piece is an all too common problem across the United States. Teachers refusing to be accountable for educating our children. This is one of the many reasons why unions do not belong in public schools. The undereducation of American children is ruining their lives, their education potential and their income potential and the teachers' unions do not care. We are all forced to pay for the damage that teachers' union causes in the form of higher taxes due to remedial education, medicaid and the costs of the penial system just to name a few.
No Child law irks teachers' unions
Federal statute prompted strike in Oregon town
By Julia Silverman, Associated Press | November 13, 2005
SANDY, Ore. -- The homecoming game had been canceled, and parents were running out of ways to keep cranky children entertained, because of a teachers' strike in which a major sticking point was more than just a local issue: It was the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
In school districts around the country, the Bush administration's centerpiece law on primary and secondary education is beginning to emerge as an issue at the bargaining table.
In Sandy's 4,200-student Oregon Trail District, where the strike is in its third week, teachers are afraid they will be replaced, transferred, or otherwise penalized if they, their students, or their schools fail to measure up under the law, which sets stringent new standards for performance.
While salary and benefits are also stumbling blocks in the dispute, the teachers and the school board in this city of 5,400, about 40 miles southeast of Portland, are wrangling over contract language related to No Child Left Behind. Several bargaining sessions have stretched into the wee hours.
''No Child Left Behind is creating issues we didn't expect four or five years ago," said Larry Wolf, who heads the Oregon Education Association, the state teachers' union.
''The law's approaching deadlines raise flags for both sides," Wolf added.
Under No Child Left Behind, schools must bring increasing percentages of children from all backgrounds up to scratch on reading, math, and writing tests. Schools that repeatedly fail to make enough progress face a series of sanctions, the most serious of which include school closure and takeover by a private company.
The law also says that by the end of this school year, teachers must be ''highly qualified" in the subject they teach. That definition varies from state to state, but it generally means that teachers must have majored in the subject they teach, must be certified by the state, and must pass an exam.
In some places, teachers are pushing for contract language to protect themselves.
In Oregon, for instance, unions are asking for the right to take part in developing new curriculums required under No Child Left Behind, and they want assurances that staff members will not be replaced or transferred if a school's students do not progress according to the standards set by the federal law.
Teachers also want to make sure that student performance on tests is not the basis for negative action against an employee. And they say that school systems should not be able to take into account whether a teacher has been deemed ''highly qualified" during layoffs or recalls.
School board officials say that laws like No Child Left Behind affect what can and cannot go into the contract.
''We can't incorporate things that would violate or conflict with those laws," said an Oregon Trail school board member, Wayne Kuechler.
In Philadelphia, where the public school system is now run by the state, the teachers' union conceded some seniority hiring rights in the latest round of contract talks, to give the district more options in hiring teachers to staff schools that are marked as low performers under the federal law.
''At every turn in the contract negotiations, the press and demands of No Child Left Behind were always present," said a union spokeswoman, Barbara Goodman. ''The bottom line is, there were a lot of changes made in seniority."
In Warwick, R.I., teachers and the district have been negotiating a contract for three years without success, in part because of No Child Left Behind.
''Any time you add additional duties, teachers expect to be paid, which is reasonable," said John Thompson, chairman of the Warwick School Committee. ''But with pension and healthcare costs going through the roof, we can't afford things like higher pay for more work."
No Child law irks teachers' unions
Federal statute prompted strike in Oregon town
By Julia Silverman, Associated Press | November 13, 2005
SANDY, Ore. -- The homecoming game had been canceled, and parents were running out of ways to keep cranky children entertained, because of a teachers' strike in which a major sticking point was more than just a local issue: It was the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
In school districts around the country, the Bush administration's centerpiece law on primary and secondary education is beginning to emerge as an issue at the bargaining table.
In Sandy's 4,200-student Oregon Trail District, where the strike is in its third week, teachers are afraid they will be replaced, transferred, or otherwise penalized if they, their students, or their schools fail to measure up under the law, which sets stringent new standards for performance.
