McHenry County Blog

Steve Rooney

John O'Neill

That happened four years ago, too, when homeschoolers John O’Neill was elected to the McHenry Grade School Board and John Ryan won a District 300 seat.

This year, O’Neill was re-elected without opposition and Steve Rooney won a seat on the Johnsburg Unit School District 12 Board of Education.

John Ryan has moved out of Illinois and the woman appointed to replace him on the District 300 Board, Karen Plaza, the wife of Lake in the Hills Village President Ed Plaza, failed to win election to retain her seat.

Whenever I go to a business expo, I look for politicians.

McHenry Marlins line up for an interclub race.

Saturday was McHenry Marlins swim meet day.  The McHenry Business Expo was also occurring at McHenry West High School.

State Rep. Jack Franks confers with constituent at the McHenry Expo.

State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo) and State Sen. Pam Althoff (R-McHenry) shared a booth.

State Senator Pam Althoff gestures a lot when she talks.

Both had left by three o’clock, Franks on his way to his big fundraiser in Downtown Chicago and Althoff to prepare for a Raue Center affair at which a scholarship was to be awarded in her late husband Tim’s honor.

I approached Althoff about whether she would vote for a bill to register homeschoolers.

She said she wouldn’t.

Last year this was where I met the Democratic Party candidate for McHenry County Sheriff, Mike Mahon.  His presence convinced me that he was going to put on a real campaign.

The McHenry County State's Attorney's booth.

Last year and this year both the State’s Attorney’s and Sheriff’s Office had booths.

Last year Lou Bianchi was in attendance.  This year he wasn’t.

The Sheriff's Department's booth.

Sheriff Keith Nygren delegated deputies to staff his county both last year and this year.

An email from Homeschool Legal Defense Fund Senior Counsel Scott A. Woodruff about what went on today in Springfield:

Illinois: 4,000 Homeschoolers Say “No” to Registration Bill

Dear HSLDA Friends and Members,

An awe-inspiring 4,000 homeschoolers flooded the Statehouse today as Sen. Maloney did his best to get the Senate Education Committee to support his plan to mandate registration for homeschoolers. But the committee did not vote, so homeschoolers must continue to press for
the withdrawal of the bill.

ACTION REQUESTED

Please call your own senator and ask him or her to contact Sen. Maloney and ask him to withdraw–NOT AMEND–his bill. Use our legislative toolbox at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=10343 to find your senator.

BACKGROUND

Sen. Maloney has stated he intends to amend his bill so it impacts homeschoolers only–not other private schools. There is no way to amend his bill to transform it into a good bill. Its objective is to push government control into your living room and kitchen, and that is
unacceptable no matter how he may amend it.

Prior to the hearing this morning, the entire auditorium filled up quickly for the 9:15 a.m. Home School Freedom Summit in the Howlett Building. After that, homeschoolers poured into the Statehouse. They filled the committee hearing room, then completely filled that entire floor of the Statehouse, even pushing up into the upper galleries. Security estimated the crowd at 4,000.

While waiting for the hearing to start, the crowd beginning singing. Strains of “America the Beautiful,” “God Bless America,” “Amazing Grace,” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” drifted into the committee room. No one present will ever forget the huge, orderly, but passionate crowd, the singing, and the sense that their presence made a powerful statement in defense of liberty. No Illinois senator or representative will forget that statement, either, I believe.

Recognizing the crowd, staff agreed–for the first time in the history of the Illinois legislature–to leave the doors to the committee hearing room open during the hearing (if the crowd would stay quiet)!

The hearing went longer than scheduled. Homeschool leaders testified powerfully against the bill. Sen. Maloney testified that officials “needed to know” who was homeschooling, though it was never entirely clear why.

Some senators worried about homeschoolers “falling through the cracks.”

But if “falling through the cracks” means kids ending high school without a diploma, without being able to read, without being able to enter college without remedial classes, and with a juvenile justice record, then “falling through the cracks” is quite common in public schools. The sad truth is that the public schools do not have the solution to “falling through the cracks!” Why have the least effective system of education supervise the most effective system?

The senators on the committee seem closely divided between “for” and “against” on SB 136. The change of a single vote could have dramatic consequences. The efforts of every single homeschool family in the state are urgently needed.

Sincerely Yours,

Scott A. Woodruff
HSLDA Senior Counsel

Former District 300 Board member was out of the country on his new job when I emailed him asking what he thought his accomplishments were.

Interestingly, he did not mention getting elected as a Home School Dad. In 2007, he was one of two McHenry County Home School Dad’s to win a school board seat.

