Jack Franks fundraising invitation.
A sharp-eyed reader took a look at the invitation to State Rep. Jack Franks’ October26th fundraiser and spotted that a performance of the Woodstock High School Madrigals was listed on his invitation.
So I sent a Freedom of Information request to District 200 School District and received the following reply from Superintendent Ellyn Wrzeski:
I am going to forego our usual letter as I believe I can quickly answer your question.
- District 200 has a policy 5:120 which prohibits student participation in political events of this nature.
- Neither I nor the WHS principal had knowledge of this performance.
- In fairness to the vocal instructor who has been with D200 for over 30 years and is one of the most successful vocal teachers in Illinois, he had no intention of circumventing District Policy. His students perform at numerous community events and volunteer performances and he saw this as another opportunity to perform and was not looking at the political aspect. I am going to email all of our principals to remind them of this policy and to have them share it with staff.
- The WHS choral program will not be performing at this event.
- District 200 has no records of any previous performances of this nature and I do not believe there have been any in the last thirteen years.
If you have any other questions, please contact me.
Ellyn Wrzeski
The POWER of ONE!
Another blogging success!
I have made it clear on this forum that I am no fan of Jack Franks.
It think he is as phony as any politican out their and that he attracts the dumbest of voters.
However, why should a school forbid any of its students to support any candidate?
This is a form of censurship.
District 200’s policy is an anemic attempt to avoid controversy of any type.
Schools are very liberal.
Most faculty are left wingers.
Get used to it.
If we think this is a victory, it is a pernicious one.
Schools censure conservatives far more aggressively than liberal students, and this arms schools to lay the anvil down on conservatives in the future.
This form of censurship is a disgrace.
Let ’em sing at Franks’ fundraiser if they wish to.
Good job Cal.
Students can support whomever they wish but cannot perform at a political fundraiser as an official school event.
To do so would be a de facto endorsement of the politician’s campaign by a government funded institution at taxpayer expense.
Ellyn W is the Nygren of Education in McHenry County
Ellyn Wrzeski is a fine superintendent and statements to the contrary are quite off base.