While salary and benefits are also stumbling blocks in the dispute, the teachers and the school board in this city of 5,400, about 40 miles southeast of Portland, are wrangling over contract language related to No Child Left Behind. Several bargaining sessions have stretched into the wee hours.
''No Child Left Behind is creating issues we didn't expect four or five years ago," said Larry Wolf, who heads the Oregon Education Association, the state teachers' union.
''The law's approaching deadlines raise flags for both sides," Wolf added.
Under No Child Left Behind, schools must bring increasing percentages of children from all backgrounds up to scratch on reading, math, and writing tests. Schools that repeatedly fail to make enough progress face a series of sanctions, the most serious of which include school closure and takeover by a private company.
The law also says that by the end of this school year, teachers must be ''highly qualified" in the subject they teach. That definition varies from state to state, but it generally means that teachers must have majored in the subject they teach, must be certified by the state, and must pass an exam.
In some places, teachers are pushing for contract language to protect themselves.
In Oregon, for instance, unions are asking for the right to take part in developing new curriculums required under No Child Left Behind, and they want assurances that staff members will not be replaced or transferred if a school's students do not progress according to the standards set by the federal law.
Teachers also want to make sure that student performance on tests is not the basis for negative action against an employee. And they say that school systems should not be able to take into account whether a teacher has been deemed ''highly qualified" during layoffs or recalls.
School board officials say that laws like No Child Left Behind affect what can and cannot go into the contract.
''We can't incorporate things that would violate or conflict with those laws," said an Oregon Trail school board member, Wayne Kuechler.
In Philadelphia, where the public school system is now run by the state, the teachers' union conceded some seniority hiring rights in the latest round of contract talks, to give the district more options in hiring teachers to staff schools that are marked as low performers under the federal law.
''At every turn in the contract negotiations, the press and demands of No Child Left Behind were always present," said a union spokeswoman, Barbara Goodman. ''The bottom line is, there were a lot of changes made in seniority."
In Warwick, R.I., teachers and the district have been negotiating a contract for three years without success, in part because of No Child Left Behind.
''Any time you add additional duties, teachers expect to be paid, which is reasonable," said John Thompson, chairman of the Warwick School Committee. ''But with pension and healthcare costs going through the roof, we can't afford things like higher pay for more work."
Friday, November 11, 2005
Dist. 15 opens its books
Bravo to Palatine District 15 for opening its books to the public. This great article appeared in the November 11, 2005 addtion of the Daily Herald .
Dist. 15 opens its books
By Nadia Malik
Board agrees to put district documents online and in libraries
In an effort to increase its transparency, the Palatine Township Elementary District 15 board agreed Wednesday to place several documents on its Web site.
Teacher salary schedules, the packets the board receives before meetings and a full budget will all be available to the public without having to file a request through the Freedom of Information Act.
The documents will also be available at the Rolling Meadows, Palatine and Barrington public libraries, which all sit in the district’s jurisdiction.
“That allows anybody who doesn’t have a computer … to go into the libraries and examine documents,” board President Scott Boucher said.
The board also recently decided to start taping its meetings, which have been playing on public access television in Hoffman Estates, Palatine and Rolling Meadows. A schedule of the air dates is available on the district’s Web site.
These same tapes will also be placed in all three libraries.
Many of the documents that will be made public played an integral role in the tax-rate increase request the district had on the ballot in February and the board elections in April.
Some residents, for example, took issue with the raises the teachers have received in their past negotiations with the district.
Board vice president Tim Millar asked that an explanation of the teacher salary schedule also be placed on the Web site, since the document is hard to read and caused some questions during the elections.
School improvement plans for each of the district’s 20 buildings and the collective bargaining agreements for all three of the unions the district deals with will also appear both on the Web and in the libraries.