The other was John O’Neill, now a candidate for state representative against veteran incumbent Democrat Jack Franks.

Ryan got more votes than any of the other eight candidates when he ran for the Carpentersville School Board. He defeated incumbent School Board President Mary Fioretti.

I asked him to reflect on his accomplishments. Here’s his reply:

John Ryan

“As you may recall, my campaign was based upon a pledge of both fiscal and ethical accountability and transparency.

“To that end, there are several accomplishments I have particularly strong feelings about.

“I am very pleased that I was able to disprove the image of me that was portrayed by my adversaries and earn the trust of my colleagues, administration and staff of D300.

“Through my conduct, I believe I was able to show all of them that just because someone aspires to a high standard, and as such will occasionally disagree with group think, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re an enemy.

“Just the opposite – often times you’re the voice of reason and conscience.

“While it has often been referred to as ‘pay to play,’  I think ‘conflict of interest’ describes the policy more accurately.

“Besides the practical benefits of its implementation, such a policy sends a strong message in regard to the values a Board hold important.  I am proud that I didn’t give up on it after it was defeated the first time around, and of the collaborative approach used to get it ultimately approved.

“The degree of opposition by a key administrator both times around was initially stunning and proved quite revealing in regard to how entrenched and pervasive the ‘me first’ attitude of educrats really is.

“I am proud of the tasks accomplished under my watch as Chair of the Policy & Legislative as well as the Construction and Facilities Oversight Committees.

“In particular, strengthening D300′s policies on

• bullying, harassment and intimidation;
• authoring the cash reserve policy that saved taxpayers $2,000,000 by producing a 5-tier increase in D300′s credit ratings;
• developing specific protocols for construction change orders (a good topic for an in depth investigative article would be an audit of the referendum projects before these guides were in place);
• implementation of a FOIA policy which proactively posts the D300 ‘checkbook,’
• BOE meeting packets and FOIA responses online; as well as
• working with our local legislators to get a common sense ADA implementation bill signed into law (and subsequently being appointed to the C(aptial) D(evelopment) B(oard)’s ADA Task Force as a result).

“Lastly, although my role was minor,  I am pleased that my efforts as Vice Chair of the Finance Committee played a role in implementing the ‘Educational Program Review Technique’ (EPRT) process that was the foundation for eliminating D300′s $27M deficit in two years. (Credit must be given to Dr. (Cheryl) Crates for initiating the process).”

I next asked Ryan to reflect on his activity in the successful referendums passed by District 300:

“I strongly opposed the referendum – specifically the lack of fiscal discipline, integrity and transparency that necessitated it in the first place.

“Even more so, I stood opposed to the less than forthright tactics used by its proponents to secure its passage.  The same is true for the questionable interpretation of the Open Meetings Act and the post-referendum bonus paid to Dr. (Ken) Arndt by the preceding Board.

“I made one thing clear upon my inauguration though – what was done was done.  It passed and as such, I took it as my responsibility to ensure its promises were kept.”

And, Ryan has a final word:

“In closing, I guess the end of my resignation letter sums it up best.

“I will be eternally grateful to those who placed their confidence and trust in me; and I depart knowing I can honestly say ‘promises kept!’”

You might think home schoolers are not very modern.

You’d be wrong as far as use of the internet goes.

A new blog has been started by Illinois Christian Home Educators, a group founded in 1983.

You can find it here.

The web site indicates the group has 11,000 on its mailing list for a quarterly magazine.

The home page has all sorts of helpful information about home schooling:

• About ICHE
• Conventions and Events
• Book Store
• Beginners
• Support Groups
• Homeschool Law
• Special Needs
• Minority Resources
• Discussion Board
• Articles
• FAQ
• Leaders
• Search
• Contact Us

The group’s annual convention starts Friday. Information is on its blog.

You might think home schoolers are not very modern.

You’d be wrong as far as use of the internet goes.

A new blog has been started by Illinois Christian Home Educators, a group founded in 1983.

You can find it here.

The web site indicates the group has 11,000 on its mailing list for a quarterly magazine.

The home page has all sorts of helpful information about home schooling:

• About ICHE
• Conventions and Events
• Book Store
• Beginners
• Support Groups
• Homeschool Law
• Special Needs
• Minority Resources
• Discussion Board
• Articles
• FAQ
• Leaders
• Search
• Contact Us

The group’s annual convention starts Friday. Information is on its blog.

Maybe homeschooling has really gone mainstream.

Homeschool Dad and McHenry County Republican precinct committeeman John Ryan of Algonquin knocked off the Carpentersville District 300 School Board President Mary Fioretti.