Millar originally brought up the issue at the October board meeting, and Boucher had questioned some parts of the proposal at the time.
On Wednesday, he said that after exploring the issue - including searching other school board Web sites to see what kinds of documents appeared on their site - he felt comfortable with the idea.
“I was making sure that this was talked about before we did it,” he said.
The below message comes directly from the Illinois State Board of Education website.
“Since budget time is once again on the minds of school business administrators, this is a reminder that if your school district has a website, in accordance with Section 17-1.2 and Section 34-43a of the School Code, you are required to post your budget on your school district’s website. To assist you in meeting this requirement, follow the steps below to convert the ISBE 50-36 Budget Form to a .pdf that can easily be posted to your website. This form can be located on the ISBE website.”
If your school district has a website remind them to put the budget online.
Dist. 15 opens its books
By Nadia Malik
Board agrees to put district documents online and in libraries
In an effort to increase its transparency, the Palatine Township Elementary District 15 board agreed Wednesday to place several documents on its Web site.
Teacher salary schedules, the packets the board receives before meetings and a full budget will all be available to the public without having to file a request through the Freedom of Information Act.
The documents will also be available at the Rolling Meadows, Palatine and Barrington public libraries, which all sit in the district’s jurisdiction.
“That allows anybody who doesn’t have a computer … to go into the libraries and examine documents,” board President Scott Boucher said.
The board also recently decided to start taping its meetings, which have been playing on public access television in Hoffman Estates, Palatine and Rolling Meadows. A schedule of the air dates is available on the district’s Web site.
These same tapes will also be placed in all three libraries.
Many of the documents that will be made public played an integral role in the tax-rate increase request the district had on the ballot in February and the board elections in April.
Some residents, for example, took issue with the raises the teachers have received in their past negotiations with the district.
Board vice president Tim Millar asked that an explanation of the teacher salary schedule also be placed on the Web site, since the document is hard to read and caused some questions during the elections.
School improvement plans for each of the district’s 20 buildings and the collective bargaining agreements for all three of the unions the district deals with will also appear both on the Web and in the libraries.
Millar originally brought up the issue at the October board meeting, and Boucher had questioned some parts of the proposal at the time.
On Wednesday, he said that after exploring the issue - including searching other school board Web sites to see what kinds of documents appeared on their site - he felt comfortable with the idea.
“I was making sure that this was talked about before we did it,” he said.
The below message comes directly from the Illinois State Board of Education website.
“Since budget time is once again on the minds of school business administrators, this is a reminder that if your school district has a website, in accordance with Section 17-1.2 and Section 34-43a of the School Code, you are required to post your budget on your school district’s website. To assist you in meeting this requirement, follow the steps below to convert the ISBE 50-36 Budget Form to a .pdf that can easily be posted to your website. This form can be located on the ISBE website.”
If your school district has a website remind them to put the budget online.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
School board dines on taxpayers' dime
The article below appeared in the November 10th addition of the Northwest Herald. There is no reason why this school board could not interview candidates on school premises. This is a good note to remember when they ask District residents to vote "yes" for a tax increase in March 2006.
Those interested in investigating your school districts should do FOIA requests for the school board's budget. School boards often go to conferences and sometimes spend thousands of taxpayer dollars on meals and alcohol at these conferences.
School board dines on taxpayers' dime
McHENRY – Using consultants' advice, District 12 likely will spend about $1,500 this week on meals at Dunnhills for seven school board members, Business Manager Pat Bingman, and three superintendent candidates.
The board scheduled interviews Tuesday, Wednesday and today at the restaurant, 1501 S. Route 31, McHenry, where most entrees cost between $10 and $25. The group ate dinner before each closed-session interview in the restaurant's meeting room. Tuesday's bill, which included some appetizers and desserts, but no alcohol, came to $490.72, Bingman said.
Consultants from the Illinois Association of School Boards suggested taking the candidates to dinner in an informal setting, board President Tom Liston said.
The association presented six candidates, which were interviewed in a six-hour special board meeting last month, he said.
"Beyond seeing these people in a very regimented setting, we get to see them in a social setting," Liston said. "He's going to be an individual who is going to be very public; his public persona is very important to our choice."
The meals at Dunnhills are paid out of the board of education expense budget in the district's education fund, Bingman said. The $307,400 expense fund covers $170,000 in worker's compensation premiums, as well as legal fees, copies, background checks for new employees, property appraisal, postage, and legal publications in the newspaper.
The expense fund also covers the Illinois Association of School Board's $7,500 fee.
Kathy Ignoffo, a parent and athletic booster club president, said she was glad the school board members were interviewing candidates in a laid-back atmosphere.
"Do I like that it's $500 a night?" she said. "No, but I don't know how else they can do that."
The board members will discuss its impressions and, they hope to reach a consensus at a closed-session meeting Tuesday, Liston said.
"Hopefully, we'll be contacting people after our next meeting," he said. "We would announce only after they accept after they've had time to talk with their own constituency."
Board members want to select a candidate to replace Superintendent Rob Gough this semester so Gough can train his replacement.
Gough plans to retire in summer 2006 after serving 28 years as a district administrator, the last 18 as superintendent.
By JILLIAN COMPTON
jcompton@nwherald.com
Those interested in investigating your school districts should do FOIA requests for the school board's budget. School boards often go to conferences and sometimes spend thousands of taxpayer dollars on meals and alcohol at these conferences.
School board dines on taxpayers' dime
McHENRY – Using consultants' advice, District 12 likely will spend about $1,500 this week on meals at Dunnhills for seven school board members, Business Manager Pat Bingman, and three superintendent candidates.
The board scheduled interviews Tuesday, Wednesday and today at the restaurant, 1501 S. Route 31, McHenry, where most entrees cost between $10 and $25. The group ate dinner before each closed-session interview in the restaurant's meeting room. Tuesday's bill, which included some appetizers and desserts, but no alcohol, came to $490.72, Bingman said.
Consultants from the Illinois Association of School Boards suggested taking the candidates to dinner in an informal setting, board President Tom Liston said.
The association presented six candidates, which were interviewed in a six-hour special board meeting last month, he said.
"Beyond seeing these people in a very regimented setting, we get to see them in a social setting," Liston said. "He's going to be an individual who is going to be very public; his public persona is very important to our choice."
The meals at Dunnhills are paid out of the board of education expense budget in the district's education fund, Bingman said. The $307,400 expense fund covers $170,000 in worker's compensation premiums, as well as legal fees, copies, background checks for new employees, property appraisal, postage, and legal publications in the newspaper.
The expense fund also covers the Illinois Association of School Board's $7,500 fee.
Kathy Ignoffo, a parent and athletic booster club president, said she was glad the school board members were interviewing candidates in a laid-back atmosphere.
"Do I like that it's $500 a night?" she said. "No, but I don't know how else they can do that."
The board members will discuss its impressions and, they hope to reach a consensus at a closed-session meeting Tuesday, Liston said.
"Hopefully, we'll be contacting people after our next meeting," he said. "We would announce only after they accept after they've had time to talk with their own constituency."
Board members want to select a candidate to replace Superintendent Rob Gough this semester so Gough can train his replacement.
Gough plans to retire in summer 2006 after serving 28 years as a district administrator, the last 18 as superintendent.
By JILLIAN COMPTON
jcompton@nwherald.com
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Educating the public about referenda.
One of the keys to fighting referenda is educating the public a good way to do this is to write Letters to the Editor. This great example appeared online November 9th in the Daily Herald.
District 87 board doesn’t listen well
I hope the students of District 87 are better listeners than their administrators. After having experienced two failed referendums within a year, both aimed at raising our taxes, you’d think they’d get the message. Well, based on newspaper accounts, it appears the school board needs to work on their listening skills. The voters have communicated our frustration with a public school system that has an insatiable thirst for additional money while failing to improve the quality of education for our children.