And up Route 31 in McHenry, Republican precinct committeeman John O’Neill, also from a homeschooling family, won enough votes to capture the third seat on that town’s grade school district.

Both candidates were attacked for not having their children in the public school system in whispering campaigns. O’Neill found this piece of poorly printed literature the weekend before the election. Ryan was under regular internet email attack by the District 300 tax hike committee, Advance 300.

Advance 300 had $42,200 left over from its one-year approximately $150,000 successful referendum effort, but announced it would not support candidates during the election.

There was no doubt from the group’s email blasts, however, that Ryan and his running mate, Monica Clark were not Advance 300 favorites. Ryan, especially, was savaged by Advance 300 spokesman Nancy Zettler in the comment sections below Northwest Herald articles.

Both homeschoolers are fiscal conservatives. Both won a year after their school districts passed large tax rate referendums.

District 300 Board President Fioretti, appointed GOP committeeman by McHenry County Party Chairman Bill LeFew (from the opposite end of the county), is closely aligned with Advance 300, which used about $150,000 in school vendor and developer money to pass both a 55-cent tax rate hike and a huge bond issue a year ago.

One can only guess what caused the backlash for Ryan and his running mate Monica Clark to place first and second.

Maybe it was

• District 300′s use of hugely inflated student population projections.
• conducting school business—like deciding to move a high school graduation site to another location—behind closed doors.
• banishing from school premises Stan Gladbach, a citizens finance committee member and frequent filer of Freedom of Information requests.
• the continuing and penetrating coverage by Daily Herald reporter Jeff Gaunt and, more recently, by the Northwest Herald’s David Fitzgerald.
• good campaigning on the part of the two elected Republican precinct committeemen.
• their Irish names.

And, the assistance provided by Jack Roeser’s Family Taxpayers Network to Ryan and Clark certainly helped, too.

Ryan says his goal is to immediately begin the process of opening the district’s activities to the public. He said he believes the board needs to immediately make the process of delivering information to community members far easier and friendly.

“We should never have a standoff with our community members over the information available to them.”

A third homeschool Dad, David Etling, lost his bid for the Prairie Grove School District 47 Board.

Maybe homeschooling has really gone mainstream.

Homeschool Dad and McHenry County Republican precinct committeeman John Ryan of Algonquin knocked off the Carpentersville District 300 School Board President Mary Fioretti.

And up Route 31 in McHenry, Republican precinct committeeman John O’Neill, also from a homeschooling family, won enough votes to capture the third seat on that town’s grade school district.

Both candidates were attacked for not having their children in the public school system in whispering campaigns. O’Neill found this piece of poorly printed literature the weekend before the election. Ryan was under regular internet email attack by the District 300 tax hike committee, Advance 300.

Advance 300 had $42,200 left over from its one-year approximately $150,000 successful referendum effort, but announced it would not support candidates during the election.

There was no doubt from the group’s email blasts, however, that Ryan and his running mate, Monica Clark were not Advance 300 favorites. Ryan, especially, was savaged by Advance 300 spokesman Nancy Zettler in the comment sections below Northwest Herald articles.

Both homeschoolers are fiscal conservatives. Both won a year after their school districts passed large tax rate referendums.

District 300 Board President Fioretti, appointed GOP committeeman by McHenry County Party Chairman Bill LeFew (from the opposite end of the county), is closely aligned with Advance 300, which used about $150,000 in school vendor and developer money to pass both a 55-cent tax rate hike and a huge bond issue a year ago.

One can only guess what caused the backlash for Ryan and his running mate Monica Clark to place first and second.

Maybe it was

• District 300′s use of hugely inflated student population projections.
• conducting school business—like deciding to move a high school graduation site to another location—behind closed doors.
• banishing from school premises Stan Gladbach, a citizens finance committee member and frequent filer of Freedom of Information requests.
• the continuing and penetrating coverage by Daily Herald reporter Jeff Gaunt and, more recently, by the Northwest Herald’s David Fitzgerald.
• good campaigning on the part of the two elected Republican precinct committeemen.
• their Irish names.

And, the assistance provided by Jack Roeser’s Family Taxpayers Network to Ryan and Clark certainly helped, too.

Ryan says his goal is to immediately begin the process of opening the district’s activities to the public. He said he believes the board needs to immediately make the process of delivering information to community members far easier and friendly.

“We should never have a standoff with our community members over the information available to them.”

A third homeschool Dad, David Etling, lost his bid for the Prairie Grove School District 47 Board.