It’s indisputable that year after year the cost of public education has gone up faster than the rate of inflation, while nationally, standardized test scores, along with other objective measures of success, have faced declines.
In an increasingly competitive world, we should demand that our children be given the tools they need to succeed. The current system has proven that it can’t meet this objective; no matter how much money we pour into it.
What’s required is fundamental reform. Merit-based pay for teachers to attract and retain the best and brightest, and more stringent graduation requirements are among the many changes necessary. In the absence of real reform, and therefore a continued decline in the quality of public education, parents should be given the option of sending their children to those schools which are delivering a quality education, and not be penalized financially.
One definition of insanity is to continue doing what you’ve always done and expect a different result. Let’s stop the insanity. To the District 87 board of education, I say, “no reform, no choice...no more money.”
Steven Keate
Wheaton
District 87 board doesn’t listen well
I hope the students of District 87 are better listeners than their administrators. After having experienced two failed referendums within a year, both aimed at raising our taxes, you’d think they’d get the message. Well, based on newspaper accounts, it appears the school board needs to work on their listening skills. The voters have communicated our frustration with a public school system that has an insatiable thirst for additional money while failing to improve the quality of education for our children.
It’s indisputable that year after year the cost of public education has gone up faster than the rate of inflation, while nationally, standardized test scores, along with other objective measures of success, have faced declines.
In an increasingly competitive world, we should demand that our children be given the tools they need to succeed. The current system has proven that it can’t meet this objective; no matter how much money we pour into it.
What’s required is fundamental reform. Merit-based pay for teachers to attract and retain the best and brightest, and more stringent graduation requirements are among the many changes necessary. In the absence of real reform, and therefore a continued decline in the quality of public education, parents should be given the option of sending their children to those schools which are delivering a quality education, and not be penalized financially.
One definition of insanity is to continue doing what you’ve always done and expect a different result. Let’s stop the insanity. To the District 87 board of education, I say, “no reform, no choice...no more money.”
Steven Keate
Wheaton
Monday, November 07, 2005
K-12 Brainwashing
Recently we came across a new NEWS source that you may want to add to your daily reading list called Education News.Org
. We found a link to the below article at educationnews.org in FrontPageMag.com
K-12 Brainwashing
By Ari Kaufman
FrontPageMagazine.com | November 4, 2005
It is no longer a secret that many public and private universities are populated by professors who use their classrooms to recruit students to their political agendas. But while the politicization of the universities is now common knowledge, an even more distressing instance of this abuse is to be found in the nation’s K-12 schools.
I have that on good authority. I have been a teacher in Los Angeles-area elementary and middle schools and have witnessed first hand how students who are younger and more impressionable are being regularly indoctrinated by leftwing teachers. Having worked in a number of different school districts over the past five years, from the well-to-do Palisades to the hardscrabble Watts neighborhood, I can further attest that cases of indoctrination occur far more often than many would believe possible. For the complete article go to FrontPageMag.com .
. We found a link to the below article at educationnews.org in FrontPageMag.com
K-12 Brainwashing
By Ari Kaufman
FrontPageMagazine.com | November 4, 2005
It is no longer a secret that many public and private universities are populated by professors who use their classrooms to recruit students to their political agendas. But while the politicization of the universities is now common knowledge, an even more distressing instance of this abuse is to be found in the nation’s K-12 schools.
I have that on good authority. I have been a teacher in Los Angeles-area elementary and middle schools and have witnessed first hand how students who are younger and more impressionable are being regularly indoctrinated by leftwing teachers. Having worked in a number of different school districts over the past five years, from the well-to-do Palisades to the hardscrabble Watts neighborhood, I can further attest that cases of indoctrination occur far more often than many would believe possible. For the complete article go to FrontPageMag.com .
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